There are many things that make a good Facebook ad tick. In many cases though, the image is one of the most important aspects of all, and is one of the things that will quickly determine whether someone clicks on your ad, just looks at your ad, or ignores your ad altogether.

So how do you go about getting the best pictures for your Facebook ad?

Getting Attention

One of the most important things to consider when taking pictures for a Facebook ad, is how you are going to get attention. These days, most of us are shouted at all day by adverts coming from our devices, from billboards, and from the TV. This has desensitized us to much of advertising, to the point that very little actually breaks through and gets any kind of message across.

Your aim is to try and get attention, which you can do by using an advert designed to be as compelling as possible and using all the psychological tricks to drive attention. 

For instance, faces are more likely to draw our attention than any other image (and also act as ‘social proof’ to help make our products and services seem desirable). Likewise, attractive members of the opposite sex are often popular.

Contrast is another key player when it comes to getting attention. Use a bright color or at least a color that stands out significantly from the background. If you’re using Facebook ads, that means contrasting against white and blue!

Pexels Mikhail Nilov

Looking Professional, Gaining Interest

Just as important is that your image gets the right sentiments across. You want to pique the interest of the viewer, while building a little trust and authority. In other words, it’s important that your ads look professional, and that means using a high quality, professional camera. It also means thinking about lighting, and it means thinking about how to frame a shot.

Think about composition and telling a story. A photo of a product head on is far less interesting than seeing it in action, or seeing it in context. A dynamic angle makes a big difference.

That said, avoid overly complex images – remember that the ad may appear very small on a given device. 

Most important: be clear about what you are advertising and who it is for. Remember, your adverts will be charged per click. Therefore, your aim is to make as much money from each click as possible, which means ONLY attracting buyers.

The aim isn’t to get as many people to click as possible – it’s to get only the RIGHT people to click.