Facebook and Instagram Ad Units and Formats: How to optimize on Meta in 2025
1/28/2025, updated May 2025
See Ad Formats, See Ad Placements
In the ever-evolving world of digital marketing, choosing the right ad units is critical to a campaign’s success. Facebook and Instagram, two of the largest advertising platforms, offer a range of ad formats designed to support various business objectives.
Meta has expanded its ecosystem with the inclusion of Threads, making ads on the platform available to Meta advertisers through the Advantage+ platform. Ads will now appear in the Threads home feed, similar to placements on Facebook and Instagram. The new placement is enabled by default for new campaigns using either Advantage+ or manual placements.
Currently, advertisers must run Threads ads in parallel with Instagram feed placements, as the two are linked. Additionally, a Threads account requires an Instagram account, meaning only advertisers with an active Instagram presence can access this option. Even though Threads is now available for advertising, access remains limited to a select group of advertisers. The next rollout phase is scheduled for May 5, with full availability expected by mid-May. Campaigns can be extended to Threads seamlessly without the need for new creative assets or additional resources. Explore how brands are approaching Threads advertising in this in-depth look from Digiday.
Meta's Advantage+ allows you to easily build your campaigns, however at a cost. These Advantage+ campaigns push ads to all possible ad units. In order to maximize your campaign success, you need to understand the variety of Ad Units in Meta and learn why ad selection truly matters. To learn more about the importance of separating Facebook and Instagram Campaigns and avoid blending through Advantage+ Click Here.
Why Ad Unit Selection Matters
Targeted social media ads can see a significant increase in click-through rates (CTR) by up to 5.3 times compared to non-targeted ads, with around 37% of social media users making purchases based on targeted ads.
It’s also important to keep in mind that different ad units serve distinct purposes: Video ads excel at building upper-funnel brand awareness, while Static ads are more effective for driving lower-funnel conversions. Optimizing content sizing—such as using 9:16, 1:1, or 16:9 formats—maximizes compatibility across ad placements, enhancing reach and efficiency. Each ad unit is designed to support specific goals, whether it’s brand awareness, lead generation, or driving sales.
Matching the right content with the right ad unit, in the correct aspect ratio for the right platform, significantly increases your chances of reaching and engaging the audience you’re targeting—for instance, creating a 9:16 vertical Reel on Instagram under one minute long, with a strong hook in the first 10 seconds, is ideal for captivating a younger audience.
Understanding Meta Ad Campaign Objectives
When launching a campaign in Meta Ads Manager (covering Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and Audience Network), selecting the right objective ensures your ads align with your business goals. Meta organizes its campaign objectives around the full marketing funnel:
Awareness: Build brand recognition and reach new audiences.
Traffic: Send users to your website, landing page, or app.
Engagement: Drive interactions such as likes, comments, shares, and event responses.
Leads: Capture contact information through forms, calls, or sign-ups.
App Promotion: Encourage installs and engagement with your mobile app.
Sales: Drive conversions on your website, in your app, or via direct messages.
Each objective uses Meta’s vast behavioral data and optimization tools to serve your ads to users most likely to take the desired action—maximizing performance and ROI.
Ad Formats
On Meta, there are four primary ad formats: Carousel, Video, Photo, and Collection, each designed to help brands showcase their products and engage users in unique ways.
Image Ads
Description: Static visuals appearing in feeds, sidebars, or the Marketplace.
Aspect Ratio: 9:16, 16:9, and 1:1
Video Ads
Description: Engaging video content displayed in feeds or as in-stream ads.
Aspect Ratio: 9:16, 16:9, and 1:1
Carousel Ads
Description: A swipeable series of images or videos within a single ad unit.
Aspect Ratio: 9:16 and 1:1
Collection Ads
Description: Feature a cover image or video followed by product images.
Aspect Ratio: 16:9 and 1:1
Ad Placements
On Meta, there are six primary ad placements: Feed, Reels, Stories, Explore, Marketplace, and Search, each offering unique opportunities to engage users based on their browsing behavior. It’s also worth noting that Threads, Meta’s newest platform, is still in the early stages of advertising and currently only supports feed ads.
