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Facebook Carousel Ads: Ultimate Guide

Simple and direct messages are usually best when it comes to Facebook advertising. But sometimes, you need a little more space for creativity. 

You might be trying to showcase a wide selection of quality products or tell a story to introduce your brand. 

When you’re looking to produce more complex messages, individual static images and videos can feel a little restrictive.

Fortunately, there’s an answer.

Facebook Carousel ads are ideal for advertisers who need a format that can deliver multiple messages within a single placement. But these ads don’t just offer flexibility – they can also help marketers to achieve a range of business objectives.

Let’s take a look at Facebook Carousel ads in detail, and outline how you can maximise the impact they have on your campaigns.

What are Facebook Carousel ads? 

Facebook Carousel ads enable advertisers to make use of 10 individual ‘cards’ within a single placement.

These cards can contain images or videos, which provides brands with a lot of room to deliver more in-depth creative messages. 

Carousel ads are also highly engaging because they encourage interaction from users. Rather than just passively sitting and viewing an ad, your target audiences can actively explore different assets within the carousel.

Advertisers can also include several CTAs within a Carousel, meaning the call to action can be tailored to each message. 

This is a great opportunity to drive high levels of engagement, land a combination of different messages, and ultimately drive action from audiences. 

(Source: Facebook.com)

What should I use Carousel ads for?

One of the biggest strengths of Facebook Carousel ads is their versatility. 

Carousels can play an effective role in a wide range of different campaign types, while consistently driving high levels of audience engagement.

Brand Awareness 

Facebook Carousels are ideal for increasing brand awareness because they provide advertisers with a generous amount of space for creative messaging and information.

Since brands can deliver key messages across 10 Carousel cards, they can string together compelling stories or place standalone ads in each panel. 

This is a brilliant way for marketers to showcase their most interesting services, develop a stronger brand personality, and increase awareness of their full offering. As users engage with your Carousel, they can quickly learn more about your brand and products. 

Traffic

Carousels can include up to 10 individual cards, each with their own unique links and CTAs. As a result, they present a great opportunity for brands to drive high levels of website traffic.

Advertisers can use this creative space to address multiple consumer pain points, taking users on a journey that ends with a strong Call To Action. 

Since each Carousel slot is essentially a new opportunity to engage customers and drive action, marketers can quickly generate large volumes of clicks with the right messages. 

When fuelled by smart audience targeting, Carousels can rapidly deliver a significant amount of high-quality site traffic.

Lead Gen 

Carousel ads can also be exceptionally effective in Lead Gen campaigns. 

Facebook Lead ads are designed to capture new leads quickly and efficiently, attracting hot prospects within a matter of clicks. 

With Carousel ads, you can combine the streamlined data capture of Lead ads with the creative freedom of the Carousel. With more space to communicate persuasive messages and product benefits, advertisers can increase their chances of securing new leads.

Conversions 

It’s easy to feel the pressure of accurate audience targeting when you’re running static image ads for conversions. If your target audience doesn’t engage with the product or service that you’re offering, they won’t convert – and this can be frustrating. 

Luckily, Carousels relieve some of this pressure by allowing you to advertise multiple products or services, each with their own unique CTA and landing page. 

If one product message doesn’t quite convince your audience to click, you have 9 more opportunities to drive that all-important conversion. This means that you can cast a slightly wider net with your campaigns since you’re not limited to a single product message. 

How much do Facebook Carousel ads cost?

A versatile, engaging and creative ad format that can deliver against a wide range of campaign objectives?

The Facebook Carousel ad is ticking a lot of boxes.

But how much are these ads going to cost? When you’re managing a paid social marketing budget, it’s important to understand the level of investment required.

Well, there are a lot of factors that can determine the total cost of your Facebook campaign. 

There are several external influences (e.g. seasonality, industry, competitor activity) that will dictate how much you’ll pay for your Carousel ads. There are also factors within your control (e.g. ad type, bidding strategy, ad relevance diagnostics) that will also have a major impact.

It’s very important to understand all of these individual factors so that you can manage your campaign budget effectively. 

Although it’s difficult to estimate exactly how much your Carousel ads will cost, we can look at some average Facebook prices as a rough indicator.

The average Facebook CPC (Cost Per Click) is around £0.81. 

The average Facebook CPM (Cost Per Thousand Impressions) is around £5.99. 

This data can be a useful reference point when you’re preparing to launch a campaign, but remember that the cost of your ads will fluctuate regularly. Keep a close eye on your Facebook reports to monitor ad delivery and campaign costs!

The advantages of Facebook Carousel ads

Wondering if the Facebook Carousel might play a leading role in your next campaign?

Let’s take a look at some of the main advantages of this ad format. 

