Meta Verified is a subscription service that makes it easy for anyone to gain access to the previously elusive blue check badge on Instagram and Facebook. So, how does it work, what does it cost, and who can apply?

Read on for everything you need to know about this new Meta verification option.

What is Meta Verified?

Meta Verified is a subscription bundle for creators on Instagram and Facebook. It includes:

account verification (including the blue check badge)
account impersonation protection
exclusive stickers
expanded reach
and access to human support agents

A Meta Verified subscription costs $14.99/month when you sign up on iOS and Android. Or, you can pay $11.99/month by signing up through the web. (The web option is only available for Facebook).

For now, Meta Verified is only available to individuals, not brands.

By contrast, the original verified badges on Instagram and Facebook were – and still are – specifically available to public figures, celebrities, and brands. These types of accounts can still apply for the original style of verification if they are notable (for example, they appear in news stories or are household names).

The Meta Verified badge and the verified badge for notable accounts look the same. They both get the familiar blue check mark. Both types of verification indicate that the account has gone through a verification process.

However, the original style of verification badge (which is free) does not include the extra benefits included with the Meta Verified bundle. An individual who has the original style of verification as a notable profile can apply to Meta Verified to access the other components of the subscription.

The TL;DR version is that there are now two ways to get verified badges on Facebook and Instagram:

If you are a celebrity, public figure, or well-known brand, you can request a verification badge on Instagram or Facebook.
If you are an individual, you can apply for Meta Verified once it’s available in your area.

So what’s the deal with social networks charging for verification?

Instagram head Adam Mosseri said in a Reel that Meta views these types of premium subscriptions for exclusive features as an industry-wide trend. He named YouTube, Reddit, and Discord as other social platforms with premium subscription plans.

But remember the chaos that ensued when Twitter launched a similar plan? That’s likely why Meta launched Meta Verified with a small trial – and why the program is for now only open to individuals, rather than brands.

And since the Meta Verified process includes checking your name and photo against your government-issued photo ID, there should be fewer issues with illegitimate verified accounts.

When Meta Verified launched in late February, it was available only in Australia and New Zealand. Adam Mosseri said the program would expand “hopefully quickly” to other countries, including the United States. And it looks like things are going according to plan. Less than a month later – on March 17 – Mosseri announced on his Instagram channel that Meta Verified is available in the U.S.

Similarly, it sounds like the program will eventually expand to all accounts, rather than being limited to individuals. The Meta for Creators announcement of Meta Verified says:

“Long term, we want to build a subscription offering that’s valuable to everyone, including creators, businesses and our community at large.”

Who can get Meta Verified?

The requirements to apply for Meta Verified are:

Your account must represent a real individual person, not a company or brand.
You must be 18 years or older.
You must live in Australia, New Zealand, or the United States.
You must not violate the Terms of Use or Community Guidelines on Instagram or the Terms of Service or Community Standards on Facebook.
Your profile must use your full real name, which must match the name on your government-issued ID.
Your profile photo must show your face, which must match the photo on your government-issued ID.
You must enable two-factor authentication.
You must have a prior posting history (i.e., you cannot apply for a brand-new account).

You can join the waitlist to get a notification when Meta Verified becomes available in your region.

The benefits of getting Meta Verified

Remember, Meta is promoting Meta Verified as a subscription bundle, not just a verification plan. So, what are the components of the bundle you get for that monthly subscription fee?

Verified badge

Source: Meta

As the name suggests, Meta Verified includes a verification process. After checking your government ID to confirm your identity, Meta will provide you with a verified badge.

This badge looks exactly the same as the verification badge given to “notable” accounts.

Protection from impersonation

Meta Verified includes “proactive account monitoring for impersonators who might target people with growing online audiences.”

Meta hasn’t specified how this works, but we can take an educated guess that they will be using their extensive AI resources on this front.

Regarding its existing efforts to combat fake accounts on Facebook and Instagram, Meta says:

“Our investments in machine learning technology are critical to help us detect faster … We balance machine learning with a trained team of experts who review and take action on violating content.”

These resources will likely also be applied to the Meta Verified proactive account monitoring plan.

Access to support agents

Yes, you’ll get access to real human support agents, offering live chat support. Meta says this account support will address “most common issues.”

Requests for access to customer support are a constant theme in comments left on anything Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg posts to his profiles. For creators, this could be a game-changer.

Stickers and stars

Meta Verified users get access to exclusive Stories stickers on Facebook and Instagram. There are also exclusive Reels stickers on Facebook.

On Facebook, you also get 100 stars every month to “support other creators.” For each star you send to another creator, Facebook pays them $0.01USD.

Increased reach

The specifics are not yet clear, but Meta says participants in the Meta Verified program will get increased “visibility and prominence” in Facebook and Instagram comments, search, recommendations, and suggested accounts.

They specify that this expanded reach will make the biggest difference for those who do not already have a large number of followers, noting:

“Subscribers with a smaller following may see a more noticeable impact to their reach since their audiences are smaller.”

To benefit from the increased reach, your content still has to follow the recommendation guidelines. It’s also still a good idea to understand the Facebook algorithm and the Instagram algorithm to maximize your reach.

How to get Meta Verified in 5 steps

Applying for Meta Verified is quite simple. You can do it from the Instagram app, the Facebook app, or the Facebook web interface.

Method 1: Apply for Meta Verified from the Instagram or Facebook app ($14.99/month)

Source: Meta

Open Instagram or Facebook, and from your profile, open Settings.
Tap Accounts Center, then tap Meta Verified.
If your account is eligible for Meta Verified, it will say Meta Verified available. Tap the relevant account name, review the list of benefits, then tap Continue.
Set up or confirm your payment method and tap Pay now.
Complete the verification process and upload a photo of your ID. Your ID must match the profile name and photo on the Instagram or Facebook account.

Method 2: Apply for Meta Verified from the Facebook web interface ($11.99/month)

From the Facebook profile you want to verify, click the three dots icon on the right of the top menu.
Click Subscribe to Meta Verified.

Verification of your account can take up to 48 hours.