Feed Ads
Description: Appear seamlessly within a user’s scrolling experience, blending with organic content to capture attention in a highly engaging environment.
What Works: Highlight products, Live Event Statics, Game Previews.
Ad Formats: Image, Video, Carousel, Collection
Platforms: Instagram, Facebook, Threads
Common Campaign Objective: Awareness, Traffic, Engagement, Leads, Conversion
Target Audiences: Past Buyers, Lower Funnel Prospects, Lookalikes
Aspect Ratio: 9:16, 16:9 and 1:1 (Threads only allows 16:9 and 1:1)
Reels Ads
Description: Short-form video ads (up to 60 seconds) appearing between users’ Reels.
What Works: Leverage trending sounds and effects to engage users with entertaining content.
Ad Formats: Video
Platforms: Instagram, Facebook
Common Campaign Objective: Awareness, Traffic, Engagement, App Promotion, Conversion
Target Audiences: Lifestyle Audiences, Upper Funnel Prospects, Lookalikes
Aspect Ratio: 9:16 Only
Stories Ads
Description: Full-screen vertical ads displayed between users’ stories.
What Works: Animated Lineups, Hype Graphics, Product Highlights.
Ad Formats: Image, Video, Carousel
Platforms: Instagram, Facebook
Common Campaign Objective: Awareness, Traffic, Engagement, App Promotion, Conversion
Target Audiences: Lifestyle Audiences, Upper Funnel Prospects, Lookalikes
Aspect Ratio: 9:16 Only
Explore Ads
Description: Appear within the Explore section, reaching users discovering new content.
What Works: Connect with users based on their interests and activity.
Ad Formats: Image, Video
Platforms: Instagram
Common Campaign Objective: Awareness, Traffic, Engagement, Conversion
Target Audiences: Lifestyle Audiences, Upper Funnel Prospects, Lookalikes
Aspect Ratio: 9:16, 16:9, and 1:1
Marketplace Ads
Description: Tag products directly in posts, allowing users to view details and purchase.
What Works: Streamline the shopping experience within the app.
Ad Formats: Image, Video, Carousel, Collection
Platforms: Instagram (Shop Feature, not technically Marketplace), Facebook
Common Campaign Objective: Awareness, Traffic, Conversion
Target Audiences: Past Buyers, Lower Funnel Prospects
Aspect Ratio: 1:1 Only
Search Ads
Description: Appear in search results when users actively search for relevant terms that matches their query.
What Works: Targets high-intent users at the exact moment they're searching for specific solutions, providing a seamless path to conversion.
Ad Formats: Image, Video, Carousel, Text-Based
Platforms: Instagram, Facebook
Common Campaign Objective: Traffic, Conversion
Target Audiences: High-Intent Users, Lower Funnel Prospects
Aspect Ratio: 1:1 and 16:9
Key Takeaways
To maximize your campaigns, follow these strategies:
1. Know Your Objective: Define your goal—awareness, engagement, or conversions—to choose the most effective ad format.
2. Optimize for Mobile: Both platforms prioritize mobile users. Use vertical formats and ensure visuals are mobile-friendly.
3. Leverage Data: Research shows that video ads generate 49% more engagement compared to static formats—consider this when planning your campaigns.
4. Be Interactive: Use platform features like swipe-ups, polls, and clickable links to boost user engagement.
5. Test and Learn: A/B test formats to identify what resonates best with your audience.
Understanding Facebook and Instagram ad units is key to crafting campaigns that resonate with your audience and achieve your goals. By focusing on preferred formats like Image, Video, Carousel, Stories, and Reels Ads, you can create engaging content that drives results.
Click Here to learn more about the importance of separating Facebook and Instagram Campaigns and avoid blending through Advantage+ .
Like this article? Check out our pieces on Snapchat, Reddit, and TikTok. Stay informed with FanIQ about platform updates and keep experimenting to maintain a competitive edge. Remember, successful advertising combines the right placement with impactful user experiences.
