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Should Meta Instant Experience, Formerly Facebook Canvas, Be Your Ad Choice?
Facebook announced Canvas, hailed as the evolution of mobile advertising, in February of 2016. But this is 2024, and Facebook Canvas is now Meta Instant Experience, so let’s take another look.
I reviewed Canvas back in 2016 and explained how this ad platform was built into Facebook. Facebook called it “an immersive and expressive experience on Facebook for businesses to tell their stories and showcase their products.”
This is still true of Instant Experience, and there are pros and cons to this kind of ad that you should keep in mind when evaluating whether to try it. Some of the pros are:
Ad delivery
Facebook says it loads fifteen times faster than standard mobile web.
Engagement
The ad loads full-screen, increasing engagement. The ads are also very interactive with viewers able to tilt to pan, swipe through carousel images, and watch videos.
Provided templates
For businesses without full-fledged marketing departments, Facebook provides customizable templates. The templates are already optimized to work as Instant Experience ads. Just modify them with your brand and message information.
But some of the cons are:
Design hurdles
A flair for design and a mastery of design tools are both important to get the most from Instant Experience. Creating a great original ad can be difficult for many small businesses, but it’s hard to stand out when everyone is using the same templates.
Technical difficulties
Learning new tools and analytics can be time-consuming and frustrating, especially when updates happen frequently. In addition to the investment of design time, figure in the cost of testing and tweaking your ad to find the right audience and consider all of this in your ROI.
Mobile only
Instant Experience was created for mobile devices. Be sure that both you and your target market are mobile-first users.
For certain kinds of businesses, Instant Experience ads can be powerful. Eye-catching ads with the right message for the appropriate audience have been very successful. The click-through rate is usually better, with greater engagement, and lower costs per click.
The question is: Will Instant Experience be successful for your business? Study your marketing plan and crunch the numbers before you jump in with both feet, especially if you are new to Facebook advertising. It might make sense to try out one of the other types of Facebook ads first, those that don’t require as much upfront work.
Whatever advertising you choose to do, don’t neglect your website, the one constant where you, not Facebook, make all of the decisions. If it’s time to spruce up your site as the foundation of a new marketing campaign, give us a call and let’s talk!
This article is an update to “Facebook Canvas: What Is It & Why Do You Need It?” dated 4/4/2016.
Photo by Kindel Media
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Breanne Bannon
Breanne is a Content Writer, Social Media Marketeer, and Sales Associate for Sprocket Websites.
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