Top Tips of the Past: 2019's Top Facebook Ad Campaigns

Digital marketers have accomplished a lot in recent years, proposing a wealth of new products and services on the platforms consumers love.Especially Facebook.Let's check out a few statistics:In 2019, the consumer's average impression of Facebook advertisements increased by approximately 37 percent. Currently peaking at over 2.45 billion, these users have adapted to the platform’s many changes alongside the businesses they’ve come to love. Of these users, about 74 percent access the platform every day.While 88 percent of Facebook users primarily hop online to stay connected with friends and family, the 85-percent rate of Facebook-based videos watched tells a more evocative tale--as do the 300 million daily users who check out Facebook Stories.Simply put: Facebook is booming.And booming social media environments are prime real estate for digital advertisement.

A Facebook Ads Snapshot

Where Facebook Ads itself is considered, we can glean some insights from the platform itself--as Facebook releases quarterly earnings reports for business operators to make use of.In general, the use of Facebook's PPC tools and ad placements costed six percent less in 2019 than it did in 2018. This doesn't mean, however, that Facebook Ads are declining in value. Remember: The platform still has an overall 37 percent increase in positive impressions. 2020's digital marketers can expect to get the most out of their Facebook Ad dollars given new geo-targeting service updates and the growing popularity of Stories, alike.These ad expenses, currently, amount to roughly a $1.72 cost per click--or CPC. While CPC understandably varies from industry to industry, Facebook's CPC is surprisingly consistent. This is likely due to its incredible reach--as well as the successful implementation of Facebook Stories ads and refined Newsfeed advertisement algorithms.

Facebook's Big Fish

If you're among the two million advertisers who advertise on Facebook in recent years, you've likely realized--even uncomfortably so--just how robust Facebook Ads can be.Facebook has a ton of advertisement targeting options available. Similar to Google Ads--formerly AdWords--a marketer's success can be difficult to maintain.Especially when big businesses are running the show.It's important to acknowledge the average Click Through Rate of Facebook Ads, which sits at approximately .90 percent--even though it's an average comprised of many CTR deviations across different industries. Apparel ads, for example have an average CTR of 1.24 percent--but industrial services only have a CTR of .70 percent.These numbers quickly result in high-expense Costs Per Action (CPA)--sums which only industry power-players can easily achieve. The technology world has one of the biggest CPAs--about $55.21--which makes Samsung's $100 million Facebook Ad spend a near-impossible bar to reach. For reference, Microsoft has spent $35 million on its own Facebook advertisements.

Taking a Page Out of Successful Facebook Campaigns

While Facebook advertisement can be intimidating, it's still possible to gain traction--whether you're running a small business or simply want to expand your reach from Google Ads.To do so, however, you'll need to summon consistent creativity, a keen eye for unique prep techniques, and, most importantly, an ironclad will.And, sometimes, following in the footsteps of successful Facebook Ad campaigns is a great way to kick off your journey. While the road to successful social media advertising has potholes aplenty, the success of even the most ambitious campaign is obtainable.

The Best Facebook Ad Campaigns of 2019

While your own campaign will be unique to your business's foundational blueprints, industry, and target audience, there's plenty of insights to be gained from last year's successful strategies.So, take a quick gander to boost your own campaign's success--either via emulation or inspiration.

Tatoodo's High-Performing Videos

First up, there's Tattoodo--the tattoo designer and service provider which reminded us why high-quality Facebook video ads are worth their weight in gold.Their videos kicked off on their branded Facebook page, at first. After reaching stellar engagement rates, they converted their videos to ads--specifically, high-performance ads.The ads span across a few video lengths, which gave Tattoodo--and even other marketers--refreshing insights into how 2019's Facebook user-base felt about short-form and long-form videos. While Tattoodo's primary video ad was roughly two minutes long, its following display was a tight, top-notch 25-second advertisement.Now, let's remember that no particular video format is deemed to be the "best" video format. Still, eye-catching Facebook videos are frequently the high-resolution ones--and they end quickly with digestible calls-to-action.

