Facebook Carousel Ads Examples For High Engagement

You’re considering hopping on the Facebook Carousel Ads bandwagon—but you’re a little stuck.

Do they work? Why would you use carousels over the other ad types? What do you do with all that extra real estate?

It can take a lot of work to convert video or image assets so that they fit the carousel format.

But it’s 100% worth it.

We’ll tell you why awesome Facebook carousel ads are an amazing ad type to take advantage of, what the best practices are, and give you 10 of the best, creative examples so that you can see, when done right, carousel ads are crazy effective (and fun). Plus, we’ve included the one secret to success when it comes to carousel ads

Facebook Carousel Ads offer a treasure trove of benefits that can significantly enhance your advertising efforts. One of the standout advantages is increased engagement. Unlike single image ads, carousel ads are inherently more interactive, allowing users to swipe through multiple images or videos within a single ad. This interactive ad format naturally draws users in, making them more likely to engage with your content.

Another compelling benefit is improved conversion rates. Studies have shown that carousel ads can achieve a 30-50% lower cost-per-conversion and a 20-30% lower cost-per-click compared to single image link ads. This means you get more bang for your buck, driving more conversions at a lower cost.

Carousel ads also excel in storytelling. The ability to use multiple images or videos allows advertisers to convey complex information or showcase multiple products in a cohesive and engaging manner. Whether you’re highlighting different features of a product or telling a brand story, carousel ads provide the perfect canvas.

Lastly, carousel ads can significantly boost brand awareness. By showcasing a brand’s story, products, or services across multiple cards, you can increase your reach and make a lasting impression on your audience. This multi-faceted approach helps in building a stronger brand presence and recognition.

Whether it's the first in a series or the first in a multi-card panoramic spread, your first visual NEEDS capture the attention of your audience and make them want to learn more, otherwise, your other slides are worthless. Choose eye-catching visuals that use compelling colors and copy that will make it stand out on people's news feeds. 

When building your carousel ads, you can opt into Facebook’s automatic optimization feature, which gives them the power to optimize your carousel ad and order them based on their performance. Additionally, you can utilize the Advantage campaign budget option for optimizing budget allocation automatically. However, if you’re telling a linear story through your carousel cards, you’ll want to opt out of automatic optimization.

If you have a story to tell, this is where you’ll do it. Start with the highlight: the big problem you can fix or the big value you have to offer. Then, with each card, build that story up and add to it. Lastly, rope them in. If people made it that far, let them know the next step they should take by including a powerful CTA.

Pro tip: You could put your logo and a “Shop Now” or you could get creative with it. Try “Start your 14-day trial” or “Demo for free, no credit card required.” There are so many ways to get creative.

On that note, don’t just leave the CTA for the end of your carousel. Effectively, each card has its own CTA. Each card has a headline, a description, and a CTA button. App promotion is one of the objectives that can be achieved with effective CTAs in carousel ads.

Imagine that each card is a potential drop-off point for your audience–what is the last action you want them to take at that point before they continue scrolling? Make sure that you balance enticing your audience to swipe through your carousel while also rewarding them for doing so through punchier creative, high-value information, or promotional offers.

Each carousel card should have a specific headline and link description that aligns with the image or video being shown.

Avoid writing the same headline and link description across your carousel ad, and instead, link to specific product pages and customize your copy for each card. The most impactful carousel ads often use the copy and creativity on each carousel card to build off of each other and send a message. 

Use visual indicators, such as shapes, arrows, ellipses, and more, on each card’s creative that will make Facebook users curious and want to learn more about your business or product by swiping through the carousel. These visual cues can be subtle or obvious, but the more creative they are, the more they’ll stand out in your audience’s memory and incite engagement. Additionally, these visual cues can be used to show you ads that are tailored to your interests, enhancing the relevance and effectiveness of the advertisements.

We’ve pulled 10 of our favorite Facebook carousel ad examples on Facebook, ranging from ads from eCommerce to SaaS products.

Optimizing the visuals of your Facebook Carousel Ad is crucial to capturing your audience’s attention and driving engagement. Start by using high-quality images that are visually appealing and relevant to your target audience. Grainy or low-resolution images can detract from your message and reduce the effectiveness of your ad.

Next, ensure your headline is clear and concise. It should immediately communicate the main message of your ad and entice users to swipe through the carousel. Similarly, your description should provide more information about your product or service in a clear and concise manner, complementing the headline.

A strong call-to-action (CTA) is essential. Each card in your carousel ad should have a clear and concise CTA that tells users what action to take next. Whether it’s “Shop Now,” “Learn More,” or “Sign Up,” make sure your CTA is compelling and easy to understand.

Using a background image can also enhance your ad visuals. A well-chosen background image can complement your ad visuals and help grab the user’s attention. It adds an extra layer of visual interest and can make your ad stand out in a crowded news feed.

