Many things in life are better when they’re bigger.
Big houses. Big cars. Big paychecks. Big advertisements.
Wait, what?
It’s true. People do respond well to big ads.
Think about the effect that advertisements like digital signage, billboards and magazine inserts have on consumers. The large size is hard to dismiss. It’s also capable of showing a lot of color, detail and information, all of which increase engagement.
Why wouldn’t the same be true for mobile experiences?
When Bigger is Better
It may seem illogical to think that people would respond better to big ads when they are constantly complaining about them. Why would they be okay with mobile ads taking up anymore of their valuable screen space?
Nevertheless, people respond better to immersive ad experiences, and part of this experience relies on size. Don’t you like catching a flick on the big screen? It’s a similar concept.
Introducing Canvas: A Bigger, Better Ad Platform
To accommodate users and advertisers, Facebook has come up with a new advertising platform. It’s called Canvas, and it was released back in February.
Have you heard of Canvas? Have you experimented with it? Or is this your first time learning about it? Either way, we have the scoop on what Canvas is, how to use it and why your fans will love it.
Let’s begin.
What’s the Idea Behind Canvas?
Canvas is a full-screen ad experience that is built specifically for brands but designed with Facebook users in mind. These ads bring products to life on mobile devices, and they load nearly instantly. Canvas allows brands to tell stories and show products on mobile in a stunning, beautiful manner.
While Canvas does have many wonderful qualities about it, it wasn’t created out of nowhere. Facebook did a lot of research, studied the behaviors of users and talked with advertisers about the current ad options available on social networks. What was learned was that many of the ad platforms are not user- or mobile-friendly.
For instance, if a person clicks on an ad, the page they are brought to is often slow to load or not optimized for mobile. This means that the end experience is frustrating and disjointed for the customer, and it can cause them not to continue. Not to mention, websites are growing in file size, so slow load times is a common problem. At the same time, slow load times are a top reason why people abandon a website.
Things to Know About Canvas
Canvas was built to overcome these obstacles and offer refreshing possibilities for advertisers. Here are a few things to know about the ad platform.
-
Opens from Facebook ads in News Feed.
-
Offers fully customizable digital space.
-
Builds multimedia stories.
-
Showcases products and services.
-
Loads 10x faster than standard mobile web.
-
Includes videos, still images and call-to-action buttons.
-
Provides an immersive and expressive experience for users.
-
Works on Android and iOS devices.
Aside from all of the possibilities for advertisers, there is plenty for the average Facebook user to enjoy as well. People can swipe through a carousel of images, tilt to view panoramic images and zoom in for detail. The whole idea is that people are able to immerse themselves in the experience that the brand provides.
Simple Steps to Using Canvas
So far, many brands are already dipping into Canvas and reaping the rewards, including Coca-Cola, ASUS and Lowes. You can browse your news feed to see if you come across other brands experimenting with Canvases in their own ads. This is the best way to see for yourself what they are like and how they would benefit your advertising.
If you do plan on making a Canvas, here are the steps to take.
-
Access Facebook Canvas by going to your Facebook page and looking under Publishing Tools. If you don’t have it, you can also request access at the official Canvas page.
-
Create your first Canvas by clicking on the Canvas option and then the blue Create button.
-
Enter a name for your Canvas and select a theme.
-
Add a header, photo and button. These are all defaults, so you can move them or delete them to fit your ad. You can also add your own components.
-
Save your draft at any time so you don’t lose your work.
-
Preview and finish your Canvas.
-
Test out your Canvas on your mobile device and think about how your audience will respond. If you like what you see, click the Finish link. No other edits can be made.
Once you’ve completed all the steps, it’s time to show off your Canvas! Do so by creating a post to share the Canvas or getting the URL and using it in a Facebook ad. There’s no point in creating a page post with your new Canvas because it can only be shown to mobile users.
Social Media Examiner wrote up a very detailed post on creating a Canvas, which we encourage you to check out.
Why Your Fans and Followers Will Love Canvas Ads
You can probably understand why people will love this new ad experience. It loads quickly (10x faster than traditional mobile web) and is specifically designed for mobile, making the experience seamless and frustration free.
Canvas is immersive, so it puts the user directly into the advertisement so they feel like they are a part of something bigger. Also, Canvases are not intrusive or annoying. Users can engage with them on their own agenda.
Essentially, Facebook makes you look good.
Want to learn more about setting up your own Canvas? Experiment with the option to create a Canvas on your Facebook Business Page, or request access by filling out this form. We hope to see you there!
