When it comes to Facebook ads, one of the most common questions is “What size should my ad be?” The answer depends on where your ad will be displayed – the Facebook News Feed or the right-hand column. For News Feed ads, Facebook recommends using 1280 x 720 pixels. However, they also support a few other sizes like 600 x 315 and 1200 x 628. For the right-hand column, the main options are 300 x 250 pixels and 160 x 600 pixels. But what about ads with a 9:16 aspect ratio, like mobile video ads? Let’s take a closer look at what size a 9:16 Facebook ad should be.
9:16 Aspect Ratio for Facebook Ads
The 9:16 aspect ratio has become popular in recent years, largely thanks to mobile devices. When you hold your phone vertically, the screen has a tall, narrow orientation. And when creating videos and other content intended for mobile, it makes sense to adopt this vertical layout.
Facebook recognized this shift and began supporting mobile-oriented 9:16 video ads. These ads seamlessly fit the natural viewing orientation on phones. And their slimmer, taller frame stands out in the News Feed compared to landscape video ads. Overall, 9:16 is an effective aspect ratio for engaging mobile users.
Facebook Ad Sizes for 9:16 Video Ads
So what should the actual dimensions be for a 9:16 Facebook ad? Facebook lists two main options:
- 1080 x 1920 pixels
- 720 x 1280 pixels
The 1080 x 1920 size is optimal and provides crisp image quality even on high-resolution displays. The smaller 720 x 1280 size works well too, just at a slightly reduced quality. Either one will work fine for most 9:16 ad formats.
Facebook News Feed 9:16 Ad Size
For 9:16 ads appearing in the News Feed, Facebook recommends going with the 720 x 1280 size. At that size, the ad takes up a nice vertical slice down the center of the feed. The image quality is perfectly adequate as well on most devices people use to scroll through Facebook.
So in summary, 720 x 1280 pixels is the standard 9:16 dimension to use for full-screen News Feed ads.
Facebook Stories 9:16 Ad Size
Facebook Stories provide another placement for 9:16 ads. Stories are vertical, full-screen ads similar to ads in Instagram Stories or Snapchat Stories. For this format, Facebook suggests the 1080 x 1920 size.
At 1080 x 1920 pixels, your creative will display crisply across the entire vertical Stories canvas. This higher resolution helps maintain quality when people view Stories on tablets and other devices with larger screens. So for 9:16 ads in Facebook Stories, go with 1080 x 1920 pixels.
Image Quality Considerations
Beyond just specifying a 9:16 size like 720 x 1280 pixels, there are other guidelines around image quality:
- File Format: Facebook recommends using high-quality JPG or PNG files.
- File Size: Aim to keep the file under 5MB, with 1-3MB ideal.
- Resolution: For images, use high-res originals if available. For video, upload the highest resolution master.
Providing the best possible source files allows Facebook to optimize delivery of your ads across the many different devices and networks people use. Some loss of quality is inevitable once Facebook compresses and formats your ad creative. But starting with pristine assets gives the best end result.
Landscape Versus Portrait Orientation
With the rise of mobile usage, portrait video orientations like 9:16 have become popular. But landscape (horizontal) layouts still have an important place, especially for News Feed ads. Here’s a quick comparison:
| Layout | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Landscape |
|
|
| Portrait |
|
|
As this comparison shows, both options have merits. In general, optimize landscape ads for desktop and portrait for mobile. But testing different shapes and orientations is wise to see what resonates best with your target audiences.
Creative Best Practices
Beyond technical specifications, there are some creative best practices to keep in mind as well:
- Keep it short and engaging – In the age of ultra-short video formats, Facebook video ads should make their point quickly.Aim for 15-30 seconds if possible.
- Highlight faces – Viewers connect more with human faces and emotions. So try to feature real people prominently.
- Use minimal text – Let the visuals tell the story. Avoid lengthy blocks of text that are hard to read.
- Add motion and animation – Subtle motion like moving graphics and animations can help capture attention as people scroll.
- Mind the audio – Use audio that aligns with your visuals. But keep in mind most people view Facebook without sound.
- Test different options – Try out multiple versions of your ad to see which style and approach resonates most.
Taking these best practices into account when designing 9:16 Facebook video ads will give you the best shot at driving strong engagement and results.
Other Facebook Ad Specifications
Beyond the actual ad creative assets, there are some other important Facebook ad specifications to keep in mind:
Ad Text
- Headline: 25 characters maximum
- Body text: 125 characters maximum
- Video name (Shows below video): 45 characters maximum
- Link description: 30 characters maximum
- News Feed link title: 25 characters maximum
Images
- News Feed: 1200 x 628 pixels
- Stories: 1080 x 1920 pixels
- Right column: 600 x 315 pixels
Video
- Aspect ratio: 1.91:1 (landscape), 1:1 (square), 9:16 (portrait)
- Length: 240 minutes maximum
- File size: 4GB maximum
- Resolution: 720p or 1080p HD
Following Facebook’s current specs for elements like text length, image sizes, and video settings will ensure your ads look and function as intended across placements.
Tools to Create Facebook Ads
To design and produce 9:16 Facebook ads that look fantastic, consider using these creation tools:
Adobe Creative Cloud
Industry leader Adobe offers a suite of creative apps like Photoshop, Premiere Pro, and After Effects to craft stunning video ads and static images.
Canva
Canva provides an easy-to-use graphic design platform for social media ads, posts, and other visual content.
Animoto
Animoto lets you quickly create professional-quality marketing videos using stock assets and templates.
Biteable
Biteable makes it simple to craft short, impactful videos with motion graphics and effects.
Adobe Spark
Spark from Adobe offers customizable templates and easy editing tools to build social graphics and videos.
Using tools like these that simplify video and image production can make it much easier to produce 9:16 creative assets to use in your Facebook ad campaigns.
Facebook Ad Spec Cheat Sheet
To summarize Facebook’s current ad size specs, especially for 9:16 video ads, here is a handy cheat sheet:
| Ad Format | Ad Size |
|---|---|
| News Feed Video | 720 x 1280 pixels (9:16) |
| Stories Video | 1080 x 1920 pixels (9:16) |
| Right Column | 300 x 250 pixels (4:3) |
| Single Image | 1200 x 628 pixels (1.91:1) |
Referring to these specs can help ensure your ads are correctly sized for each Facebook placement.
Optimizing Based on Performance
Even if you follow Facebook’s ad specs precisely, that doesn’t guarantee success. The most important thing is monitoring performance data and optimizing accordingly. Consider these optimization tips:
- A/B test different aspect ratios and orientations
- Experiment with different ad lengths
- Try video vs. image vs. carousel
- Test static vs. animated elements
- Analyze engagement metrics and CTR
- Check performance by device and location
While specs provide a starting point, ultimately you need to refine based on real-world results. Let the data guide you toward the optimal ad types, sizes, layouts, and creative approaches.
Conclusion
So in summary, the standard dimensions for a 9:16 Facebook video ad are:
- 720 x 1280 pixels for News Feed
- 1080 x 1920 pixels for Stories
This vertical, mobile-friendly aspect ratio creates an immersive experience for Facebook users. Along with high quality creative and compelling content, it can capture attention and drive engagement. Test iteratively, analyze performance, and refine over time. By dialing in your specs and creative approach, 9:16 ads can become a powerful addition to your Facebook marketing arsenal.