Paid social media ads are an extremely effective method of reaching your target audience at the right time and in the right place. However, only if they’re done right. With the right strategy and content, your ads have a very high chance of driving conversions. If not, they may just be a waste of time and money. One way to make sure your ad is effective is to make sure it is formatted and sized out correctly for the platform you are using. There are several different ad formats available for different social media platforms, each with its own strengths and best practices. Here is an up to date guide of the ad sizes and formats for some of the most popular social media platforms:
Facebook Ad Formats and Sizes:
Photo Ads: Simple and effective, these ads feature a single image and a small amount of text. They’re great for showcasing products, services, or promotions. Recommended size: 1080 x 1080 pixels. Minimum size: 600 x 600 pixels.
Video Ads: Video ads are a great way to showcase a product or service in action, or to tell a story about your brand. They can be up to 120 minutes long, but it’s recommended to keep them less than 15 seconds. Recommended aspect ratio: 9:16 to 16:9. Minimum resolution: 720p. Maximum resolution: 1080p. Maximum file size: 4GB.
Carousel Ads: Carousel ads allow you to feature multiple images or videos in one ad, with the ability to swipe through them. They’re great for showcasing a variety of products or services, or for telling a story. Recommended size: 1080 x 1080 pixels. Minimum size: 600 x 600 pixels.
Instagram Ad Formats and Sizes:
Photo Ads: Similar to Facebook photo ads, these ads feature a single image and a small amount of text. They’re great for showcasing products or services, and for telling a story through a single image. Recommended size: 1080 x 1080 pixels. Minimum size: 600 x 600 pixels.
Video Ads: Video ads on Instagram can be up to 60 seconds long and are great for showcasing a product or service in action, or for telling a story about your brand. Recommended aspect ratio: 1:1. Minimum resolution: 600 x 600 pixels. Maximum resolution: 1080 x 1350 pixels. Maximum file size: 4GB.
Stories Ads: Instagram stories are a popular format for short-form, ephemeral content. They’re great for creating a sense of urgency or for sharing behind-the-scenes content. Recommended size: 1080 x 1920 pixels. Minimum size: 600 x 1067 pixels.
Reels Ads: Reels ads are a way to share longer-form video content on Instagram, they can be up to 60 minutes long and are great for more detailed product demos, tutorials or brand storytelling. Recommended aspect ratio: 9:16 to 16:9. Minimum resolution: 720p. Maximum resolution: 1080p. Maximum file size: 650MB.
Twitter Ad Formats and Sizes:
Promoted Tweets: These are regular tweets that are “promoted” to reach a wider audience. They’re great for sharing news, updates, or promotions. Recommended image size: 1024 x 512 pixels.
Promoted Accounts: These ads promote a company’s Twitter account to a wider audience, making it easier for people to find and follow the company on the platform. Recommended image size: 400 x 400 pixels.
Promoted Trends: These ads place a hashtag at the top of the Twitter trends list, making it more visible and more likely to be seen by a wider audience. There are no specific image size requirements for Promoted Trends.
LinkedIn Ad Formats and Sizes:
Sponsored Content: These ads feature a single image or video and a small amount of text. They can be used to promote a company’s products or services or to share thought leadership content. Recommended image size: 1200 x 627 pixels. Minimum image size: 350 x 350 pixels.
Sponsored InMail: These ads are sent directly to a user’s LinkedIn inbox. They’re great for reaching a specific target audience with personalized messages. There are no specific image size requirements for Sponsored InMail.
Sponsored Jobs: These ads promote a company’s job listings and can be targeted to specific groups of job seekers. There are no specific image size requirements for Sponsored Jobs.
YouTube Ad Formats and Sizes:
In-Stream Ads: These ads appear before, during, or after a video. They can be skipped after 5 seconds, but YouTube recommends keeping them less than 30 seconds. Recommended aspect ratio: 16:9. Minimum resolution: 480p. Maximum resolution: 1080p. Maximum file size: 4GB.
Discovery Ads: These ads appear on YouTube search results, recommended videos, and on the YouTube home page. They’re great for reaching a wide audience and for promoting a specific video. Recommended image size: 1200 x 628 pixels.
Bumper Ads: These are short, non-skippable ads that are 6 seconds or less and are great for creating brand awareness or promoting a specific product or service. Recommended aspect ratio: 16:9. Minimum resolution: 1080p. Maximum resolution: 1080p. Maximum file size: 6MB
Pinterest Ad Formats and Sizes:
Promoted Pins: These are regular pins that are “promoted” to reach a wider audience. They can be used to promote products, services, or content and are available in several different formats, including image, video, and carousel. They can be promoted on search results, home feed and category feeds.
Shopping Ads: These ads are designed specifically for e-commerce businesses to promote their products. They include a buy button that allows users to purchase the product directly from the ad. They can be promoted on search results, home feed and category feeds.
Story Pins: These are a new format of ads, that allow businesses to create a visual story that users can swipe through. They can be used to showcase a product or service, or to tell a story about your brand, and can be promoted on search results and home feed.
Recommended sizes and ratios for each Pinterest ad format:
- Images: Recommended size: 600×900 pixels, Minimum size: 200×200 pixels
- Videos: Recommended aspect ratio: 9:16. Minimum resolution: 1080p. Maximum resolution: 1080p. Maximum file size: 2GB
- Carousels: Recommended size: 600×900 pixels, Minimum size: 200×200 pixels
Please keep in mind that these formats, specifications, and policies may change over time, and it’s always recommended to check the platforms’ guidelines and policies before creating an ad campaign. Also, keep in mind that each platform serves a different purpose and reaches a different audience. If you aren’t sure which platform is right for you, read this blog or reach out to our team!
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