Once you’re verified, you cannot change the username, profile name, date of birth, or photo on your account (unless you want to re-do the verification process).

Remember that Meta Verified is for now only available in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States, so if you live outside those areas you will not yet see the option to sign up. Instead, join the waitlist.

Note: Although it’s called “Meta Verified,” you still have to apply (and pay) separately on Instagram and Facebook if you want to verify accounts on both platforms.

Meta Verified FAQs

What is Meta Verified?

Meta Verified is a subscription verification program for Instagram and Facebook bundled with other benefits including live chat customer support and protection against account impersonation.

Can anyone be Meta Verified?

For now, Meta Verified is available to individuals aged 18 or over in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. You must use your real name on your profile, and that name must match your government ID.

How do you get Meta Verified on Facebook?

To join Meta Verified from Facebook, click the three dots icon in the top menu of your profile and then click Subscribe to Meta Verified.

Easily manage your Facebook and Instagram presence using Hootsuite. Manage all of your social profiles in one place, schedule and publish posts, monitor performance and much more. Try it free today.

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The post What is Meta Verified? Everything You Need to Know in 2023 appeared first on Social Media Marketing & Management Dashboard.

Facebook advertising is all about the visuals. Awesome ad copy is great (and can certainly help you convert). But it’s beautiful images and videos that will catch your customers’ eye, stop them mid-scroll, and hopefully get them to click.

That’s why fine-tuning your visual content is such a crucial part of getting the most from your Facebook ad dollars.

Recommended Facebook ad sizes are always changing. After spending time, money, and energy making sure your images and videos are gorgeous and on-brand, the last thing you want is for them to appear cropped, distorted, or even worse, rejected by Facebook entirely.

Don’t worry. Here’s your complete cheat sheet of Facebook ad specs and sizes, fully updated for 2023 — along with important tips and best practices for crafting ads that perform.

Facebook video ad specs

Just like the rest of the Internet, Facebook is more video-centric than ever.

That means video should be a part of your Facebook ad strategy — but remember, almost all Facebook users browse with mobile devices, and over 80% browse only on mobile!

That’s why Facebook recommends its advertisers design with mobile in mind first.

For all video ad types, Facebook recommends uploading the “highest resolution source video available without letter or pillar boxing.” Facebook provides an exhaustive list of aspect ratios and features available for each ad type.

As a rule, videos should be formatted vertically (4:5, 9:16, or 16:9 aspect ratio) if they’re to be seen on mobile only, or in a square (1:1) format to display on both desktop and mobile.

While video ads can be as long as two hours, there’s no reason to do so in practice. Facebook recommends keeping videos short, to 15 seconds or less.

You should also design videos that work with and without sound (by enabling captions). The one exception is Instant Article video ads, for which captions are not supported.

Video ads on Facebook can display in a variety of settings, from the main News Feed, to Search Results, to Marketplace. Here’s the ad specs and sizes you need for all kinds of video ads on Facebook.

Wherever your video ad displays, Facebook suggests “using movement and sound to capture attention quickly, show unique product features, or tell your brand story.”

Feed video ads

These are the classic Facebook video ads, displayed between content from friends, family, Groups, and Pages on your newsfeed.

Source

File type: MP4, MOV or GIF
Minimum width: 120 px
Minimum height: 120 px
Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels
Video ratio: 4:5 for mobile only, or 1:1 (for desktop or mobile)
File Size: 4GB max
Minimum duration: 1 second
Maximum duration: 241 minutes

Instant article video ads

In this format, articles open immediately in-app, into an optimized reading experience. Your ads will display within this Instant Article environment, kind of like print ads in a magazine.

Remember that while sound is optional, captions are not supported for this kind of content.

Source

File Type: MP4, MOV or GIF
Minimum width: 120 px
Minimum height: 120 px
Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels
Video ratio: 16:9
File Size: 4GB max
Minimum duration: 1 second
Maximum duration: 241 minutes

In-stream video ads

Facebook in-stream video ads are displayed to users before, in between, or after videos from their favorite publishers and creators. These ads might also appear within Facebook Live streams, from select, pre-approved gaming, entertainment and sports partners.

In-stream video ads appear on both desktop and mobile. They are sometimes skippable, after watching the first 5 seconds, and never auto-play more than 15 seconds of content.

Source

File Type: MP4, MOV or GIF
Minimum width: 120 px
Minimum height: 120 px
Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels
Video ratio: 16:9 or 1:1
File Size: 4GB max
Minimum duration: 5 seconds, for desktop or mobile
Maximum duration: 15 seconds for desktop, 10 minutes for mobile (may vary by ad objective)

Search results video ads

Facebook Search is an important way for users to find the content they want, both on Marketplace and Facebook generally.

Search results ads help you connect with users who are looking for content relevant to your product and niche.

File Type: MP4, MOV or GIF
Minimum width: 120 px
Minimum height: 120 px
Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels
Video ratio: 1:1
File Size: 4GB max
Minimum duration: 1 second
Maximum duration: 241 minutes

Video feed ads

The Video Feed opens when users click a video in their home News Feed, suggesting additional videos they might like. Video feed ads appear in between these organic videos.

Source

File Type: MP4, MOV or GIF
Minimum width: 120 px
Minimum height: 120 px
Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels
Video ratio: 4:5
File Size: 4GB max
Minimum duration: 1 second
Maximum duration: 241 minutes

Right column video ads

This desktop-only format most commonly appears along the right side of the screen. It’s most commonly displayed alongside Facebook Pages, but can appear elsewhere, too.

File Type: MP4, MOV or GIF
Minimum width: 120 px
Minimum height: 120 px
Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels
Video ratio: 1:1 for desktop or mobile, or 4:5 for mobile only
File Size: 4GB max
Minimum duration: 1 second
Maximum duration: 241 minutes

Business explore video ads

This ‘explore page’-like experience helps users discover new businesses in niches they’re interested in, like restaurants, clothing, or beauty.

Business Explore content includes both paid ads and organic posts.

File Type: MP4, MOV or GIF
Minimum width: 120 px
Minimum height: 120 px
Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels
Video ratio: 1:1 (for desktop or mobile) or 4:5 (for mobile only)
File Size: 4GB max
Minimum video length: 1 second
Maximum video length: 241 minutes

Facebook image ad specs

Imagine a Facebook ad without an image — seriously, try it.

