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Exploring Different Ad Formats on Facebook, Instagram, and Google Ads: Best Uses and Examples

Updated: Jul 31, 2023



Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and search engines like Google offer various advertising formats that cater to different marketing goals. In this blog post, we will explore the different ad formats on Facebook, Instagram, and Google Ads (AdWords) and discuss the best use of each format.



Facebook Ads

Facebook Ads is a popular advertising platform that allows businesses to reach almost 3 billion monthly active users. Facebook offers a range of ad formats that cater to various marketing objectives, including awareness, consideration, and conversion. Some of the popular ad formats on Facebook include:


Image Ads


Image Ads are the most basic and common ad format on Facebook. They are simple and easy to create, and allow businesses to showcase their products, services, or brand through an image. Image Ads are suitable for businesses that want to generate brand awareness or drive traffic to their website.

Example: Airbnb uses Image Ads to promote its unique properties and travel experiences.




Video Ads



Video Ads are another popular ad format on Facebook. They allow businesses to tell a story or showcase their product or service through a video. Video Ads are suitable for businesses that want to generate engagement, increase brand awareness or drive conversions.

Example: Heinz uses Video Ads to showcase its range of condiments and drive brand awareness.


Carousel Ads


Carousel Ads allow businesses to showcase multiple products or services in a single ad. Carousel Ads are suitable for businesses that want to showcase their product range or promote multiple offers or deals.

Example: Sephora uses Carousel Ads to showcase its product range and drive sales.


Collection Ads



Collection Ads allow businesses to showcase multiple products in a single ad. They are designed for mobile devices and provide a seamless shopping experience. Collection Ads are suitable for businesses that want to drive conversions.

Example: Adidas uses Collection Ads to showcase its product range and drive sales.


Instagram Ads

Instagram is a photo and video sharing social media platform with over 1 billion active users. Instagram offers various ad formats that cater to different marketing objectives. Some of the popular ad formats on Instagram include:


Image Ads



Image Ads on Instagram are similar to those on Facebook. They allow businesses to showcase their products, services, or brand through an image. Image Ads on Instagram are suitable for businesses that want to generate brand awareness or drive traffic to their website.

Example: Airbnb uses Image Ads on Instagram to promote its unique properties and travel experiences.


Video Ads



Video Ads on Instagram allow businesses to tell a story or showcase their product or service through a video. Video Ads on Instagram are suitable for businesses that want to generate engagement, increase brand awareness or drive conversions.

Example: Heinz uses Video Ads on Instagram to showcase its range of condiments and drive brand awareness.


Carousel Ads



Carousel Ads on Instagram are similar to those on Facebook. They allow businesses to showcase multiple products or services in a single ad. Carousel Ads on Instagram are suitable for businesses that want to showcase their product range or promote multiple offers or deals.

Example: Sephora uses Carousel Ads on Instagram to showcase its product range and drive sales.


Instagram Stories Ads



Instagram Stories Ads are full-screen ads that appear between users' stories. They allow businesses to showcase their products or services through images or videos. Instagram Stories Ads are suitable for businesses that want to generate engagement or drive conversions.

Example: ASOS uses Instagram Stories Ads to showcase its product range and drive sales.


Google Ads

Formerly known as AdWords, Google Ads is a powerful advertising platform that helps businesses reach customers who are actively searching for products or services on Google. Google Ads offers a variety of ad formats to suit different advertising objectives. In this blog post, we'll explore the different ad formats in Google Ads, their best uses, and examples of ads that use them.


Search Ads


Search ads are the most common and popular ad format in Google Ads. They appear at the top of the Google search results page, above organic search results. Search ads are triggered by specific keywords and allow businesses to reach customers who are actively searching for related products or services. Search ads are highly effective for driving website traffic and generating leads.

Example: When you search for "running shoes," you may see ads for Nike or Adidas running shoes at the top of the search results page.


Display Ads


Display ads appear on various websites that are part of the Google Display Network. They can be in the form of images, videos, or text, and can be targeted to specific audiences based on interests, demographics, or behaviours. Display ads are highly effective for generating brand awareness and reaching new audiences.

Example: You may see a display ad for a real estate company when browsing a website about real estate or property.


Video Ads


Video ads can appear on YouTube, the Google Display Network, or even on the Google search results page. Video ads can be in the form of in-stream ads, which appear before or during YouTube videos, or as video discovery ads, which appear in search results or related videos. Video ads are highly effective for generating brand awareness and increasing engagement.

Example: A real estate company may create a video ad showcasing their brand, targeting people who are interested in real estate or property.


Shopping Ads



Shopping ads are product-based ads that appear at the top of the Google search results page when someone searches for a product. Shopping ads include an image, product title, price, and store name. Shopping ads are highly effective for driving sales and generating leads for e-commerce businesses.

Example: When searching for "laptop bags," you may see a shopping ad for a laptop bag from Amazon or Best Buy.


App Ads



App ads can appear on Google Search, Google Play, YouTube, or the Google Display Network. App ads are highly effective for promoting mobile apps and driving app installs or in-app actions.

Example: A gaming company may create an app ad for their new mobile game and target people who have shown interest in similar games or apps.


Advertising is an important aspect of digital marketing, and social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, as well as search engines like Google Ads (AdWords), offer various advertising formats to cater to different marketing goals. For Facebook and Instagram, popular ad formats include Image Ads, Video Ads, Carousel Ads, and Collection Ads, while Google Ads offers Search Ads, Display Ads, Video Ads, Shopping Ads, and App Ads.



Each ad format has its best use and can help businesses achieve specific advertising objectives such as brand awareness, driving traffic, generating leads, increasing engagement, and driving sales. By leveraging the power of these ad formats, businesses can effectively reach their target audience, achieve their marketing goals, and ultimately grow their business.



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