What would happen if all advertisers created their ads following the same Facebook ad templates?

Open up your newsfeed, scroll for a few minutes, and you’ll see that they are.

Should you also fall for the promise of quick wins while risking with ads that are borderline cliché?

No way?

Well… Following popular Facebook ad templates actually has its perks:

  • Template layouts make the best use of ad space – Facebook’s 1200px – 628px ad format is quite limiting, so knowing the best layouts will help you quickly create ads that look nice in the newsfeed.
  • They’re proven to work – Brands don’t use the same ad designs over and over again without a reason – some layouts simply work better than others.
  • They’re easy to create – Universal ad templates can easily be filled in with your branded content and messaging, without you having to spend days designing your Facebook ads.

Find out all you need to know about various Facebook ad types and formats here: Facebook Ad Specis & Size (Always Up-to-date Guide)

Personally, I like to create 80% of ad designs following my go-to templates and treat the remaining 20% as tiny art projects, testing something new.

facebook ad template ideas

Testing new stuff like rotating text 90°

Where to find Facebook ad templates?

There is no online “Facebook ad templates” gallery that you can browse.

The best way to acquire a set of safe-for-work templates in to browse Facebook ad examples and see what layouts other brands are using.

Which I recently did, resulting in 18 ad ideas that you can apply to your campaigns as well.

Looking for Facebook ad specs? Read about Facebook ad dimensions in 2020.

While the following infographic is dividided into 3 parts – Universal, SaaS and eCommerce – most of the featured ad templates can be used for any kind of Facebook or Instagram campaign.

+ Scroll to the bottom of the infographic to see real Facebook ad examples for each use case. 👇

facebook ad templates infographic

1. Image + centered text

This Facebook ad template works well with any kind of messaging, whether you want to mention your value props, a discount offer or a one-liner about your company.

All you need is a stock photo (check the above infographic for best free stock image sites) and a strong value proposition.

adespresso facebook ad template

AdEspresso’s ad features a value proposition

facebook ad template

You can also ask questions to spark the viewer’s interest

2. Image + left- or right-aligned text

This is another go-to Facebook ad template for most campaigns. Adding the call-to-action to your ad image can potentially increase your ad’s click-through rate, resulting in higher Relevance score and lower Facebook ad cost.

Grammarly facebook ad template

Notice how the background behind the text is abstract

Udacity facebook ad template

Combine images and colourful backgrounds

3. Image + text inside a circle

This format works best if you plan to feature some specific number, e.g. the pricing of your product or a discount rate.

Suggestions:

  • A/B test various colours on the circle to uncover what catches most people’s attention.
  • Make sure that the text and its background circle have a high colour contrast, so that the copy is easily readable (e.g. avoid placing white copy on light background)
facebook ad example

That’s a good template for discount offers

facebook ad example

Text on rounded background also works in carousel ads

4. Image + text inside a square

Use this Facebook ad template in brand awareness campaigns and place your logo inside the square in the centre of your ad.

You can also test a similar layout when promoting a blog article on Facebook, adding the article’s title on top of the background image.

GoPro facebook ad

GoPro’s ad mixes product image with special offer

LinkedIn's ad template

LinkedIn’s ad features a simple logo, being suitable for a brand awareness campaign

Venngage facebook ad

You can use text and shapes to give more structure to your ad design

5. Image + text + CTA button

When using a lot of copy on your Facebook ads – which you are when adding both a value proposition + CTA button in the image – make sure to use the Facebook Text Overlay tool to ensure that your ad is not too text-heavy.

linkedin facebook ad

Test adding a call-to-action button in the ad image

Intercom facebook ad template

“Accept” is an interesting CTA to test out

6. Plain image + logo

If you’re wondering what’s the most beloved Facebook ad template of lazy marketers, this is it. However, this is not to say that this layout doesn’t work. Test it out!

Web Summit ad example

You can’t go wrong with this template

paypal ad example

Place text on a colourful background for higher contrast

7. Showcase your product

When it comes to Facebook ads for SaaS, it’s always a good idea to create some ads that showcase your product.