Carousels can tackle a range of objectives

Carousel ads can drive outstanding results in a wide variety of different campaigns. 

All you need to do is fuel them with engaging creative assets and efficient audience targeting. 

Need to raise awareness of your brand proposition or new products? Use Carousels to deliver important information in engaging, bite-sized cards. 

Hoping to drive a high volume of online sales? Advertise different products or services (with unique CTAs and landing pages) within a Carousel to maximise conversions. 

Whatever your core objective might be, there’s almost certainly a way for Carousel ads to generate results. 

Carousels offer a lot of space for creativity

Forget cramming your brand story or product benefits into a single image. With Carousels, you have room to build your brand identity and showcase your services. 

Some advertisers use Carousel cards to communicate an in-depth narrative, encouraging users to click along to explore the story. 

With the right visual assets, the Carousel can become a seamless advert, with each panel flowing smoothly into the next. 

Other brands treat every Carousel card as individual ads, with each section containing distinct visuals and different messages.

If you have a more complex message to convey to your target audience, the Carousel is the perfect paid social format. 

Carousels are naturally engaging 

Carousels are inherently engaging for Facebook users.

Why? Because they instantly encourage interaction. If users want to explore different Carousel panels, they need to click between the cards. 

This instantly lends itself to high levels of engagement, which is hugely valuable for advertisers. 

There are also plenty of opportunities for further engagement within the Carousel (e.g. clicking different CTAs and visiting product pages) which is why the format can be incredibly useful in multiple campaigns. 

The disadvantages of Facebook Carousel ads

Facebook Carousel ads can be super effective within paid social campaigns. 

But no ad format is perfect. Let’s take a look at some of the potential drawbacks when using Carousel ads.

Carousels won’t suit every campaign

Although the versatility of Carousel ads is usually a bonus, not every campaign will be delivering complex product messaging or brand narratives. 

Sometimes you may just have a simple and direct message to deliver. In which case, you won’t need the generous creative space that Carousels provide. 

When you’re running a single-minded creative message, the Carousel format can actually end up feeling clunky and empty. If you’re struggling to fill the Carousel cards with engaging content, it’s a sign that you may be better off with a different placement. 

Carousels require multiple creative assets 

You should also consider some of the production requirements associated with effective Carousel ads.

The best Carousel ads contain creative assets that are specifically tailored to the format and designed to be explored at the same time. 

At the bare minimum, you’ll need a handful of high-quality ads that look and feel like they’re part of the same campaign. 

If you launch a Carousel with a set of assets that don’t feel connected (and vary in quality) then this can actually damage your brand image rather than deliver positive returns. 

Are Facebook Carousel ads Effective? 

As long as you have the capacity to produce engaging creative assets, then Facebook Carousel ads are almost certainly worth the investment.

These placements can deliver jaw-dropping levels of user engagement, while also contributing to your most important marketing objectives. 

If you’re looking to stand out in cluttered feeds and deliver persuasive creative messages, then Carousel ads are an invaluable tool in your paid social arsenal. 

When you combine the versatility of Carousel ads with data-led targeting and eye-catching creatives, you have a reliable formula for success. 

3 reasons you should be using Facebook Carousel ads 

Still looking for a good reason to incorporate Carousel ads into your next Facebook campaign? 

You’re in luck. 

Below are three compelling reasons that you should be making the most of Facebook Carousel ads in your paid social strategy. 

1. They’re proven to work for marketers 

One of the best reasons to use Facebook Carousel ads is that they’re proven to deliver strong results for advertisers. 

Brands from a wide range of markets and industries have consistently used Carousel ads to deliver against their targets.

Fashion brand BAI tested using Carousel ads to feature several products in a single ad placement. The Carousel format drove an impressive 2.5x ROAS, delivered 3x more clicks than static image ads, and maintained a 30% lower CPC. 

Carousels have also achieved impressive results in other campaign types.

Precision Nutrition used a Carousel to share multiple links to informative website content. The ad campaign led to 6,000 new newsletter subscriptions and a 50% increase in CTR compared to static image ads.

2. They’re a brilliant way to show off your products 

Carousel ads are also one of the best ways to showcase your products to attract new customers. 

Not only do Carousels drive high levels of engagement, but they can also be used to dive deeper into unique product benefits and functions. 

You can use a Carousel ad to shine a light on individual features, or clearly visualise how a product works for customers. The more engaging information you can communicate about your products, the more likely users are to purchase them. 

3. They create a smooth customer experience

A convenient and seamless user journey is key to driving action.

If customers feel like exploring your product range is going to be time-consuming and difficult, they’re unlikely to engage with your brand. 

