Background
In early November, Facebook announced a change to link descriptions in News Feed ads. Specifically, link descriptions in ads will now only show if the ad is likely to appeal to the user seeing it. Before this change, link descriptions were always shown in ads within the News Feed.
How Link Descriptions Will Now Work
With the update, link descriptions will only be shown to users that Facebook’s algorithm deems likely to convert.
“For example, some people are more likely to take an action, such as making a purchase, when they see the price of an item directly in an ad. Others are more likely to make a purchase when they see the price only after interacting with an ad. We’ll decide whether or not to show your description based on what we think will most impact each person.” – Facebook Ads Help Center
This update will apply to all ads in the News Feed – apart from dynamic ads which automatically promote products users have expressed interest in on your site. According to Facebook, this move should help increase ad performance and engagement as it’s meant to make ads more user-friendly.
Other Changes Facebook Recently Announced
Alongside the update to link descriptions, Facebook also announced an update that will limit the number of ads a Facebook page can run simultaneously. This update is planned to come in mid-2020, giving advertisers time to prepare for the change. However, Facebook says the change should only affect a small number of advertisers as it’s intended to help increase performance and ad delivery.
“We’re implementing ad limits because very high ad volume can hinder an advertiser’s performance. With too many ads running at the same time, fewer ads exit the learning phase and more budget is spent before the delivery system can optimize an ad’s performance.” – Facebook
What This Means For Marketers
With these new features, marketers need to be sure to craft ad copy that is intent-based, as well as focus on A/B testing post copy and calls to action for strategic refinement. The changes to link descriptions and simultaneous ads highlight Facebook’s move towards more user-friendly content – but it also means less real estate for marketers to convey a meaningful message. Marketers will, therefore, be well-served by making their messaging clear and including all essential information (prices, shipping information, promo codes, etc.) within the body text and headlines of News Feed ads, ensuring audiences receive the key information they need to convert.
Photo Source: Unsplash
