Visualizing Impact: Maximizing Engagement with Social Media Ad Specifications

Social media is where everyone hangs out these days. But if you’re a brand or business, you are more likely interested in using the medium to advertise your brand and, therefore, would want your ads to stand out. Each social media platform, whether it’s Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or YouTube, has its own set of rules for ads.

It’s not just about what your ad says but also how it looks. Get it right, and it could increase your business engagement, conversions, and sales. Get it wrong, and it’s like you never posted anything. This article will break down each major platform’s social media ad specs. Ready to get started? Let’s dive in.

Facebook Video Ad Specs

Facebook offers a variety of video formats, each with its unique dimensions. Let’s explore some of the formats and their respective sizes.

Shared Video Posts

Videos that automatically play in your News Feed are known as shared videos. They’re the typical videos you see from friends and brands alike. These videos can be displayed in either landscape or portrait views.

• Dimensions: 1280 x 720 (For both Landscape and Square)
• Aspect Ratios:
• Landscape: 16:9
• Portrait: 9:16
• Mobile (both orientations): 2:3
• Max File Size: 4 GB
• Max Video Length: 4 hours

Desktop Newsfeed Link Video

These videos appear in users’ feeds and the right-hand column of Facebook’s timeline. Like shared videos, they can be square or landscape in format.

• Dimension: 1280 x 720 pixels
• Format: Either .MOV or .MP4
• Aspect Ratios: 16:9 for landscape and 1:1 for square
• Maximum Duration: Up to 4 hours
• Full File Size: No larger than 4 GB

Carousel Video Ads

Carousel ads offer brands the chance to showcase multiple images in one go, giving users a better experience before clicking a link. It’s an engaging promotional method that invites users to interact more deeply with your offering.

• Dimensions: 1080 x 1080 (fits both Landscape and Square)
• Aspect Ratio: Square at 1:1
• File Type: Stick to .MP4 or .MOV.
• Size: Keep it under 4 GB.
• Duration: Videos can be up to 4 hours.
• Card Number: You can add between 2 to 10 cards.

Instagram Video Ad Specs

Instagram videos have changed a lot, especially with new features like Reels. Now, approximately 5.2 million people, according to statistics, watch videos from brands on Instagram. This makes Instagram a good place for businesses to share videos. Let’s look at the different sizes and types of videos you can post on Instagram.

Instagram Videos

These clips are an excellent way to keep people connected to what you’re offering. In 2021, Instagram combined feed and IGTV videos into one unified Video Tab.

• Dimensions: Choose from 1920 x 1080p, 1080 x 1350p, or 1080 x 1080p.
• Landscape Ratio: 1.9:1
• Square Ratio: 1:1
• Vertical Ratio: Between 4:5 and 9:16
• Max File Size: 4 GB
• Video Duration: Ranges from 15 seconds to 10 minutes. Note: Some special accounts can go up to 60 minutes.

Instagram Video Stories Ads

Instagram Stories Ads are a great way to connect with your audience. With up to 10 images, these fleeting visuals last 24 hours on your Instagram feed, making every post feel fresh and timely. Plus, there’s a bonus: you can effortlessly share the same story directly to your Facebook account, broadening your reach.

• Size: 1080 x 1920 pixels
• Aspect Ratio: 9:16
• Max File Size: 4 MB
• Duration: Up to 2 minutes

Instagram Reels

Instagram Reels are the latest buzz on the platform, serving as a direct competitor to TikTok. With impressive organic reach, they let users engage with current trends, leading to increased interactions and visibility. If you want to stay updated with the latest social media content, Reels are a must-try!

• Video Dimensions: Maximum of 1080 x 1920 pixels.
• Full-Screen Ratio: Stick to 9:16 for that full-screen look.
• Feed Display Ratio: 4:5 is the way to go.
• File Size: Keep it at or below 4 GB.
• Duration: Videos can be up to 30 seconds long. Make every second count!

Twitter X Video Ad Specs

Every day, 500 million tweets light up Twitter, making it a great place for brands to sell themselves. Let’s look at some video types you can upload on Twitter X and the specs.

Twitter In-Feed Video

You can choose between landscape and portrait formats and upload directly on the platform. And though you can’t embed from YouTube, Twitter X ensures you’ve got straightforward options for sharing genuine content. Plus, the video specs remain consistent whether it’s organic or promoted.

Dimensions:

• Landscape: 1280 x 720
• Portrait: 720 x 1280
• Square: 720 x 720

Aspect Ratio:

• Landscape/Portrait: 16:9
• Square: 1:1
• Length: Up to 140 seconds

File Type:

• Web: .MP4
• Mobile: .MOV
• Max File Size: 512 MB

Video Ads with Website Buttons

These ads grab viewers’ attention and guide them straight to a website with a nifty button. It’s like giving viewers a virtual nudge to interact with your brand and see more.

• Aspect Ratio: 16:9 or square (1:1)
• Max File Size: 1GB
• Video Length: Ideally, keep it under 15 seconds, but you can stretch it to 2 minutes 20 seconds if needed.
• Frame Rate: 29.97fps or a solid 30fps
• File Types: Stick to .mp4 or .mov
• Website Title: 70 characters to make it catchy.

YouTube Video Ad Specs

YouTube isn’t just for posting random videos. For marketers, it’s a goldmine to showcase brands in captivating ways. Let’s review the essential requirements and specs for your YouTube video content.

Standard YouTube Video

These are the regular videos uploaded by YouTubers. When you want to upload top-notch videos to YouTube, the MP4 format with H.264 and AAC codecs is your best bet.

• Dimensions: Up to 3840 x 2160
• Aspect Ratio: Either 16:9 or 4:3
• Duration: Can be as long as 12 hours
• Supported File Types: .MOV, .MPEG4, MP4, .AVI, .WMV, .MPEG-PS, .FLV, 3GPP, and WebM
• Max File Size: 128 GB

Display Ads

When browsing through YouTube, you might spot ads popping up in your search results or sitting neatly in the right column while watching a video. These are called Display Ads.

• Video Dimensions: 300 x 250
• Aspect Ratio: 16:9 or 4:3
• Video Length: Up to 12 hours
• Accepted File Types: .MOV, .MPEG4, MP4, .AVI, .WMV, .MPEG-PS, .FLV, 3GPP, WebM
• Max File Size: 128 GB

Conclusion

It’s essential for engagement and return on investment (ROI) to make sure that your social media ads follow the rules of each site. By ensuring that visuals and content are optimized for each platform’s needs, brands can ensure that their message fits seamlessly into users’ feeds, leading to more essential interactions.

In today’s world of social media, it’s important to remember that details count. Adjusting your ads to fit the platform’s rules can make the difference between being ignored and getting real, meaningful interaction.