But if customers can instantly browse a product collection and visit the relevant product pages in the blink of an eye? That’s a different story.

With a Carousel ad, you can incorporate unique CTAs and links into each panel. 

That means prospects don’t need to waste their time clicking around your website to find the right product – all they need to do is click the Carousel card, and they’ll be in a great position to convert. 

How do I create Facebook Carousel ads? 

Ready to unlock the power of Facebook Carousel ads for your next paid social campaign? 

Let’s take a look at how you can set up your own Carousel ads and take advantage of this unique format. 

Step 1 – Set up your Carousel ad campaign

  • Log in to the Facebook Ads Manager and select your desired campaign objective. 
  • The following campaign types support Carousel ads: reach, brand awareness, traffic, app installs, lead generation, conversions, and catalog sales.
  • Create a new ad set and select the Carousel ad format.

Step 2 – Create your Carousel ad

  • You’ll then have the option to create a Carousel ad, under the formatting options. 
  • Next up, you’ll start writing your Carousel ad. This text should summarise everything that’s being promoted in your Carousel, rather than an individual card or product.
  • You can then adjust how your Carousel cards will appear. Advertisers can manually drag and drop cards to set up the Carousel or allow the Facebook platform to display the best performing asset first.
  • Select either video or image creatives.
  • Add a headline and description to each Carousel card, along with a destination URL for each asset. 
  • You’ll also be able to view a preview of your Carousel cards as you update the creative information, which is very handy.

Step 3 – Add your CTAs 

  • Once you’ve uploaded your creatives and finalised your ad text, you’ll then be able to select your CTAs.
  • You’ll be able to choose from a range of pre-set CTAs – select the option that aligns best with your product message. 
  • It’s also possible to add a ‘Free Shipping’ text overlay to your Carousel images. This could help to increase conversions (if it fits your campaign) but it’s not mandatory. 

Once you’ve added CTAs to your Carousel cards, your brand new ads will be good to go. 

Facebook Carousel ad specifications 

As with any social media format, it’s very important that you prepare your Carousel visual assets to the correct specifications.

(Nobody wants to deal with last-minute production edits and creative emergencies.)

The Facebook Carousel In-Feed ad specs are as follows:

Design recommendations

  • Image file type: JPG or PNG 
  • Video file type: MP4, MOV or GIF 
  • Ratio: 1:1 
  • Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels 

Text recommendations

  • Primary text: 125 characters 
  • Headline: 32 characters 
  • Description: 18 characters 
  • Landing page URL: Required

Technical requirements

  • Number of Carousel cards: 2 to 10
  • Image maximum file size: 30 MB
  • Video maximum file size: 4 GB
  • Video duration: 1 second to 240 minutes
  • Aspect ratio tolerance: 3%

If you need any more guidance on Facebook Carousel specs and sizes, check out this guide for additional information. 

Examples of successful Facebook Carousel ads 

Now that we’ve covered the basics of creating Facebook Carousel ads, it’s time for a bit of creative inspiration.

Below are some shining examples of Carousel ads that delivered outstanding results and maximised the potential of the ad format. 

Premium watchmaker Oris used Carousel ads to showcase its product catalogue to relevant prospects. 

The brand also utilised Facebook dynamic ads to optimise the creatives and maximise conversions. The creative assets were simple but effective, using clean and clear product shots to attract new customers.

By using these data-driven Carousel ads, Oris achieved a 47% decrease in its Cost Per Checkout in just 3 weeks.

(Source: Facebook.com)

Footwear retailer OFFICE used dynamic Carousel ads to deliver multiple product images and sales messages to target audiences. 

The brand also set up a conversion lift study to measure the impact of the Carousel format. 

OFFICE achieved a 17% lift in the number of sales conversions driven (versus a non-exposed control audience) and delivered an 8.6x incremental ROAS. 

Eye-catching product images, combined with smart audience targeting, produced highly effective Carousel ads that generated impressive returns. 

(Source: Facebook.com)

For help setting up and running Carousel ads from a Facebook advertising agency please get in touch.

Useful resources for Facebook advertisers 

That’s a lot of Facebook marketing knowledge to take in, eh? But we know you’ve got it all memorised. 

(Just kidding.)

If you need to refresh your memory on anything Carousel-related, just check out these handy resources for more information. 

Upbeat guide to high-converting Facebook ads 

Facebook Carousel ads can deliver exceptional results for social media advertisers.

Whether you’re looking to build brand awareness or generate cost-efficient conversions, the Carousel is a powerful tool with a lot of potential. 

All you need to do is pack your Carousels with engaging visual assets and make sure that you’re reaching responsive audiences. If you can balance creativity with accurate targeting, you’ll be on the right track to crush your campaign objectives. 

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