Sounds… boring, right? Social media is a visual medium, and without some kind of colorful eye candy, users won’t even notice your ad, let alone click. That’s why every ad you upload to Facebook should have an image, if not several (more on that later).

But figuring out image ads for Facebook can be tricky. Different placements and formats call for different sizes, and you want to make sure you get it right so you’re showing your product at its best.

No matter what, Facebook suggests choosing an interesting product photo, that will make people want to click and learn more. Or, use a beautiful, creative photo to show off your brand identity.

Depending on your ad’s objective (like awareness or engagement), you might be able to use a Panorama or 360° photo in your Facebook ads. Facebook will recognize these automatically.

Here’s the ad specs and sizes you need for all kinds of image ads on Facebook.

Feed image ads

These are the classic Facebook single image ads, displayed between content from friends, family, Groups, and Pages on your newsfeed.

Source

File Type: JPG or PNG
Ratio: 1.91:1 to 1:1
Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels
File Size: 30MB max
Minimum Width: 600 pixels
Minimum Height: 600 pixels

Right column image ads

This desktop-only format most commonly appears along the right side of the screen. It’s most commonly displayed alongside Facebook Pages, but can appear elsewhere, too.

Because right column images are so small, Facebook recommends not adding any text overlay.

Source: Facebook

File Type: JPG or PNG
Ratio: 1:1
Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels
File Size: 30MB max
Minimum Width: 254 pixels
Minimum Height: 133 pixels

Instant article image ads

In this format, articles open immediately in-app, into an optimized reading experience. Your ads will display within this Instant Article environment, kind of like print ads in a magazine.

File Type: JPG or PNG
Ratio: 1.91:1 to 1:1
Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels
File Size: 30MB max

Marketplace image ads

Beloved by deal-hunters everywhere, Marketplace is a great place to buy anything under the sun from resellers, artisans, and businesses of any size in your local community.

Marketplace image ads are a great way to reach a super-engaged audience who’s already in the mood to shop and buy.

Source: Facebook

File Type: JPG or PNG
Ratio: 1:1
Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels
Maximum File Size: 30MB

Search results image ads

Facebook Search is an important way for users to find the content they want, both on Marketplace and Facebook generally.

Search results ads help you connect with users who are looking for content relevant to your product and niche.

File Type: JPG or PNG
Ratio: 1.91:1 to 1:1
Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels
Maximum File Size: 30MB
Minimum Width: 600 pixels
Minimum Height: 600 pixels

Business explore image ads

This ‘explore page’-like experience helps users discover new businesses in niches they’re interested in, like restaurants, clothing, or beauty.

Business Explore content includes both paid ads and organic posts.

File Type: JPG or PNG
Ratio: 1.91:1 to 1:1
Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels
Maximum File Size: 30MB max
Minimum Width: 600 pixels
Minimum Height: 600 pixels

Facebook carousel ad specs

What if you could bring together multiple images, or even images and videos, in one ad?! It’s not a dream — it’s a reality!

Carousels let you showcase 2 to 10 images and videos within one ad, each with its very own link. The user can scroll through them freely, without needing to navigate away to a new page.

Try using Carousels to show off a few different products, share multiple features of one product, tell a brand story, or publish an editorial.

While Carousels appear in a few places across Facebook, sizes and specs are very similar for all of them. Here’s what you need to know.

Feed carousel ads

Displayed between content from friends, family, Groups, and Pages, Carousels make a great addition to the classic Facebook Feed experience.

Catch customers’ eye with a great cover visual, then let them browse and scroll through 2 to 10 images or videos.

Source

Feed Carousel image and video specs

Ratio: 1:1
Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels
Minimum number of cards: 2
Maximum number of cards: 10

Feed Carousel Images

Image File Type: JPG or PNG
Image File Size: 30MB max

Feed Carousel videos

Video File Type: MP4, MOV or GIF
Video File Size: 4GB max
Video Duration: 1 second to 240 minutes

Right column carousel ads

This desktop-only format most commonly appears along the right side of the screen. It’s most commonly displayed alongside Facebook Pages, but can appear elsewhere, too.

Be aware that only the first card of your Carousel will be visible in the Right Column. Facebook recommends not adding any text or design elements on top of these images.

Source

Right Column Carousel image and video specs

Ratio: 1:1
Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels
Minimum number of cards: 2
Maximum number of cards: 10

Right Column Carousel Images

Image File Type: JPG or PNG
Image File Size: 30MB max

Right Column Carousel videos

Video File Type: MP4, MOV or GIF
Video File Size: 4GB max
Video Duration: 1 second to 240 minutes

Marketplace carousel ads

Beloved by deal-hunters everywhere, Marketplace is a great place to buy anything under the sun from resellers, artisans, and businesses of any size in your local community.

Marketplace image ads are a great way to reach a super-engaged audience who’s already in the mood to shop and buy — and Carousels offer even more of an interactive, browsing experience.

Source

Marketplace Carousel image and video specs

Ratio: 1:1
Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels
Minimum number of cards: 2
Maximum number of cards: 10

Marketplace Carousel Images

Image File Type: JPG or PNG
Image File Size: 30MB max

Marketplace Carousel videos

Video File Type: MP4, MOV or GIF
Video File Size: 4GB max
Video Duration: 1 second to 240 minutes

Business Explore carousel ads

This ‘explore page’-like experience helps users discover new businesses in niches they’re interested in, like restaurants, clothing, or beauty.

Business Explore content includes both paid ads and organic posts. Carousels are the perfect way to create an interactive, shopping-like experience for your customers. Think of these ads as your virtual shop shelves!

Business Explore Carousel image and video specs

Ratio: 1:1
Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels
Minimum number of cards: 2
Maximum number of cards: 10

Business Explore Carousel Images

Image File Type: JPG or PNG
Image File Size: 30MB max

Business Explore Carousel videos

Video File Type: MP4, MOV or GIF
Video File Size: 4GB max
Video Duration: 1 second to 240 minutes

Search results carousel ads

Facebook Search is an important way for users to find the content they want, both on Marketplace and Facebook generally.