Showing people what your product looks like is beneficial for several reasons:

  • It will catch the attention of people interested in software products
  • The viewer can immediately tell if they’d like to use your product (you’ll get higher-quality leads)
  • And, naturally, all you need to do is take a screenshot and do some Photoshop magic – easy.
SaaS Facebook ad layout

The classical SaaS Facebook ad layout

SaaS Facebook ad layout

I guess every SaaS company has a product-featuring ad like this

google ad example

You can also use an animated version of your product

8. Product image + value proposition

One step forward from the previous ad template with product image would be adding a value proposition on top of it. You can run a split test to see which results the ads with a simple product screenshot v.s. an additional value proposition deliver.

facebook ad

Combine product image with some copy

asana facebook ad

Mention your product’s TOP benefit in the ad image

9. Product image aligned to the right

When working with SaaS companies, this is usually our go-to Facebook layout. Somehow, having the copy on the left and a product image on the right makes the image easy to understand and read.

facebook ad example

Copy this ad template by Facebook itself

peakon ad template

This ad would actually benefit from higher text-background contrast

upwork ad example

You can use more than one font colour per ad design

podium ad example

The green square helps to draw more attention to the ad

10. Visualize a specific benefit

Does your product help teams to grow? Be more efficient and save time? Show it in your Facebook ads. To make things even more graspable for the viewer, make sure that your Facebook ad copywriting also revolves around the same benefit.

trapica facebook ad template

Find simple ways to visualize what your SaaS product does

best facebook ad template

Asana has some of the best Facebook ads

11. Visualize text with icons

If you’re looking for a good alternative to stock photos, find some high-quality icons and find various ways to organize them in your Facebook ad designs.

Tip: You don’t need to create the icons from scratch, there are many good websites for finding ready-made icons. (Check the infographic for suggestions)

paypal facebook ad example

You can find free icons at thenounproject.com

facebook ad example

Combine icons with copy

google ad example

The copy on this ad is a bit too small to be readable on mobile screens. Don’t make the same mistake

12. Share a customer testimonial

You probably have plenty of positive customer testimonials on your website. Copy-paste them to your Facebook ad images, add a picture if a real customer (no stock photo), and you’ve got yourself a high-conversion ad.

testimonial ad template

Feature real people alongside their quotes

13. Centered product + logo

This is a good Facebook ad template for any retail brand. You can also add a value proposition to your ad image to emphasize your product’s benefit.

Tip: Go an extra mile to get professional product photos as the first impression of your product will decide whether someone buys it or not.

amazon ad example

Often, basic ad templates work best

moo facebook ad template

Take high-quality photos of your products to be used in ads

compass facebook ad template

Test including well-knows brands’ logos in your ads (but only if they’re relevant)

14. Limited-time or discount offer

If you have a possibility to make a discount offer and promote it on Facebook, do it every time. This is especially relevant for Facebook retargeting campaigns, where you need to give people some additional incentive to buy your product.

Virgin America ad example

A/B test several discount offers to see what results in highest profit

facebook ad example

Mention your special offer both in ad image and headline

facebook discount ad template

When promoting discount, show the discounted product

moo facebook ad template

Make your “Sale” offer highly visible

teabox facebook ad example

Good example of how to do a carousel ad for discount offers

15. Compilation of products + centered logo

Got a lot of products? Why not show them all in a single Facebook ad. You can also apply the same layout to your Instagram ad design where having catchy and colourful ads is the key to increased sales.

Read more: Instagram Ad Specs and Size in 2018 – The Complete Guide

facebook ad template for ecommerce

This template works well if you have many small products

boxed ad example

Colourful ads usually catch more attention than regular stock photo ads

beauty facebook ad template

Always have your logo in the ad image to increase brand awareness

16. Multiple products + colourful background

This layout is a good option when you’ve tested a lot of other ad templates already and want to introduce some new designs to your campaigns.

Tip: Don’t just repeat a single product, but find ways to show it from different angles, different colours, etc.

facebook ad template idea

This format is especially popular with publishers

facebook ad idea

You can A/B test using 1 vs. multiple products in the ad image

17. Carousel ad with multiple products

There are many ways to create a Facebook carousel ad that features multiple products:

  • You can showcase simple product photos
  • You can have an image or text as the first slide of the carousel ad
  • You can have some copy on each slide throughout your ad

Or… You can test them all and see what works best.

Facebook ad format for retailers

This is a great Facebook ad format for retailers

facebook carousel ad template

Add a SALE sign to each carousel slide

facebook carousel ad idea

Use the carousel ads to tell a story

18. Simple image + overlay + logo

Applying a colour overlay on top of your Facebook ad image is an easy way to make it more colourful and aligned with your branded colours. I personally like to use Sketch for designing ad images, but you can also do it on Photoshop or Illustrator.

creatica facebook ad example

Apply colourful overlays on top of stock photos for a more customized effect

facebook ad example

Apply shadow to the text for higher contrast with background

That’s it guys. Have a go-to Facebook template that wasn’t mentioned in this article? Point it out in the comments.

Want even more inspiration? Check out this eBook with 200 Facebook ad examples. 👇