Facebook is changing its interface with a refreshed design of the right sidebar to include larger ad units that are more visually consistent with newsfeed ads.
Sidebar ad performance has been declining since the introduction of the newsfeed ad, which has been a hit with advertisers and users alike. The new larger and more visually appealing sidebar ad units offer a much better opportunity for brands to tell a compelling story and earn clicks from desktop users. Note the word desktop – these sidebar ad units only show on desktop browsers.
The Good News
- Streamlined campaign planning and management
- Early A/B tests report up to a three-times increase in engagement over the old ad units
- Social engagement displayed in the ad unit
- Larger and more visually appealing
The Bad News
- Fewer ad units will likely increase competition for inventory and lead to increased pricing
- The rollout will be gradual with some advertisers gaining access “later this month” and everyone will be on board “later this year.”
The New Ad Sizes
Page post photo, Page post link, Offer, Desktop App, and Domain ads
- Photo: 254×133 px
- Consistent aspect ratio: 1.91:1
- Text: 90 characters, remainder truncated
Page post video ad
- Image: 254×143 px
- Consistent aspect ratio: 16:9
- Text: 90 characters, remainder truncated
Page like ad, Event ad
- Photo: 254×94 px
- Consistent aspect ratio: 2.7:1
- Text: 90 characters, remainder truncated + event details pulled from event include title (25 characters), page name (1 line), date and time (1 line)
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