Search results ads help you connect with users who are looking for content relevant to your product and niche. Then, show off what makes your offering special with a selection of images to scroll through!

Search Results Carousel image and video specs

Ratio: 1:1
Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels
Minimum number of cards: 2
Maximum number of cards: 10

Search Results Carousel Images

Image File Type: JPG or PNG
Image File Size: 30MB max

Search Results Carousel videos

Video File Type: MP4, MOV or GIF
Video File Size: 4GB max
Video Duration: 1 second to 240 minutes

Facebook Story ad specs

Did you know that over 1 billion stories are posted each day across Facebook’s apps?! This timely, ephemeral format is only getting more popular, with 62% of users saying they expect to use Stories more and more in the future.

Stories ads will pop up for users between organic content from friends, brands, and family accounts they follow.

Don’t get left behind — make Stories a part of your ad strategy now. You can use video, images, and even Carousels (on Messenger) in this format.

Whatever kind of content you choose, Facebook suggests leaving a 250-pixels border free of text and logos, along both top and bottom of the image. That way, you can avoid hiding your design behind key features like the heart button and reply box.

Image story ads

Imagine your product — fullscreen! That’s the large-scale, engaging experience that Stories ads create. Plus, have fun and get creative by adding emoji, stickers, and interactive features like question boxes and polls.

They’ll display for 5 seconds, or until the user swipes forward.

Source

File Type: JPG or PNG
Ratio: 9:16
Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels
File Size: 30 MB max
Minimum Width: 500px

Video story ads

Stories are the perfect way to show off your vertical video — especially if it’s a timely, lo-fi, or behind-the-scenes experience that you want to feel exclusive and limited.

Stories video ads will play for up to 15 seconds, or less if your video is shorter. You also have the option to split a longer video into 2 or 3 separate Stories cards. After that, viewers can click Keep Watching if they want to see the rest.

Source

Sound and captions: Optional, but recommended
File Type: MP4, MOV or GIF
Ratio: 9:16
Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels
Video Duration: 1 second to 2 minutes
File Size: 4GB max
Minimum Width: 500 pixels

Carousel ads (Messenger Stories)

Carousel Story ads display in Messenger, right above the user’s main inbox. It’s the perfect way to deliver a self-directed experience and let interested shoppers browse your products without ever leaving the app.

These carousels have the same specs and sizes as they would anywhere else on the site.

Carousel image and video specs

Ratio: 1:1
Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels
Minimum number of cards: 2
Maximum number of cards: 10

Carousel Images

Image File Type: JPG or PNG
Image File Size: 30MB max

Carousel videos

Video File Type: MP4, MOV or GIF
Video File Size: 4GB max
Video Duration: 1 second to 240 minutes

Facebook Reels ad specs

Short-form video is taking over — and Reels has become a force to be reckoned with! Reels makes it easy to get in on the short-form video fun, whether you’re focused on community-building, brand awareness, or closing sales.

Facebook suggests using Reels to participate in fun trends, educate customers on your product, or tell your brand story in authentic, from-the-heart ways.

Think Reels ads as Stories that won’t disappear. Similarly to Stories ads, these will pop up between organic content from accounts your audience follows.

Users can comment, like, view, save, share and skip these ads, and they can be accessed from the Reels Feed or Tab, which opens a vertically-scrolling viewer.

Video Reels ads

Video is the name of the game with Reels. These vertical videos can be up to 60 seconds, and they’re the ultimate way to get real, build relationships, and let users see your product in action.

Short vertical video isn’t going anywhere — so jump in and start having fun!

Source

Sound and captions: Optional, but strongly recommended
File Type: MP4, MOV
Recommended Ratio: 9:16
Resolution: At least 500 x 888 pixels
Video Duration: 0 seconds to 60 seconds
Maximum File Size: 4GB

Image Reels ads

No video? No problem! Post your best product or branding images to Reels. Try dressing it up with fun design elements, text overlay, or even an audio soundtrack!

Source

File Type: JPG or PNG
Ratio: 1.91:1 to 1:1
Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels
Maximum File Size: 30MB
Minimum Width: 600 pixels
Minimum Height: 600 pixels

Overlay Reels image ads

These small ads let you display a product or service on-screen over your Reel, while it’s running.

These single, static images ??can pop up at the beginning of a Reel, or stay on-screen as a banner. For example, you could create a Reel product tutorial, with a link to buy the product itself in an overlay image.

Because these images are so small, Facebook recommends not adding any text or design elements.

File Type: JPG or PNG
Ratio: 1:1
Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels
Maximum File Size: 30MB
Minimum Width: 600 pixels
Minimum Height: 600 pixels

Carousel Reels ads

That’s right, Carousels can find a home on Reels, too. These are the same Carousel specs and sizes you’d expect to find anywhere else on Facebook (but remember, keep it short and sweet)!

Carousel image and video specs

Ratio: 1:1
Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels
Minimum number of cards: 2
Maximum number of cards: 10

Carousel Images

Image File Type: JPG or PNG
Image File Size: 30MB max

Carousel videos

Video File Type: MP4, MOV or GIF
Video File Size: 4GB max
Video Duration: 1 second to 240 minutes

Facebook collection ad specs

Collections are a bit like the social media equivalent of peeking in a store window, at all the goodies inside.

This ad type usually includes a cover image or video, followed by several product images. It’s a similar concept to a Carousel, but with all the content visible at the same time.If you want, you can set your cover video to autoplay when a user scrolls over your collection.

Clicking the Collection cover will open Instant Experience. This is a full-screen landing page that drives traffic directly to your product pages. You can add buttons, carousels, photos, text and video to Instant Experience ads. Choose from templates like Lookbook, Storefront, Customer Acquisition and Storytelling, or create your own custom Instant Experience.

Facebook feed collection ads

These Collections will display between content from friends, family, Groups, and Pages, on users’ home Feed.

The first media asset you upload to your Instant Experience will be the Collection’s cover image or video — so choose carefully!