The Mobile-Only Forgotten Tribes Ads

Forgotten Tribes reminded Facebook marketers that it's possible to have success--even great success--with exclusive mobile advertisements.The apparel provider predicated on mobility comfort ironically--or unironically, depending on how you see it--implemented a Facebook video ad campaign directed at smartphone users. To do this, they used Facebook Collection ads. These ads let users view quick product snapshots for easy consumption, making the most out of one's mobile space.Needless to say, Forgotten Tribes had a highly refined viewing experience mapped out from the get-go. Of note is its low-volume background music, which deviated from the regular high-volume video advertisements consumers may lose patience with.Forgotten Tribes ads link to their Instant Experience storefront, which is a full-screen portal which necessitates cross-platform outreach--even when the portal, itself, is still framed by Facebook.

Wimbledon's Event Recaps

Wimbledon reasserted that event recaps remain one of the best social media marketing strategies for the sporting world. Its Facebook Ad campaign launched just after Wimbledon 2019 closed--piggybacking off of current excitement to generate leads for 2020.Wimbledon's ads equally split its representation of male and female players, and it also implemented auto-complete email forms to keep its audience in the fast lane. Also, a mobile-first ad campaign, Wimbledon's outreach can be described as one of the most fast-paced event recap campaigns of the year--a design inherently reflective of its presence as an industry leader.

Neil Patel's Free Expertise Offers

Free top-shelf services are rare, and their mass marketing is even rarer. Neil Patel split off from regular Facebook Ad routes, however, when it offered free marketing framework advice presented by an industry leader.What's more, the offer wasn't a bite-sized one: The Neil Patel Free Bonus featured a 24-step info process, one which benefited big-name companies like Amazon, GM, HP, and NBC.The ad campaign took form as a webinar, further enhancing Neil Patel's offer as one of 2019's best. It was instantly accessible. It wasn't a brief infographic. It was in-depth. And, most importantly: It underscored legitimate industry statistics to show viewers just how valuable the webinar's information was.

Sephora's Risky, Flashy Ads

Facebook might be pushing video ads, but it also pushes ad simplicity--much like today's digital marketing advice providers.Sephora, however, took a different approach to social media engagement.Of note: Sephora managed to get a 41-percent higher click-through-rate than its previous ads with said risky campaign. Put bluntly: It showcased multiple promotions in quick-flash, still-image videos. These videos didn't hold back in terms of attention, and they didn't take a conservative approach to customer segmentation, either: They targeted every customer under its umbrella, sweeping across most of its product range.So, why did this campaign work? Likely, it's because it stood out in the Newsfeed. This isn't to say Sephora blasted users with unrefined ads, either. It takes true skill to implement high-capacity ads without overstimulating shoppers--making Sephora stand out among its competitors as a brand that can "do whatever it wants"--even though its strategy was cleverly planned out.

Lessons to Learn

That 2019's most successful ad campaigns tended to take caution to the wind paints a bigger picture of marketing diversity success. One can showcase their products without following time-tested-and-true-strategies, and one needn't be a big-name provider to do so, either.Sure, it helps to have the buffer of a successful selling track record, but Facebook's current ad representation algorithms have given emergent brands a leg up in the competition. The impact of unique Facebook Ad campaigns is compounded by Facebook's Instagram crossover, too, which can boost highly visual advertisements to new heights.If you're going to start your own Facebook Ad campaign, don't be afraid to get a little creative. There are plenty of other small businesses, sole proprietors, startups, and newly-initiated product designers who've secured surprising levels of success by taking on some degree of risk.In 2020, standing out in Facebook's Newsfeed will pay off. It's important to plan out your approach, of course, as no successful campaign is launched haphazardly.So, take care in refining your strategy before attempting to redefine the world of Facebook Ads. Your success just might surprise you.