Facebook Ads Shrinking on Mobile News Feed

On August 19, Facebook will be rolling out some changes to their ads appearing in the Mobile News Feed.

What’s the reasoning behind Facebook’s changes to the ad format? According to the Facebook Business blog, it is to “match the look and feel of the new Facebook design introduced earlier this year.” The new design, FB5, is “simpler, faster, more immersive and puts your communities at the center.” Facebook also stated that the changes “will help drive increased ad effectiveness and make it easier to use the same assets on Facebook News Feed and Instagram feed.”

The changes include:

• Fewer lines of primary text will show on mobile News Feed. Now only 3 lines of primary text will show on Facebook mobile News Feed, after which people will be prompted to click to view additional text.
• Maximum media height for photos and videos will reduce to 4:5 on mobile News Feed. The tallest supported aspect ration for images without links and for videos is now vertical (4:5). Media taller than 4:5 will be masked on Facebook mobile News Feed.

(Credit: Facebook)

What does this all mean for everyone using Facebook ads? It’s time to get creative. With three lines and smaller images, space is limited. With only three lines of text, tell the audience the most important details in that space without shouting.

You may have a smaller space for images but that doesn’t stop you from creating an eye-catching image to stop the scroll. Also, remember to limit text included on the image. Facebook will rate the image with Ok, Low, Medium, or High. That rating will determine your ad’s reach.

It may not seem like a huge change for the average user, but for marketers, it’s going to have an impact on the process of engaging with the audience.

Let us know your thoughts on the changes in the comments below.