Source

Collection ad image and video specs

Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels
Ratio: 1:1

Collection ad images

Image File Type: JPG or PNG
Image Maximum File Size: 30MB

Collection ad videos

Video File Type: MP4, MOV or GIF
Video Maximum File Size: 4GB

Instant Article collection ads

Collection ads (and Instant Experience) also display within Instant Articles — how’s that for meta?

These Collections use the same specs as their counterparts in the main feed.

Collection ad image and video specs

Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels
Ratio: 1:1

Collection ad images

Image File Type: JPG or PNG
Image Maximum File Size: 30MB

Collection ad videos

Video File Type: MP4, MOV or GIF
Video Maximum File Size: 4GB

Video feed collection ads

People browsing the Video Feed can peruse Collection ads, too. Just like you saw above, content for these Instant Experiences follows similar specs.

Collection ad image and video specs

Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels
Ratio: 1:1

Collection ad images

Image File Type: JPG or PNG
Image Maximum File Size: 30MB

Collection ad videos

Video File Type: MP4, MOV or GIF
Video Maximum File Size: 4GB

More Facebook advertising resources

The art of Facebook advertising is more than just sizes and specs. Here’s what you’ll need to know to create a truly successful campaign:

How to advertise on Facebook
How to use Facebook Audience Insights
What to do with $100 on Facebook ads
How to create a Facebook ad in minutes
How to improve your Facebook ad conversions
How to use the Facebook Boost post button

Publish and analyze your Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn ads alongside your regular social media content with Hootsuite Social Advertising. Stop switching from platform to platform and get a complete view of what’s making you money. Book a free demo today.

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The post Facebook Ad Sizes and Specs: Your 2023 Cheat Sheet appeared first on Social Media Marketing & Management Dashboard.

Did you know that running Facebook cost-per-click advertising campaigns opens up your business to reach a potential audience of 2.11 billion people?

That’s right; Facebook is alive and kicking! Now under the Meta umbrella, Facebook cost-per-click advertising has long been a trusted strategy for growth when combined with organic content.

Savvy marketers know to keep one eye on the bottom line and look for ways to save businesses money. Lowering your Facebook cost-per-click (CPC) is one way to do that, so read on for tips on decreasing your CPC and understanding how to get the most out of your ad campaigns on Facebook.

What is cost-per-click advertising on Facebook?

Facebook cost-per-click advertising is an auction-based marketing strategy where businesses bid to display their ads to a predetermined audience. However, when you use CPC pricing, you’ll only pay when a Facebook user clicks on your ad.

For example, if you’re a fashion brand, you could launch a Facebook cost-per-click campaign to promote your latest product and include a call to action (CTA) that encourages users to click through and shop your latest collection.

Thousands of businesses use Facebook advertising to grow, which is part of the reason an auction and bid-based strategy for Facebook ads is used.

With limited advertising spots on the platform, Facebook considers a variety of factors, including ad total value, quality, and estimated action rates (e.g., will users engage with the ad) to determine which ad gets shown to the specific target audience.

Facebook CPC is calculated as the total amount spent divided by the number of link clicks, and there are a few different cost-per-click campaigns that you can run on the platform. Let’s take a look.

Clicks to visit another website

This one is pretty straightforward. CPC campaigns that drive clicks to a website allow businesses to get more traffic — a great strategy if you’re just starting out and need to get more eyeballs on your product or service.

Call-to-action clicks that go to another website (i.e., “Shop Now”)

Including a specific call to action in your CPC campaigns is a method marketers use to entice their audience to click through to a website or landing page. Common calls to action include language like ‘learn more’, ‘buy now’, or ‘claim offer’.

Notice how these micro sentences always include an action-based word? Using language like this inspires user action, meaning more clicks for your campaign.

Clicks to install an app

This campaign is perfect for businesses who want to generate interest and install an app. For example, let’s say your fashion brand launches a new iOS app that gives your audience the chance to shop through the application. You could run a CPC campaign that focuses on generating clicks to install the app.

Clicks to view a video on another website

Video marketing has been taking social media by storm (hello, TikTok!), so why not leverage the power of video in your CPC campaigns? Using our fashion brand example, you could launch a cost-per-click campaign that encourages your audience to watch a YouTube video on your sustainability practices and how you care about the future of the environment.

What is a good cost-per-click on Facebook?

Now that you’re clued up on how to use cost-per-click advertising on Facebook, you’re probably wondering how CPC campaigns will impact your marketing budget. Luckily, along with our friends at AdEspresso, we’ve crunched the numbers on how much Facebook ads cost and have all the details you need.

Cost-per-click, by month

On a monthly view, it’s common to see a typical range of lower CPCs in Q1 that ramps up to year-high CPCs in Q4. This end-of-year surge is due to Black Friday/Cyber Monday events, holiday shopping, and increased e-commerce advertiser competition.

Cost-per-click, by day of the week

Facebook CPC costs are generally lower on weekends because as more people use social media on Saturday and Sunday, there’s more advertising space available, meaning that you can win auctions at a lower bid price.

Cost-per-click, by time of day

Unsurprisingly, it costs you less to run your campaigns late at night because everyone is asleep. However, we do recommend letting your Facebook cost-per-click campaigns run 24/7 and allow Facebook to maximize your clicks according to your campaign objective.

7 tips to lower your cost-per-click on Facebook ads

If you’re looking to lower your CPC without sacrificing results, you’ve come to the right place. Each of these tips might help you decrease your cost-per-click but remember that each industry and business is different. What drives results for one team might not work for you, so play around and find the formulas that fit your niche and budget.

Nail your campaign objective

Creating a campaign objective is the first step in building a Facebook ad campaign. The campaign objective focuses on the goal you want to achieve from running your ads on Facebook.

Facebook gives you a full roster of different objectives to choose from, including building brand awareness, increasing traffic to your website, generating engagement, landing conversions, and directing traffic to your online store.

Depending on the goal of your ad campaign, you’ll need to match up your own campaign objective with the objectives offered on Facebook. Play around and test which ones get you the best results. For example, if you’re a new business that’s launching with Facebook ads, you’ll likely focus on impressions and reach to help you increase your brand awareness.

