Although the Creative Hub showcases impressive campaigns from well-funded brands, it’s understandable if smaller businesses struggle to imagine themselves creating elaborate Canvas ads. This doesn’t mean you have to stick with basic static images forever (although if they’re working, keep using them!). There are several other ad types that can revitalize your Facebook ad strategy without needing to hire a fancy creative agency. Here are three underutilized Facebook ad types you should start using in your account immediately…

Underutilized Facebook Ad Type #1: Offer Ads

You’ve meticulously organized your account… Your audiences are laser-focused… But you’re still not seeing the desired sales. Sometimes, you need to give people that extra push to make a purchase. And for many budget-conscious consumers, a classic promotional discount is the perfect incentive. So why not sweeten the deal even further with a Facebook offer ad?

Offer ads are incredibly effective at grabbing attention on Facebook and motivating action. They offer flexibility in terms of promotion format and exclusivity, making them a great addition to your existing promotional campaigns. For online businesses, prospects get reminders across their devices, ensuring your promotion stays top of mind. But physical stores gain the most from offer ads. Shoppers passing by can instantly access and redeem the offer on their phones. They also receive email reminders, and here’s the kicker: Facebook reminds them about your expiring offer when they’re near your store. Talk about comprehensive touchpoints! (Remember, your offer always appears in prospects’ “Offers” bookmark)

Surprisingly, not many businesses utilize this powerful tool. Use this to your advantage. One reason for their low adoption might be their limited visibility. The option to create them only appears in Ads Manager for specific campaign goals (more on this later) or when boosting offers directly from your Facebook Page. Ignore the latter; always use Ads Manager for ad creation. Offer ads are built with flexible components. The title, ideally highlighting your irresistible deal (up to 50 characters), and the details, the heart of your offer (up to 250 characters), can be tailored to perfection.

Don’t forget to set an end date for your offer ads. Facebook recommends a 7-day duration, providing ample time for visibility, shares, and crucial reminders. As mentioned earlier, redemption options include online (using a designated URL), in-store, or both. You can also add general or unique promo codes for precise tracking.

Lastly, you can control the total number of available offers and enable/disable direct promo code sharing from the ad. While exclusivity might seem appealing, consider setting a high threshold. With focused, engaged audiences, their friends might also be interested, leading to greater reach. In other words…

…avoid checking that box ^^^ The most effective way to encourage offer redemption is by providing substantial discounts. Facebook suggests offering freebies or at least 20% off, which isn’t surprising.

Some caveats about offer ads

Despite their versatility and power, Facebook offer ads have a couple of quirks. They only work with Traffic, Conversion, or Store Visits objectives. Otherwise, the option to enable them won’t appear in the Ad Set settings. Lastly, before launching an offer ad, double and triple-check every detail. Once live, they cannot be edited or removed. Free guide » 7 Fundamental Facebook Advertising Tips every advertiser should know.

Underutilized Facebook Ad Type #2: Video Ads

According to People spend five times longer watching videos than static content on Facebook and Instagram. This makes sense when you consider that over 100 million hours of video are consumed on Facebook every day. While images and carousels are great for branding, lead generation, and ultimately, sales, nothing grabs attention on social media like video. This isn’t new information.

So why do many SMBs still rely solely on static images? The perceived barrier to entry for Facebook video ads is much lower than you might think. This holds true for video marketing in general nowadays. Just look at Drift. As a marketer, you’ve undoubtedly encountered at least one of their videos recently (especially on product launch days, they’re everywhere on LinkedIn). Apart from a few professionally produced ones, most of these videos are simple and straightforward. Many are even shot on phones with minimal editing. And clearly, they work, because companies keep using them. You can adopt the same DIY approach for your Facebook ads. Forget about needing a professional studio and a massive budget to engage your audience. Even a simple video will stop scrolling thumbs in their tracks. You don’t need to overcomplicate things with fancy equipment or elaborate scripts. Use apps like Ripl (for animation) or Legend (for text overlay) to transform existing static content into eye-catching videos, then easily upload them to Facebook or nexus-security Advisor (yes, we support video ads too!)…

…and target the same audiences you’re already reaching successfully across Facebook, Instagram, and the Audience Network. Witness the results firsthand – you won’t be disappointed.

How to make a great Facebook video ad

While your video ads don’t need celebrity cameos or expensive special effects to be effective, following best practices will maximize their impact.

Facebook recommends keeping your videos:

• Under 15 seconds long
• Shot vertically (for optimal mobile viewing)
• Branded from the start, showcasing your product or company early on
• Designed to be understood without sound What’s the reasoning behind the last point? Most people engage with Facebook video ads on their phones or while multitasking on their computers; in both scenarios, they likely aren’t listening. If your message relies solely on audio, you risk losing a significant portion of your paid audience. To ensure your message resonates, add text overlays (using the tools mentioned earlier), use visuals that speak for themselves, and leverage the ad text (90 characters), headline (25 characters), and link description (30 characters) fields to their full potential.

Underutilized Facebook Ad Type #3: Messenger Ads

Last but certainly not least, we have Facebook Messenger ads. Let’s dive into some numbers…

Via Facebook Messenger capitalizes on our collective preference for digital communication over traditional phone calls; most people prefer texting over talking. I’m not the first to champion Facebook Messenger’s potential. Larry, a prominent figure in the tech world, believes so strongly in its value that he started a company to help marketers harness its power through chatbots. But while chatbots offer diverse functionalities, our focus here is on ads. Facebook Messenger ads can be as basic or elaborate as you desire, available in two underutilized yet effective formats: click-to-messenger and sponsored messages. Overlooking these is a missed opportunity.

Click-to-messenger ads are straightforward. They appear as standard ads (on Facebook, Messenger, or Instagram) but feature a unique CTA that, when clicked, initiates a Messenger conversation.

Once you’ve selected “Messages” as your campaign objective and “Click to Messenger” at the Ad Set level, you can define your audience, budget, placement, and scheduling like any other Facebook ad.

However, at the ad level, the “Ad Setup” interface includes an additional button (below the usual options) labeled “Edit Messenger Setup.”

We’ll explain its purpose shortly, but remember, if you skip this step, clicking your ad’s CTA will take prospects to Messenger with only a default response. This isn’t the most effective way to utilize this ad format. On the other hand, sponsored message ads are delivered to those already engaged in Messenger conversations with your business.

By default, sponsored message ads target everyone you’ve chatted with on Messenger. For a more focused approach, click “show advanced options” to access the standard audience creation tools.

Creating ads for sponsored messages and configuring Messenger setups for click-to-messenger ads is quite similar. The main difference lies in format options: click-to-messenger ads allow “text only,” “text and image,” or “text and video,” while sponsored messages exclude the video option. Both formats offer extensive customization, from the initial message to custom response options. Alternatively, use hyperlinked buttons instead of suggested replies to direct prospects to specific webpages.

By strategically combining replies and buttons, you can significantly enhance the speed and scale of personalized customer interactions. For an even more engaging experience, let AI handle the heavy lifting by connecting your chatbot. However, that’s a topic for another time.

What Are You Waiting For?

With countless targeting possibilities and over a dozen ad types, Facebook advertising can feel overwhelming. However, implementing just one of these three underutilized formats will give your business a competitive edge. Don’t miss out on these opportunities!