Top 6 Facebook Ad Trends for 2021 – Get better results with the same budget

With increasing competition from new advertisers and ever-changing preferences of 2.8 billion monthly active users, it’s getting tougher to run Facebook Ads profitably. This article will break down the latest trends to get the best ROI with your Facebook and Instagram ads in 2021.

A. User Generated Content (UGC)

Although Facebook Ads can be laser-targeted, a high proportion of people don’t make valuable decisions from the ads. The chief reason behind this is the lack of social proof and testimonials. That’s precisely what User Generated Content helps advertisers avoid.

User Generated Content, or UGC, is media that you can post or use as an ad creative, with customers’ permission, of course. Your audience appreciates UGC because it’s free from bias and gives a clear idea of what a potential customer can expect from your product or service.

The portable blender company, Blendjet, carved a niche for its innovative product using customer testimonials in a variety of ad campaigns like below:

User Generated Content has been around for a couple of years, and it will be even more indispensable in 2021 to circumvent algorithm changes.

B. Long-form Ad Copy

Keeping ad copies crisp and concise has been the standard practice for a long time. However, we’re seeing long-form ad copies get massively rewarded and result in lower CPAs when A/B tested against short-form copies. Why? Because long-form copies take a descriptive, storytelling approach with copywriting and encourage informed actions by the viewers, which increases the chances of conversion.

Another great advantage is that advertisers can opt for a simple graphic, or an exciting GIF, since the copy is the meaty part of these ads. This saves money that would otherwise get eaten up in creating studio-shot videos or a photoshoot.

Here’s how Mindvalley is using the long-form copy in their ads:

C. Immersive experience with stories ads

Every month, 4 million businesses use stories ads on Instagram. And it makes sense: more space, less distraction. Brands get a bigger canvas to showcase their creativity and drive greater interest and more valuable actions.

Likewise, Facebook Stories have shown to perform equally well in the last few months. So including Facebook Stories placements in your next ad campaign could give you the edge you are seeking from your ad campaign. What’s more, both mobile-shot and studio-shot creatives have their respective advantages with stories ads.

For instance, mobile-shot stories ads are 80% more effective at driving intent, while studio-shot stories ads are 97% more effective at brand awareness. Therefore, regardless of your budget, stories ads will prove lucrative for your ad campaigns in 2021.

D. Video: the way ahead

Video will continue to remain the #1 media type for Facebook ads. That said, here are a few things to keep in mind when publishing video ads in 2021:

• Don’t start slow, be in everyone’s face from the beginning. The first seconds of the video are crucial.
• Generate interest, but also keep some juice for your landing page. So avoid long and overly descriptive videos.
• 85% of video adsare watched without sound, meaning closed captions are a must.

98% of Facebook’s MUA access it via mobile. Bottom line: use mobile-first videos.

E. Get real & personal

Unlike Google, people don’t come onto Facebook or Instagram to make purchases. They seek human connections and prefer consuming information from those connections. Accordingly, there has been a shift to more casual creatives that appear less like “ads”. Here are a few ways for how to do this in 2021:

• Stock images just won’t cut it. Avoid them as much as you can.
• Use mobile-shot creatives that include you, someone from your team, or a paid actor.
• Create an ad similar to the organic content i.e. what your audience usually sees on the newsfeed.

F. Go easy on vocabulary

There were 10 million active advertisers on Facebook in 2020, and 1 million of those were added between Q2 and Q3! Indeed, this figure will only rise in 2021. Thus, you will compete with an increasing number of businesses to get your audience’s attention.

This means your ad costs will increase, CPMs and CPCs will get high, with probably reduced results for your budget. Add to this a verbose ad copy, and you’re looking at people scrolling away within seconds. Instead, a quick measure to profitable ads is using an ad copy that is simple and interesting. Your words should entice emotion, give valuable information, and most importantly, keep the people comfortable. That’s why they are on social sites in the first place!

Update your Facebook Ads strategy with these trends today! And if you need a dedicated campaign manager to run the best performing ads with these trends, we’re one call away. Book a free coffee and consult session with Aepiphanni here.