When you create a Facebook ad, you’re trying to succeed.
Duh.
Whether that’s driving sales, boosting web traffic, or attracting likes and comments, you want positive, measurable results from your Facebook marketing.
Duh.
So, wouldn’t you want to create the best Facebook ad ever?
Oh, yeah.
The dream of going down in history among the best Facebook ads ever is one shared by many digital advertisers.
Well, here’s the fact: having someone tell you what the best Facebook ad ever is not going to help you achieve that dream.
Instead, we’re going to look at some pretty darn great (some would say the best) Facebook ad examples.
We’ll explore why they’re considered the best so that you can integrate these practices into your own marketing plan.
Creating the best Facebook ad ever starts with taking a look at what’s working on the platform for others.
Here’s fair warning: this article isn’t going to choose just one Facebook ad and tell you it’s the best ever created in all of advertising history.
Instead, we’re going to help you get to the point that you can create your best Facebook ad ever.
What are the Metrics of Success for the Best Facebook Ad?
The first part of considering what makes a Facebook ad your best ever is determining how you measure “the best”.
Is it the creative/how it looks?
Is it how low it’s CPC is?
How many adds to cart it converted?
One of the reasons why claiming the best Facebook ad ever is so complicated is that the metrics for measuring success will vary based on the objective of your campaign.
So first thing’s first, choose the Facebook ad objective that helps the platform optimize deliverability.
Since there isn’t one objective that’s considered better than another, we’ll be looking at ads with a variety of goals.
What distinguishes these as the best Facebook ad examples is that they achieved better results than other campaigns with the same objective.
They’re also notable for the fact that they not only achieved their campaign goal, but surpassed it.
Again, your KPIs for what makes your Facebook ad the best will be different based on the objective you select.
How you know your Facebook ad is succeeding is by taking a look at the performance of other campaigns with similar goals.
The Best Facebook Ad Examples
P.F. Chang’s
With this winning Facebook ad example, P.F. Chang’s inputted a pixel on their Sweep Entries event.
Using a sweepstakes or other contest can yield some major results for social media marketing.
A recent CMI study revealed that 81% of advertisers recognize that interactive content is more effective at grabbing readers’ attentions.
Sweepstakes and other giveaways are among Facebook ads best practices for how effective they can be for brand awareness, lead generation, and engagement.
In addition to the contest, P.F. Chang’s used a combination of targeting methods.
These included geography (users located near a restaurant location) and those who expressed interested in a competitor.
They also mixed up their ad format so some users were shown carousel ads, while others were delivered a video ad.
The Results:
- 73% lower overall CPC
- 3X higher overall CTR
- 63% of entries came from the ads with conversion objectives, proving it more effective than the traffic objective
Best Practices:
- Mix up your ad format.
- Have an offer in your ad that entices viewers.
- Target competitors’ customers and build value in your ad of why people should make the switch.
Adidas
When Facebook launched their collection ad format in March, 2017, Adidas became an early adopter.
According to Facebook, 45% of shopping journeys include an action made on mobile.
Additionally, 64% of consumers say they’re more likely to purchase a product after watching a video.
Adidas capitalized on both of these Facebook ads best practices by integrating video into their mobile collection ad.
Instead of advertising their entire array of products, the retailer opted to highlight their Z.N.E. Road Trip Hoodie collection.
Then, within the content they cross-sold complimentary items, like shoes and bags.
The Results:
- 5.3X ROAS
- 43% lower cost per conversion
Best Practices:
- An innovative ad format and creative will engage and entice your audience.
- Optimize for mobile.
- Incorporate video content.
- If you opt for the collection format, leverage it for cross-selling other products and services.
MoviePass
Taktical client, MoviePass, again exemplifies the Facebook ads best practice of using a video.
The ad ran across Facebook (desktop, mobile) and Instagram, so it was essential that the creative was mobile-friendly while translating well across platforms and formats.
Using a square crop and attention-grabbing clip, the advertisement is both eye-catching and engaging.
And it’s not just about the video with this Facebook ad example.
The text is also catchy, concise, and formatted with line breaks and a clear CTA to lead people to convert.
Much of the success of this campaign is also due to the effective targeting methods used.
Facebook exclusion targeting is a Facebook ads best practice that all PPC marketers can utilize.
With this strategy, MoviePass was able to capture a more motivated group of consumers from a broad Lookalike audience.
The exclusion methods used in this Facebook ad example removed current customers, high cost markets, and users with art/independent film interests.
By excluding these viewers, the MoviePass Facebook ad was delivered to those most likely to convert at low cost.
The Results:
- $0.18 overall CPC
- 4.60% average CTR
- Average CPA of $4.72
- 2,374 total purchases
Best Practices:
- Use exclusion targeting to find high-value, low-cost consumers.
- Combine video with short but catchy text to ensure ultimate engagement.
- Run the ad across all of the platforms your target customer is using.
NYC & Company
The goal of NYC & Company’s Facebook ads was to drive awareness of their True York City tourist campaign.
Using trip consideration as the Facebook ad objective, the brand reached an audience of people at the start of their vacation planning.
They set up a tiered approach that began with showing video ads enticing viewers to come to NYC.
Then, they delivered editorial content to further inform.
Finally, they remarketed to their audience with link ads that led to actual trip bookings.
As with many of the best Facebook ads, NYC & Company’s success came from a combination of good creative, smart objective choices, and leveraging Facebook’s unique tools.
The Results:
- 61% more video views
- 2.6X lower cost per conversion
- 1.4 million total video views
- 14,000 total conversions
Best Practices:
- If you’re in the travel or hospitality industry, use trip consideration along with your current Facebook targeting methods.
- Plan out your Facebook ads so that different ones are being served at different stages of the conversion funnel.
- Use link ads to take people directly to booking and product pages.
Be Among the Best Facebook Ads Ever
Whether or not you think the examples above are the best Facebook ads ever, their results are undeniable.
Based on the objective they set out, these brands went above and beyond their goals.
In order to succeed on your own, follow some of the Facebook ads best practices exemplified by these guys.
Remember, it’s about your unique KPIs for success that determine your performance.
A little inspiration, a touch of creativity, and a lot of tracking and testing can put you well on the way to creating your best Facebook ad ever.