Improve your relevancy score

Your relevance score will directly impact your CPC, so it’s important to watch it carefully.

Facebook ads will provide a relevance score on every campaign you run. As the name suggests, this score tells you how relevant your ad is to your target audience.

We don’t know the exact algorithm Facebook uses to calculate the relevancy score, making it a black box metric. Still, we know that positive interactions like engagement, clicks, and saving the ad will improve the score, while hiding the ad will lower the score.

Facebook prioritizes ads with high relevance scores and will actually lower your CPC if your score is on the higher end. Because of this, you should watch your campaigns’ relevance scores and either adjust or stop campaigns with lower scores.

Understand audience targeting

Your main goal of a successful ad campaign on Facebook is to ensure your ad is seen by the right audience at the right time. Understanding audience targeting can help make that happen and actively lower your CPC.

So don’t leave it up to Facebook to choose who sees your ad. Select the location, interests, behaviors, and other demographics to get specific. Narrowing down your target audience helps you bid on who you really want to reach and gives you the opportunity to create more personalized ads that grab their attention (meaning more clicks and conversions for you!)

Think carefully about where you place your ad

Facebook ads can be shown on both mobile and desktop, in newsfeeds, the right-hand column, Instagram (another of Meta’s product suite), Facebook Messenger, and the Facebook Audience Network.

Take some time to understand the best placement for your ad. Will you have a greater impact in the newsfeed or Messenger? Luckily, this is an area that Facebook lets you change after you’ve published your ad, so if you’re finding that your click-through rate is low, go ahead and switch up the ad placement.

Test your ad creative

Testing and iterating on your ad’s creative elements is another tactical way to decrease your cost-per-click. By introducing A/B testing on your Facebook ads, you open up the door to learning which ad creative achieves your campaign goals.

Eric Dyck, CEO at DTC Newsletter, says that his team focuses on velocity when it comes to testing. “The most important aspect of creative testing is velocity, meaning testing multiple creatives every week or every day, depending on your budget. The goal is to find “winners,” or ads that will allow you to scale your campaigns profitably until the creative burns out, which is why you always need to be testing.

The testing framework we use is the Pilot Test, which involves brainstorming five separate angles on the product. Angles are ad concepts built around why a customer might love your product or a problem or pain point your product solves.

With your angles, you also create five related headlines, ad copies, and creative imagery or video. Then you run the creative ad sets head to head and see which one produces the lowest cost-per-click. From there, you can mix and match-winning elements from each ad set to create winning ads with a lower cost-per-click and higher conversion rates.”

Increase your click-through rate (CTR)

Newsflash! Increasing your click-through rate (CTR) will increase your relevance score and lower your Facebook ad costs. Some of the best ways to increase your ads’ CTRs include:

Always use desktop newsfeed ad placements, which generate higher CTRs
Use appropriate CTA buttons. “Learn More” will sometimes drive more clicks than “Shop Now” for cold audiences that don’t trust you yet
Write simple, clean copy that gets right to the point and doesn’t leave users guessing at what they’re clicking on or why they should. (Here are a few examples to get the creative juices flowing!)
Keep your frequency (or the number of times the same user sees the same ad) as low as possible. If the frequency gets too high, your CTR will fall.

Focus on retargeting

Retargeting is the practice of showing your ads to users who are familiar with your brand and products. Because this is a “warm” audience, they’ll be more likely to interact with or click on your ad, which increases CTRs and lowers CPC.

You can create custom audiences from those who have interacted with your Facebook Page, your site, and your mobile app.

You can even use retargeting to send a follow-up ad to users who’ve previously watched the majority of your video ad that was shown to a cold audience, increasing the likelihood that they’ll click since they’re somewhat familiar with your CPC ad.

You can also use custom audiences from your email list for retargeting. Whether you’re showing ads to users based on their past purchases or past engagement on your site, you’ll know your relationship with them upfront. This can help you create ads and offers they’ll be most interested in.

Manage your Facebook presence alongside your other social media channels using Hootsuite. From a single dashboard, you can schedule posts and videos, engage your audience, and measure the impact of your efforts. Try it free today.

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The post 7 Simple Ways to Lower Your Facebook Cost Per Click appeared first on Social Media Marketing & Management Dashboard.

Congratulations on your engagement! Not in the romantic sense, of course (that’s none of our business), but if you’re reading this post, it means that you’re committed to increasing your social media engagement.

Read on for the best tips and tricks to get more likes, comments, shares and saves on your content—it’s a big commitment, but we do crazy things for the followers we love.

What is an engagement post on social media?

An engagement post on social media is any type of content that encourages audiences to interact with it, for example, by liking, commenting on, sharing or saving. Engagement means that a user is connecting with the content and taking a specific action as a result, not just being a passive viewer.

Engagement rate is one of the most accurate ways to measure your success on social media. You can find your current engagement rate by using Hootsuite’s free engagement rate calculator, and boost those numbers by trying the following strategies.

19 Engagement post ideas for 2023

1. Host a giveaway

No social media strategy is guaranteed—that is, except for giveaways. Offering free stuff and asking people to interact with you in exchange (e.g. by answering a question in a comment) is one of the simplest and most effective ways to boost your engagement. This type of engagement post is most common on Instagram and Facebook.

When you host a giveaway, first decide what your engagement goals are. Are you aiming to get lots of comments, boost followers, increase your like count? Then, decide your entry method based on those goals.

Hosting a contest or giveaway will:

Increase your engagement metrics, like number of comments, shares, likes and saves
Give users something to gain when interacting with your content
Improve your relationship with your followers

2. Hold a caption contest

A caption contest is a type of contest or giveaway that requires the user to be a little creative. It’s not just about liking a post or tagging a friend; entrants need to put some thought into their answers. Caption contests are most successful with dynamic, engaging photos, like this one:

Having a caption contest can help you:

Encourage your followers to meaningfully interact with your content
Boost the number of comments you have on a post
Foster community, as entrants like and comment on other’s entries

3. Be relatable

Relatable content is very sharable. Users who connect with your posts (or know someone who connects with your posts) are likely to tag friends, share and save your content.

