Why Facebook’s Ad Creation Interface Needs a Makeover and How to Use It
Facebook’s advertising platform is powerful, but anyone who has spent time in the Ad Manager knows it’s not without its quirks. The interface for building ads and placements is often unintuitive, and unnecessarily complex, creating a significant cognitive load for advertisers and requiring unnecessary hurdles that impact the ability to launch campaigns quickly and effectively.
1. Global vs. Individual Tracking Parameters
The Issue:
Facebook offers multiple ways to track ad performance, leading to overlapping and often conflicting tracking setups. The Tracking section allows global parameters for the entire ad campaign, while individual carousel items or destination URLs can have their own parameters. This creates redundancy and confusion.
Why It Matters:
- Global Tracking: Ensures consistency and minimizes errors.
- Individual Tracking: Adds unnecessary complexity when global tracking is already in place.
- Conflicts: Overlapping parameters can lead to duplicate or mismatched data in analytics tools.
How to Handle It:
- Use global tracking parameters via the Tracking section for simplicity.
- Avoid setting individual tracking for carousel items unless absolutely necessary.
- Validate URL behavior using Facebook’s URL Debugger or Google Analytics real-time reports to ensure no conflicts.
2. “See More” Destination URL vs. “See More Display Link”
The Issue:
The Destination URL specifies where users are directed after clicking, while the Display Link is purely cosmetic, showing a cleaner domain name below the call-to-action button. The lack of clarity about their distinct purposes often leads to confusion.
Why It Matters:
- Destination URL: Functional and critical for user redirection.
- Display Link: Cosmetic and adds minimal value unless the Destination URL is long or includes tracking parameters.
How to Handle It:
- Always prioritize accuracy in the Destination URL.
- Use the Display Link only when the Destination URL appears cluttered.
- Leave the Display Link blank if the Destination URL is already clean and professional.
3. Final Carousel Card Confusion
The Issue:
Facebook automatically adds a “See More” card at the end of carousel ads, which links to a general landing page. This card can feel redundant when all individual cards already have unique URLs.
Why It Matters:
- If left blank, the last card may appear non-clickable, diminishing the ad’s effectiveness.
- If all carousel items already have URLs, the final card’s purpose becomes unclear.
How to Handle It:
- Use the last card to link to a broad destination page, such as your homepage or a category overview.
- If it’s unnecessary, leave it blank and preview the ad to confirm its behavior.
4. The Role of Primary Text
The Issue:
Primary Text appears across all placements and acts as a unifying message. However, its intended purpose is unclear when headlines are already specified for individual carousel items.
Why It Matters:
- Redundancy: Primary Text can feel repetitive when it echoes carousel headlines.
- Placement Inconsistency: It’s unclear how Primary Text interacts with specific placements, leading to confusion during ad creation.
- Time Investment: Crafting multiple variations slows down the process.
How to Handle It:
- Use Primary Text as a high-level hook that applies to the entire ad, such as: “Discover premium dog enclosures this holiday season!”
- Limit variations to one or two options to reduce cognitive load.
- Preview your ad in different placements to ensure alignment with your goals.
5. Tracking in A/B Testing and Catalog Ads
The Issue:
Facebook’s A/B testing includes fields for Primary Text that overlap with catalog settings. These fields pull product details from the catalog, adding complexity when using dynamic product ads (DPAs).
Why It Matters:
- Dynamic vs. Manual Ads: Confusion arises when catalog-driven automation is layered over manual settings.
- Undefined Purpose: The relationship between Primary Text fields for catalog ads and manual carousel text is unclear.
How to Handle It:
- For dynamic catalog ads, rely on product details from the catalog and minimize manual input.
- For manual ads, disable catalog settings unless needed.
- Test small campaigns first to identify how Facebook combines fields in your specific use case.
6. UI Clunkiness and Cognitive Load
The Issue:
Facebook’s interface is not designed for efficiency. Fields are cramped, tooltips are limited, and the logical flow between sections (e.g., Tracking, Destination, and Creative) feels disjointed.
Why It Matters:
- Slows Down Ad Creation: Advertisers spend unnecessary time navigating unintuitive layouts.
- Error-Prone: The lack of clear guidance increases the risk of mistakes.
- Discourages Future Ads: A burdensome experience makes advertisers less likely to use the platform regularly.
How to Handle It:
- Use external tools like spreadsheets or text editors to draft your ad components before entering them into Facebook.
- Familiarize yourself with the interface through trial runs to reduce future frustration.
- Provide feedback to Facebook’s support team about specific pain points.
7. Descriptions in Carousel Ads
The Issue:
Descriptions are optional in carousel ads, and their value is questionable. Most interactions are driven by images and headlines, making descriptions feel redundant.
Why It Matters:
- Low Engagement: Users rarely read descriptions in carousel ads.
- Efficiency: Skipping descriptions saves time and focuses effort on more impactful elements.
How to Handle It:
- Leave descriptions blank unless they add unique, actionable information.
- Focus on high-quality images and concise, compelling headlines.
- Test the ad’s performance with and without descriptions to validate your decision.
Tips
- Global Tracking First: Use the Tracking section for consistent, campaign-wide parameters.
- Clean URLs: Reserve the Display Link for overly long Destination URLs.
- Simplify the Last Card: Use it sparingly to link to a broad destination or omit it entirely.
- Leverage Primary Text: Treat it as an overarching hook rather than duplicating headlines.
- Focus on Essentials: Skip descriptions unless absolutely necessary.
- Streamline Workflow: Draft components externally and test configurations to reduce frustration.
By understanding these nuances and adopting a structured approach, you can make the most of Facebook’s advertising platform—even if it’s overdue for a makeover.