They’re Here: New Facebook Right Hand Column Ads Now Being Served
On June 24, 2014, Facebook rolled out its new ad format for ads that appear in the right hand column of the News Feed. We gave you readers a heads up about this back in April, in this post here.
Here’s what you need to know now:
- Right Hand Column (RHC) Ads are here
- RHC ads must meet certain specifications
- Higher costs are on the horizon
Users will begin seeing significantly fewer ads in the News Feed. Where there once was seven, now they’ll only see one or two ad units because the units are much bigger (and presumably, more engaging). Ad creation is not impacted in any meaningful degree, but the ads must be formatted properly.
Right Hand Column (RHC) Specs:
To start taking advantage of this new format, be sure each ad meets Facebook’s RHC specifications. Those are:
Page, Post Photo, Link, Offer, Desktop App and Domain Ads:
Image Dimensions : 254×133 pixels
Consistent Aspect Ratio: 1:91:1
Page Post Video Ad:
Image Dimensions: 254×143 pixels
Consistent Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Page Like or Event Ad:
Image Dimensions: 254×94 pixels
Consistent Aspect Ratio: 2:7:1
Advertisers have until this fall (September, to be specific) before Facebook requires all ads to meet RHC specifications. Until then, the ads that don’t meet specifications will render in the original, smaller format.
Higher Costs.
We’re all anticipating higher costs associated with this update. The ads are bigger, there will be fewer of them served (which means greater competition), costs will increase as a result.
No need to worry, however—if your ads are effective. You’ll be able to manage costs appropriately by carefully monitoring results and following best practices. When creating the ads, choose the most engaging image to compliment the offer. As to the offer, make sure to follow the so-called 20% Rule (whereby an ad image can include no more than 20% text).
As always, our marketing experts are standing by to answer any of your social media marketing questions—whether those relate to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. Contact us today or continue the conversation in the comments, below.
