Do consumers notice your ads while scrolling through their Facebook feeds? How do thumbnails, colors, and sounds impact your ads? Does your industry affect ad performance?
EyeSee’s team of researchers tested 36 dynamic (video or GIF) ads from 6 different industries (Food, Beverage, Cosmetics, Banking&Telco, Services, and Technology) on over 2000 participants. Each of the ads was tested both in context (Facebook feed) and in standalone mode using eye-tracking, facial coding, and a survey, to try and uncover best practices, rules, and tips for brands. Try out some of these tips. And if you want to make sure they work – pre-test them.
We found that not all Facebook ads are equally successful. Discover why the top-performing ads:
- Hold attention for 6 seconds longer
- Have a 16% higher emotional reach
- Garner a 50% higher stated purchase intent
Here are some of the study findings – if you want to learn more, listen to our podcast!
Seeing Doesn’t Equal Watching
Our study shows that Facebook ads, on average, have an 87% chance of being seen. However, there’s a caveat – you can have high visibility, but low attention. This means people are just scrolling through the feed, and notice the ad without stopping to read/view it.
The advertisements in this study were watched for 4.1 seconds on average – vs. the average length of the ads used in the study at 16 seconds. When it comes to attention, the results contain clear advice: you only have 4 seconds to make an impact and relay the desired message to the viewers! The top 15% of ads in our study held attention for 6.3 seconds, while the bottom 15% – only 2.5 seconds.
Facebook Ads Are Emotionally Engaging 3% of users (on average): How Do You Get Yours In This Group?
Ads on a Facebook feed typically have little or no emotional impact. Average emotional engagement was 3%, meaning that on average, 3% of viewers reacted to the particular ad with positive or negative emotion – most watchers remain neutral to the content. Additionally, 56% of ads had some kind of emotional engagement, while 44% had none.
However, this is sector dependent. Unsurprisingly, food and beverage ads garnered more interest than the other industries. The services industry has the same emotional engagement as food and beverage, but a different emotion – surprise, instead of heightened interest.
So, What Works?
- Showing the product in the thumbnail boosts the probability of your message being received by up to 20%. For food and beverage: show your product being consumed instead of a package shot
- Having light colors in your ads thumbnail (first scene) will draw attention. Light colours had the highest visibility, and emotional reach was higher for ads that used more intense colors (light or dark) than those that used colors with medium intensity
- GIFS provide a better message recall. This is because they’re seen multiple times and are shorter than video. However, there’s a downside. They are more likely to be found as boring or irritating because they are repetitive
- Videos have a better impact on brand perception, are more persuasive, and ensure better brand differentiation. Depending on the purpose of your campaign, you should choose one or the other
- Ads with music are more likely to be rated as entertaining and pleasant to watch. However, music can draw attention away from the ad message (by up to 10%, compared to ads without music)
- The industry of the advertiser affects ad attention. Ads from the food industry got the most attention, while those from Banking, Telco, and Services got the least
- The industry of the brand also impacts perceived clarity. Ads from Food and Beverage industries were regarded as the clearest
- In case there is no product to show, you can show your brand logo on the thumbnail or in the first few seconds, especially if your brand is well known and likable. To make a stronger impact, make sure your brand logo is visible
- Lowest-performing ads are too long for social media (longer than 30s). All of the lowest-performing ads were too long, had lower attention, almost twice lower brand recall, and consequently and triggered negative emotions
The Verdict
There is no magic recipe for creating the perfect Facebook ad. However, pre-testing ads is advisable to ensure you’re effective in the social media advertising arena. Somethings, however, have proven effective – here are the key takeaways, but request the podcast for a more detailed report on the insights!
Methodology Overview
Sample size: 2,400 total (400 per each cell x 6 cells)
Number of evaluations per ad: 40 for ET/FC, 100 for survey
Sample criteria: Male and female, 18-70, Regular Facebook users, decision makers for household shopping, category users (for categeories included in this study)
LOI: 20 minutes
Market: US
