When it comes to Facebook ads, marketers are faced with the important decision of whether to use images or videos. 

And whilst both mediums have their own strengths and considerations, choosing the right one for your specific campaign can significantly impact its success. 

In this article, to help you make that important decision we’ll explore the advantages and disadvantages of both, backed by relevant stats alongside our own in-house insights from testing.

Let’s jump in!

Using static images in Facebook Ads

Images have long been a staple in digital advertising. They’re quick, visually appealing, and can easily convey your message at a glance when designed correctly. 

Here are some key advantages of using images in Facebook ads:

✅ Cost-Effective

Producing high-quality images can generally be less time-consuming and more cost-effective than creating videos. With the right design, images can effectively communicate the desired message without the need for extensive production.

✅ Easy to Digest

Images allow viewers to grasp information quickly. They can convey emotions, showcase products, or present key information easily.

On the other hand, there are some considerations to keep in mind when using images in Facebook ads:

❌ Limited Storytelling

Images can provide a snapshot of a message or concept, but they may lack the ability to tell a complete story. While they can capture attention, conveying complex ideas solely through images can be challenging.

❌ Ad Fatigue

With the abundance of images in users' news feeds, it's important to refresh ad creatives regularly to avoid ad fatigue. Users may quickly become desensitized to repetitive imagery, leading to decreased ad performance.

Using videos in Facebook Ads

✅ Increased Engagement and CTR

While marketers tend to leverage videos and images in an almost equal balance (52% versus 48% respectively), a recent report by Databox found that videos drove almost 30% more clicks than static images.

✅ Better Opportunity for Storytelling

Videos have the ability to tell stories and evoke emotion far more effectively than static images. Marketers can showcase products more clearly and/or in use, demonstrate value, or take viewers on a journey to create a stronger, more personal connection with them.

✅ UGC

User Generated Content (UGC) is fast becoming the new way to market to your ideal audience, this is achieved through organic UGC (your current customers posting about your product online through reviews etc) or collaborating with nano/micro influencers to potentially impact the purchasing decision of tens of thousands that view their videos talking about your product.

However, there are some negative factors to also consider when using videos in Facebook ads:

❌ Higher Production Costs

Creating high-quality videos often requires more resources, time, and expertise compared to images. This can be a barrier for businesses with limited budgets or short timeframes.

❌ Attention Span

Users on social media platforms typically have shorter attention spans. So it's essential to have the skill sets to create videos that capture attention in the first few seconds to prevent users from scrolling past.

In-House Insights

Here’s what our expert in-house account managers had to say:

For the most part, videos have much higher engagement (CTR) but are usually countered with a significantly higher cost per thousand views (CPM) as Facebook can see that lots of people are clicking. 

However, they often have a lower conversion (CVR) rate, depending on video style, meaning that they regularly underperform in comparison to professional images.

It’s mostly the intent that is generated from videos where it seems to fall short, but there are naturally so many different videos to try and they will work differently for each audience.

We think with the right content, videos should be a part of your advertising at all times as you can build awareness significantly better, as well as get more people through to site to feed your retargeting efforts, but in terms of generating profitable video creatives, you need to continually test as they will fatigue faster when someone has watched the video already.

Final Thoughts

Images are engaging, cost-effective, and easy to digest, while videos offer increased reach and storytelling opportunities. Whether to choose images or videos ultimately depends on the goals, target audience, and available resources of the client.

Remember, every ad campaign is unique, and what works best for one may not work for another.

So whilst there's no absolute conclusion - we can say with confidence that experimentation, testing, and analyzing data are vital to find the optimal approach for your specific objectives.

We hope this article helps you make an informed decision on whether to use images or videos in your Facebook ads. Happy advertising!