Source: Facebook

For example, the post above from online magazine Reductress points out the very niche (but relatable) problem of eating without watching TV. The post has a ton of comments, mostly of people tagging their friends, as well as 70 shares and almost 1000 likes.

Being relatable will lead to:

Users tagging their friends in your comments
Building an authentic relationship with your audience
More diversity in your content (not every post has to be solely marketing-focused)

4. Host a poll

Who can resist a poll? Polls on social media are extremely easy to participate in. Plus, polls on Twitter and Instagram both have an added engagement incentive: users can’t see the results of the poll unless they vote themselves, which means that they need to engage in order to gain information.

Source: Twitter

The more controversial the poll, the more likely you’re going to be to generate more engagement—users may start duking it out in the comments or share the results on their own feeds.

Controversial doesn’t necessarily mean serious. For example, the old pineapple-on-pizza debate is always likely to generate some strong opinions (but as far as we know, it’s never started a war).

Hosting a poll will:

Create a simple, easy way for your followers to engage with your content
Allow you to get an idea of what your audience’s opinions are
Create shareable statistics for both you and your followers

5. Ask for stitching/duets

This type of engagement post is particularly effective on TikTok, where you can ask viewers to duet or stitch your content. This is a much more high-commitment type of engagement than a like or comment, but it will often yield more valuable results.

@kaidenmiller_

#duet with @m0lnigt this was pretty cool #ReadyForHell #duetifiaccidentallydrewyou #isthatme

? Music For a Sushi Restaurant – Harry Styles

For example, there’s lots of artists on TikTok posting “duet this if I accidentally drew you” videos—which usually show several drawings of people with random features. Other TikTok users are encouraged to duet the video if they see themselves in the mix.

Asking for stitches or duets can help you:

Encourage other users to make videos that incorporate your content
Communicate clearly to your followers that you’re looking for this kind of engagement
See what kind of content excites your followers the most

6. Reply to comments using videos

This one is TikTok-specific, too. TikTok is unique in that you can reply to specific comments by making a video that directly addresses them, with the original comment incorporated into the new TikTok.

@themarshmallowco

Replying to @sincerelysincerity Let’s make and pack this order for Sincere #marshmallow #candymaking #candytok #orderpacking #packanorderwithme

? Good Vibes (Instrumental) – Ellen Once Again

This example from a marshmallow making company proves how much TikTok audiences love when their comments are used in this way: a user specifically commented on one TikTok asking the creator to film their specific order.

This is a win-win: the creator has an easy content idea, the commenter gets a little shoutout, and other followers are encouraged to comment, since they see evidence that a comment might get them a video of their own.

Replying to comments using videos can lead to:

More comments on your posts overall, as users try to be the next person you pick to reply to
Making your audience feel heard and valued
Potentially more sales, especially if the comments are related to making or packing orders of a product

7. Ask for advice

Asking for advice on the internet might not yield usable insight, but it will yield plenty of engagement. The social world is full of folks who genuinely want to support each other and also folks who are pretentious know-it-alls who love the sound of themselves typing. This strategy engages both.

Source: Twitter

The tweet above from Fenty Beauty asks for lip gloss advice for a night out (and has the added bonus of asking for products specifically made by Fenty). Consider asking for advice that relates to your brand and niche in order to get relevant—and if you’re lucky, useful—responses.

Asking for advice can:

Encourage your followers to comment on your post
Lead to more saves (as others may want to remember that same advice)
Yield insight into which of your products are follower favourites

8. Ask a question

This strategy is similar to asking for advice, but more open-ended: really, you can ask a question about anything. Jewellery brand Jennybird posted an IG video asking followers to guess what their latest launch would be, and generated lots of comments from guessers.

Asking a question can:

Get more comments on your post
Serve as a temperature check for your followers
Hype up the launch of a new product

9. Ask for questions

Just like the above, but the opposite: invite your followers to ask you questions to increase your engagement rate. NASA used this strategy when streaming a live video—Twitter users could use the hashtag #AskNASA to ask questions to astronauts in space.

Source: Twitter

Asking for questions can lead to:

Building meaningful, mutual relationships with your followers
Learning what your followers care about
Sharing useful information with your followers

10. Post good photos

It’s simple, but it works: just posting a great photo will lead to more comments, likes and shares. Not every photo that you share on your social media needs to be perfect, but consider sliding in a super high-quality, engaging shot every once in a while to increase your brand’s perceived value.

Source: Twitter

For example, this photo from National Geographic is a pretty stunning shot of a polar bear sleeping in a bed of flowers. It has a ton of engagement just based on how beautiful the photo is.

Posting good photos will:

Encourage your followers to share your content based on aesthetic
Give your brand a more professional look
Make your overall feed appear more polished

11. Be specific to your niche

Most of your followers are likely following you because they are interested in your specific niche. They’ll be most engaged by content that fits within that niche. For instance, hair accessory brand Supercrush posts lots of hair-related photos and reels.

The how-to reel above is informational and super useful, but also incorporates one of the company’s products. Folks likely follow this brand because they are interested in hair, so this type of content generates a lot of saves: users can look back on it on their next bad hair day.

Being specific to your niche will:

Ensure that your followers can connect to your content
Lead to more saves from interested users
Make your content focused and specific, so followers know who you are

12. Share personal news

The modern social media users likes to see the real people behind the brands. Humanize your content more by sharing (to your comfort level, of course) personal news or occasions that you are excited about.

This artist celebrated her 33rd birthday by having a 33% off sale on her work, and posted about it on her Instagram. The post likely yielded lots of website visits from people eager to get a deal, but it also has plenty of comments from folks simply wishing her a happy birthday.

Sharing personal news can:

Give your followers a more authentic perception of your brand
Yield likes and comments from well-wishers and users who support you
Be a great excuse to give back to your followers (for example, via a sale or giveaway)

13. Post useful and informative content

If one of your social marketing goals is to get more shares and saves, think about creating content that is useful and informative. If your followers can learn something through your post, they may want to share that knowledge or save it for future use.

