Facebook advertising is a powerful tool for reaching your target audience, driving engagement and achieving your marketing goals.
However Facebook’s algorithm also limits the frequency and duration that the same ad is shown to the same user, typically no more than 2-3 hours.
Another challenge is simple ad fatigue – when users see the same ad too many times, they become bored, annoyed or even blind to it, leading to decreased performance and wasted spend.
Therefore it’s crucial to create multiple versions of the same ad which can be rotated and tested for optimal results.
But you have selected all the elements of your ad very carefully to make the maximum impact. Won’t you end up with optimal and suboptimal versions of the same ad if you have to produce several versions?
Not if you follow the correct creative process. Here’s how to produce different versions of the same ad effectively.
1. Keep the core message and offer consistent
When creating multiple versions of the same ad, it’s important to keep the core message, value proposition and offer consistent across all variations.
The main headline, text and call-to-action should communicate the same key benefits and desired action, regardless of the specific wording or creative used.
Consistency helps to reinforce your brand messaging, avoid confusion and make sure that users who see different versions of the ad still understand and respond to the main point.
This then draws more attention to the differences, making the audience feel clever when they spot them and can distinguish them.
2. Vary the ad creative
One of the most effective ways to create multiple versions of the same ad is to vary the visual creative, such as the image, video or carousel. Different creatives can grab attention, evoke emotions and showcase your product or service in unique ways.
For example, you could use different product shots, lifestyle images, user-generated content or graphics to illustrate the same offer. You could also test different video lengths, formats or styles to see what resonates best with your audience.
When varying the creative, make sure to follow Facebook’s ad specs and best practices for each format, such as using high-quality visuals, keeping text overlays minimal and optimising for mobile.
You don’t want one ad variation to get through Facebook quality control and another not.
3. Test different ad copy
Another way to create multiple ad versions is to test different ad copy, such as the headline, primary text and link description. While keeping the core message the same, you can experiment with different wording, tones and angles to see what grabs attention and drives action.
You could, for example, test a question headline vs. a statement headline, a benefit-focused message vs. a feature-focused message or a serious tone vs. a humorous tone.
You can also use dynamic text optimisation to automatically show different ad copy to different users based on their profile and behaviour.
When writing ad copy variations, make sure to follow Facebook’s character limits and best practices for each placement, such as using short, clear, and actionable language. Those stipulations are there for a reason, so make them work for you.
4. Experiment with different formats and placements
Facebook offers a variety of ad formats and placements which can be used to create different versions of the same ad.
For example, you could create a single image ad, a carousel ad and a collection ad which all promote the same offer but provide different user experiences and creative options.
You could also test different placements, such as the Facebook news feed, Instagram stories or Audience Network, to see where your ad performs best and reaches the most relevant users.
When experimenting with formats and placements, consider your campaign objective, target audience and creative assets to choose the most appropriate options.
5. Leverage user-generated content
User-generated content (UGC) is a powerful way to create authentic, relatable and diverse ad versions which showcase real customer experiences and social proof.
UGC can include customer reviews, ratings, photos, videos or testimonials which highlight the benefits and value of your product or service.
By incorporating UGC into your ad creative you can tap into the trust and credibility users have with their peers and create multiple ad versions which resonate with different segments of your audience.
But when using UGC make sure to get permission from the content creators, give proper attribution and follow Facebook’s policies for featuring user content in ads.
6. Personalise for different audience segments
Creating multiple ad versions also enables you to personalise your messaging and creative for different audience segments based on their demographics, interests, behaviours or stage in the customer journey.
By using Facebook’s targeting options and custom audiences you can create ad variations which speak directly to the needs, preferences and challenges of specific user groups, whilst remaining relevant to other parts of your audience.
For example, you could create one ad version for prospective customers which focuses on building awareness and interest, and another for retargeting previous website visitors with a special offer.
Personalisation helps increase the relevance and effectiveness of your ads, and can lead to higher engagement, conversion and ROI.
7. Use dynamic creative optimisation
Dynamic creative optimisation (DCO) is a Facebook ad feature which automatically creates and tests multiple ad versions based on the creative assets and targeting options you provide.
With DCO you can upload multiple images, videos, headlines, text and calls-to-action and let Facebook’s algorithm combine them into different ad variations and show the best-performing ones to each user.
DCO can save time and effort in creating multiple ad versions manually, and can also uncover new insights and combinations you may not have thought of.
To use DCO effectively, make sure to provide a variety of high-quality creative assets and follow Facebook’s best practices for each element.
8. Monitor and analyse performance
Creating multiple ad versions is just the first step – to truly optimise your Facebook advertising, you need to continuously monitor and analyse the performance of each ad variation and make data-driven decisions.
Use Facebook Ads Manager or third-party tools to track key metrics such as reach, impressions, clicks, conversions and cost per result for each ad version and compare them to your benchmarks and goals.
Look for patterns and insights which can help you identify which ad elements, formats and targeting options are working best and which ones need improvement. Use A/B testing to validate your hypotheses and scale your top-performing ad versions.
9. Rotate and refresh ad versions regularly
Even with multiple ad versions, ad fatigue can still set in over time as users become familiar with your messaging and creative. To keep your ads fresh and engaging it’s important to regularly rotate and refresh your ad versions with new creative, copy and offers.
Depending on your campaign duration and frequency, you may need to create new ad versions every week, month or quarter to maintain performance and avoid diminishing returns.
However this should be done consistently, within set timeframes, so that the audience is expectant and the monitoring comparable.
When rotating ad versions, make sure to keep a balance between tried-and-true elements and new experiments and to allocate budget and impressions based on performance data.
If the same slogan works, the audience will go with you on the journey to find how many ways you can express it.
10. Align with your overall marketing strategy
Finally, when creating multiple versions of your Facebook ads, it’s important to align them with your overall marketing strategy and brand identity.
Your ad versions should reflect your unique value proposition, target audience and desired outcomes and be consistent with your other marketing channels and touchpoints.
Make sure to follow your brand guidelines for visual design, tone of voice and messaging, and to integrate your Facebook advertising with your website, landing pages and customer journey.
By creating a seamless and cohesive experience across all touchpoints you can build trust, credibility and loyalty with your audience.
People want to know that it is you selling the product – companies such as Guinness and Hovis have developed high reputations for their ads, and people are interested in their latest creative ideas for their own sake.
The overarching values of your brand should automatically generate creatives people respond to, so let the basics of your company do the work.
Conclusion
Creating multiple effective versions of the same Facebook ad is a critical skill for maximising your advertising performance and ensuring your ads continue to be shown.
By keeping your core message consistent while varying your creative, copy, format, placement and personalisation you can create ad variants which resonate with different user segments and drive optimal results.
Use data and testing to continuously monitor, analyse and optimise your ad versions, and align them with your overall marketing strategy for maximum impact.
With the right approach and tools, you can master the art and science of Facebook advertising and achieve your marketing goals with confidence.