Canvas being launched in the beginning of this month has already gained wide attention as a cool tool for Facebook advertisers. In complete contrast to regular Facebook ads, Canvas has a mobile only approach. Offering a look and feel much similar to mobile landing pages, users can easily scroll down the images, texts, videos, carousels and calls to action buttons.
Besides, it allows tweaking with images and videos like panning photos back and forth and showing panoramic or wide angle photos. Already proven to be successful through beta tests, Canvas can really be the game changer for Facebook ads.
The new shift from TV ads to mobile ads
Anyone of us knows the huge time spent by people in front of their handheld devices and this offers an inexhaustible scope for marketers to address audience. But until now mostly web ads have been only used by brands partially to fulfill their objectives. As far as ads in mobile devices are concerned, the technology exposed to marketers seems to lack maturity till date.
In spite of Facebook’s earlier effort in drawing the interest of mainstream marketers like launching digital GRPs, but still we can only expect an expression with raised eyebrow from marketers when given the option of shifting the TV ad budget to digital avenues, particularly social ads. View counts for digital ads are still taken less seriously compared to TV ads. Facebook Canvas has been launched particularly to add to the firepower of digital and mobile ads and it shows enough potential to become a game changer.
What you can do with Facebook Canvas?
Facebook Canvas allows marketers offering an immersive ad experience by combining various components like images, video, text and CTA buttons. Facebook Canvas can give a complete makeover to your ads in the following way.
1. Storytelling effect
Canvases offer the effect of a fully developed landing page instead of only allowing creating so called ads. The immersive experience with various components can help you make people going through the entire page being exposed to the brand story.
2. Find a good length
Facebook Canvas has been created to allow creating good length of ads instead of too short single viewpoint ads. Actually, to offer a complete experience of the brand and product at length is the prime motivation behind Facebook Canvas.
3. You can engage audience visually
By using optimum quality images and videos you can better attract viewer attention. Moreover with features like panning and panoramic view you can boost visual to the ultimate level.
How to shape and design your Canvas ad?
Facebook Canvas has also been described widely as a tool for instant ads and immersive ads. Because, Canvas can help you building unique ad experience by combining different components like images, text, videos, carousels and more. Let us offer here a step by step guide as how to shape and design Canvas ads.
1. Taking inspiration
Taking inspiration and learning from similar Canvas ads is necessary to understand how this new ad tool works.
A. In official Facebook Canvas page you will find some big-brand Canvas ads to get an overall idea.
The video demo inside the Facebook Canvas Help page shows all necessary actions, from ad clicks to CTA buttons.
B. See the Canvas layout example on Canvas specs page to obtain an idea of how each components works.
C. By browsing news feed also you can try to see some examples of how advertisers using Canvases.
D. Always know that Canvases as landing pages as well and you can always take inspiration from good landing pages.
2. Accessing Facebook Canvas
If you are authorized to access Facebook Canvas, you just need to look for it among Publishing Tools in your Facebook Page. In the left sidebar menu at bottom you can see it.
In case you do not see it under Publishing Tools, you have to make a request for access. Just go to the official Facebook Canvas page and then click on the button entitled Get Started with Canvas.
3. Create the canvas
To begin with, go to the Canvas option shown in Publishing Tools. Now by clicking on the ‘Create’ button you can start creating your first Canvas. When starting with the Canvas Builder first select a name for the Canvas and a theme.
A). Now you have to add the three default components, respectively as, header component, photo component, and CTA component. Let us have a look at the process of adding each one.
B). Adding header component: Header is the first component for the Canvas which remains pinned on the top of screen displaying the logo. You can also tweak this component a little text or image so that the logo instead of being pinned moves while scrolling.
C). Adding an image component: Image or photo component comes next. The recommended image size to be used inside Canvas Builder should be at least 640 pixels with 72 dpi. You can add up to 20 images to the Canvas builder.
D). Adding button: Now you need to add CTA buttons. You can use up to 30 characters of text to buttons. As for font you are allowed to a sans serif or serif font.
E). Adding text: Add text to your Canvas is easy and all you need to do is to click the link +Add Component and then click on the Text Block. One text component allows adding text of up to 500 characters.
F). Adding image carousel: To add image carousel, just click on the +Add Component link and then click on the Carousel. You can add up to 2 to maximum 10 images to the Canvas image carousel.
G. Adding video component: Similarly by going to the video component link you can add video in the Canvas as well. Your video should have a minimum resolution of 720p and should be in either .mp4 or .mov format.
4. Canvas preview
Just after you go through the process of adding all respective components to your Canvas, you must save it by clicking on Save Draft. Now, just click on the Preview on Device button to preview the completed Canvas in your handheld device. This will be added to your Facebook app and as soon as it gets ready for a preview you can expect to get a notification.
A). This is time to test it on your mobile device and have a first-hand experience of the Ad.
B). When you’re certain that you’re done making changes to your Canvas, you can click the Finish link.
C). Remember, after telling that you are finished with the Canvas, you cannot make any editing.
5. Using your canvas
After finishing building your Canvas, you can use it in various ways.
A). First of all, you can make a Facebook post to share your new Canvas.
B). Secondly, you can bring the Facebook advertisement URL to your Canvas to use it.
C). Lastly, as it allows no editing one can replicate the Canvas if making further changes is absolutely necessary.
6. Adding metrics to Ad Manager Insights
Adding metrics is important to monitor the performance of your Canvas advertisement. Besides the common metrics in the Facebook Ads Manager Insights, you can also make additional columns for some particular metrics that you need to monitor and asses your Canvas Ad. You can easily do this by customizing the columns.
A). Click on the Columns button and choose two metrics that are particularly related to the Canvas Ad.
B). Now make a rearrangement of your columns just the way you like to see them in the Insights dashboard.
C). As soon as people starts viewing and interacting with your new Facebook Canvas ad, you can access and see data based on the new metrics of Insights analytics as happens with all other Facebook ads.
Author Bio :- Priya is a Technical SEO at Hopinfirst.com – a leading mobile app development company which provide best ios app development and Android app development Services.