For example, the above Instagram post was widely shared because the content is both comforting and inspiring…

@daniellenguyen_

I will be using this heatless curls rod forever!! Such a game changer and it gives my hair so much volume #heatlesscurls #heatlesscurlstutorial #hairhacks #thatgirl #heatlesscurlsresults #hairroutine

? Au Revoir – Sweet After Tears

… and this TikTok has a lot of saves from folks looking for heatless curl hacks.

Posting useful and informative content will lead to:

More shares, as users want to pass the knowledge around
More saves, as users file the information away for later
More follows, as users learn that you can be depended on for practical, functional content

14. Share user-generated content

Post user-generated content to show that you’re not the only one hyping up your brand: your customers and followers are excellent sources for posts (just make sure to ask for permission to repost, if it applies).

UGC could be anything from sharing a post from a person who tagged your brand to finding a positive review and making it into an Instagram post (or, as in the example below, finding a positive and slightly bizarre review and making it into an Instagram post).

Sharing user-generated content can:

Build your brand’s authenticity
Encourage your followers to post about you, because there’s a chance they’ll be featured
Increase your number of shares, when users inevitably repost their own content once you share it

15. Post timely content

At work and in the social world, being timely pays off. Following a current trend or posting something that is relevant to current events is a great strategy for increasing engagement—and all you really need is to spend some time on your platform of choice to get inspiration.

HAMILTON x RIHANNA #HamiltonAU #Rihanna #Superbowl #MariaReynolds pic.twitter.com/VfVSqsjD40

— Hamilton (@HamiltonMusical) February 24, 2023

The cast of Hamilton Australia got it right in this post. It was tweeted right after the 2023 Superbowl, when professional and amateur dancers alike were doing their best impression of Rihanna’s halftime show. It was liked, retweeted and quoted thousands of times.

Posting topical content will lead to:

Appearing up-to-date and knowledgeable about current trends
Make your brand more relatable to your audience
Plenty of inspiration, as there’s a new viral internet trend practically daily

16. Reply to comments

How to get your audience to engage with you? Engage with them. Consistently replying to comments establishes a mutual form of communication with your followers—they’ll be more likely to comment on your posts if they think you’ll reply. Crate and Barrel does this well via replying to customer inquiries on their Facebook.

Source: Crate and Barrel Facebook

This isn’t a post idea in and of itself, but it does open up more possibilities for posts you already have. Monitor comments closely (a tool like Hootsuite’s Inbox can help you) and reply as much as possible.

Replying to comments will:

Establish a meaningful relationship with your followers
Make your followers more likely to comment on your posts
Increase the overall number of comments you have on each post

17. Post memes

A little meme can go a long way. Consider sharing popular internet memes (and, when possible, relating them to your brand) to appeal to millennial and Gen-Z followers.

Memes are relatable, community-building, and overall give off the impression that you’re not taking your work too seriously—you’re not a regular brand, you’re a cool brand.

Posting memes can:

Attract younger audiences to your content
Result in lots of shares
Let your followers know that you’re hip and with it

18. Copy (or challenge) a competitor

Okay, don’t actually copy a competitor—we’re looking to get some fun social media engagement, not get involved in a lawsuit. But a friendly nod to others in your industry can be a great way to get viewers to interact with your work.

@thehockeyguys

#duet with @thesavbananas Hockey vs. Baseball pt.2. The Bar is RISING

? original sound – sped up songs

When the Savannah Bananas baseball players made this (truly spectacular) lip-synch TikTok, The Hockey Guys answered with their take on the song. Viewers were encouraged to comment on who did it better, resulting in thousands of comments.

Copying or challenging a competitor will:

Encourage followers to pick a side and voice their opinion
Create a drama (real or constructed) that audiences love
Foster relationships between your brand and others in your industry

19. Share a hot take

Post an opinion you have (serious or silly) to spark conversation in your comments. Audiences often can’t resist sharing their opinion on controversial topics, regardless of how important the topic actually is.

@reevcon

looking back I think poodles are more maximalistic but the eclectic type of maximalism — im dead set on the brutalistic choice though

? original sound – Reeves Connelly

When this TikTok creator started assigning dog breeds to various interior design styles, the platform went nuts: the video is going on ten million views, but it’s the 14 thousand comments that are truly impressive.

For example, one comment that says “I feel like cottage core is a cocker spaniel that’s just me though” has 39 replies. Hundreds of comments argue that the true maximalist dog is the poodle. Does this matter? Not really, but it’s extremely fun to discuss—that’s what makes this content so engaging.

Sharing a hot take will:

Encourage those who agree to voice their support
Encourage those who disagree to voice their rebuttal
Overall, spark lots of conversation in the comments and build your brand’s personality

FAQs about engagement posts

What are some good engagement posts?

A few effective engagement posts for social media are contests or giveaways, polls, and posts that ask specific questions. Posts that are visually beautiful or super funny also generally have high engagement.

How do you write an engagement post?

If you want more engagement, ask for it. Prompt your followers to comment on your posts, post interactive polls or quizzes that are easy to participate in, or share something informative that your followers will find useful. Make it as simple and clear as possible for your audience to engage with your content.

What should I post on social media for engagement?

To increase your engagement on social media, post content that is interactive. This can be from a built-in tool on the platform (for example, the Q&A feature on Instagram or the poll feature on Twitter) or just by encouraging interaction in your regular content (via asking a question or prompting your followers to comment or tag their friends).

Save time managing your social media presence with Hootsuite. From a single dashboard you can publish and schedule posts, find relevant conversions, engage the audience, measure results, and more. Try it free today.

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The post 19 Engagement Post Ideas That Will Blow Up Your Analytics appeared first on Social Media Marketing & Management Dashboard.

MySpace and Research In Motion (RIM) hit record download numbers of the MySpace for BlackBerry smartphones application in its first week of availability.

Since the application’s launch on November 13, 2008 there have been more than 400,000 downloads which represents an all-time high for both MySpace and RIM in terms of first week application downloads. Through the MySpace for BlackBerry smartphones application, users collectively sent and received more than 15 million messages and updated their mood and status over two million times in the first week.

Originally posted on November 21, 2008 @ 7:55 am