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In the digital landscape, photo-centric social media channels have gained massive popularity. In addition to being a perfect channel for users to express their feelings and thoughts through images, these platforms also offer marketers unique opportunities with visual content that other properties don’t offer.
For example, unlike text-based platforms like blogs or news sites, visual channels are better able to showcase visually stunning content. This is why advertisers are increasingly leveraging visual ads on social networks to connect with target audiences in a more memorable way.
Readers want visuals, not blocks of text. They also want to see images that aren’t overly branded or promotional in nature.
That’s why visual advertising works so well on these platforms: It attracts attention and makes your brand look good at the same time. Here are some places you can find great visual advertising opportunities:
Gif Display Ads
Facebook ads are one of the most popular display ad units and for good reason. The ad platform is loaded with options and features designed to help you create branded campaigns that resonate with target audiences.
Plus, the world’s largest social network boasts a massive 2.32 billion daily active users — which means you have access to a whopping potential reach of 1.5 billion people each day.
Facebook-owned channels, including Instagram and WhatsApp, also give you the opportunity to run visual ads on other platforms to reach more users at once. There are several types of visual ads you can run on Facebook, including Image ads:
These ads contain a single visual with a headline over it. Image ads are great for product launches, event marketing, or connecting with new audiences who haven’t heard about you before.
In addition to images, you can include a call-to-action button at the end of your ad to drive more conversions. Video ads: Videos, including live broadcasts and animated GIFs, can help you connect with audiences in an entirely new way.
Facebook’s powerful targeting options make it easy to find the right people to view your content. And with Facebook-owned Instagram and WhatsApp, you can also reach users on other platforms with the same visual campaigns.
Carousel ads: Carousel ads are a type of image ad that allows you to feature up to 10 images at once. These ads are perfect for product launches and seasonal campaigns when you want to share several images at once.
Canvas ads: Canvas ads are full-page ads that let you share a rich, interactive experience with your audience. They’re perfect for building brand awareness and telling more detailed branded stories.
With over 1 billion daily active users, Instagram is a massive platform for visual advertising campaigns.
Beyond the standard text-based ads available on the platform, which are a great way to introduce new customers to your brand, Instagram also offers a handful of visual ad types that let you showcase your brand visually.
These include Produced Stories: These are short videos you can create through the Instagram app itself. You can use these to tell a more in-depth story about your brand or highlight behind-the-scenes content.
Stories Ads: These are full-screen photo or video ads that you can run during specific days and hours to reach your audience in an entirely new way.
Stories Highlights: These are a great way to repurpose visual content you’ve already posted on your feed. You can feature up to three images or videos at once to help them reach a wider audience.
Twitter is another massive visual ad platform. Besides the standard text-based ads, there are also several types of visual ads you can run on the network.
These include Video Carousel: Video carousel ads let you feature up to 10 videos at once in a single ad. These ads are perfect for campaigns that need multiple pieces of visual content, like product launches or events.
Video Ads: Like other video ads, these full-screen ads let you feature one video with a call-to-action button below it. These ads are a great way to introduce new audiences to your brand or connect with current customers on a deeper level.
Twitter also has a unique ad format that’s been used by companies like Go-Pro, Coca-Cola, and many more: the Tweet Wall. This special ad format is particularly popular among brands who want to get more social engagement but aren’t sure where to start.
Tweet walls are great for triggering conversations and getting people to engage with you on a more personal level.
Pinterest is one of the most visual platforms on the web. With more than 500 million monthly active users, this network is perfect for visual advertising campaigns.
The most popular ad types on Pinterest include Pinterest Picture Ads: These ads let you feature one image with a short description of what’s happening in the image. These are great for product launches or connecting with new audiences who haven’t heard about your brand before.
You can also use them to promote your Pinterest page and move more people to your website. Pinterest Carousel Ads: These let you feature multiple images or videos at once in a single ad.
This is a great way to showcase a variety of visually stunning content and get more eyes on your brand at once.
Google Ads
Google Ads is a massive display ad network that has been helping advertisers reach billions of people across the globe for over a decade.
Google Ads offers one of the most expansive display ad networks available, with campaign types that include: AdWords Photo Ads: These full-screen ads let you feature one image with a short description of what’s going on in the image.
These ads are a great way to showcase visually stunning content and introduce new audiences to your brand. AdWords Carousel Ads: These let you feature multiple images or videos at once in a single ad.
This is a great way to showcase a variety of visually stunning content and get more eyes on your brand at once. AdWords Editorial Ads: These ads are displayed in Google’s native search results and can include up to four images or videos along with a branded editorial content block.
These ads are best for event marketing or connecting with new audiences who haven’t heard about your brand before.
Conclusion
The digital landscape is full of opportunities, but they require a different approach than what worked in the past. With the rise of social media, users are spending more time on visual platforms, leaving text-based blogs without as much attention.
With the rise of visual ad types, it’s important to stay up-to-date with the latest formats and how they can be used to create visually stunning campaigns that resonate with your audience.