To ensure your Facebook Carousel Ads look their best, it’s important to adhere to the specific sizing and specs requirements. For images, the recommended size is 1080 x 1080 pixels with an image ratio of 1:1. This square format ensures that your images are displayed correctly across all devices and placements.

If you’re using videos in your carousel ad, the recommended size is 1080p, also with a 1:1 ratio. This ensures that your videos are high-quality and fit seamlessly within the carousel format.

When it comes to text overlay, it’s recommended that text should not cover more than 20% of the image. This helps keep your ad visually appealing and ensures that your message is clear without overwhelming the viewer.

By following these sizing and specs guidelines, you can create visually appealing and effective carousel ads that capture your audience’s attention and drive engagement.

Facebook Carousel Ads are incredibly versatile and can be used in various creative ways to achieve different marketing objectives. Here are some effective examples:

• Showcase Multiple Products: If you have a range of products, use carousel ads to showcase them all in one ad. For instance, a clothing brand can display different outfits, allowing users to swipe through and see various options. This not only highlights the variety but also increases the chances of a user finding something they like.
• Tell a Story: Use carousel ads to tell a compelling story. For example, a brand can use each card to showcase different milestones in its history or highlight its core values. This approach helps in building a deeper connection with the audience and enhances brand loyalty.
• Highlight a Product Feature: If you have a product with multiple features, use carousel ads to highlight each feature on a separate card. A tech company, for instance, can showcase the various features of a new smartphone, such as the camera, battery life, and display quality. This helps in providing detailed information in an engaging format.
• Promote an Event: Carousel ads are also great for promoting events. Whether it’s a concert, festival, or webinar, you can use each card to provide different details about the event, such as the lineup, schedule, and ticket information. This ensures that all relevant information is conveyed in a visually appealing manner.

Purple creatively centers its new mattress product in an eye-catching multi-card panoramic spread. Cookies from other companies can enhance ad targeting and user experience by delivering more relevant advertisements and integrating features like maps, payment services, and video content. This multi-card creative prompts people to click further, and is accompanied by CTA buttons and a final CTA card that encourages people to learn more.

Clearbit masterfully shows how to use effective visual cues in this carousel ad. Using text and graphics in their ad creative, Clearbit clearly outlines the benefits of their product while also visually prompting people to swipe and learn more. Not to mention, their dark color scheme helps grab people's attention against a light screen.

This BarkBox carousel ad takes a creative spin on the multi-card panoramic spread by effectively using humor and out-of-the-box thinking to promote an offer for new customers. This novel approach will naturally prompt users to swipe until the end of the carousel to see how long this puppy can go.  You'll notice that since this ad's panoramic dauschund is the star, each card uses the same CTA accompanied by simple, humorous headlines to direct people to a single landing page. 

This Fender ad masterfully uses a carousel to show customers how simple it is to design their own guitar. By using clear and colorful visuals and a small amount of copy, this ad makes the process and customization options easy to understand. Each CTA button also directs users to the same link so that they can get started with designing their own guitar at any point while clicking through the ad.

Carousel slides can be used to make and emphasize a value proposition to potential customers. Here, Kajabi addresses common questions a business might have about starting a coaching program on each carousel slide. By making effective use of the carousel ad format, Kajabi makes a strong case as to why offering a coaching business is a great solution.

Use carousel ads as an opportunity to speak directly to your audience. This GoDaddy carousel ad artfully uses text in its images, while using captions and CTAs to further its message. The ad creative is set up to prompt customers to scroll past the first carousel slide, while the ad copy anchors a strong message addressed directly to consumers. 

This Shutterfly carousel ad does three things in one: shows a process, tells a story, and highlights a unique product offering. By using their ad creative and copy in a playful way, Shutterfly uses the carousel format to keep audiences interested in just a few slides. 

As a B2C product with a strong user experience, Typeform takes full advantage of the carousel ad format to put potential business users in the shoes of their own audiences. By showing each step of their interactive survey template, and sparking inspiration for how businesses can address their customers with a “human touch,” this carousel ad is a strong and cohesive product snapshot for potential users.

Who says all carousels need to be long? Epson's short and sweet carousel ad uses bright colors and tight copy to get the job done. The ad's strategic use of sequential text and images in the first two slides are just enough for audiences to interact and get the message. 

Feeling inspired now? Want even more examples? We have 201 more of the most creative eye-catching Facebook ads to keep you loaded with inspiration. 

The big secret to success with carousel ads is simple: be intentional.

Don't do a carousel ad just because you can.

Carousel ads have a number of benefits that can help you boost engagement with your audience and help ultimately lower costs. But those benefits can only become a reality if your carousel ads have a clear, cohesive strategy that maximizes each of its parts. 

Don't just throw a few images and links together into a carousel ad and expect it to yield positive results automatically. Instead, clearly map out the message you want to illustrate throughout the carousel, the story you want to tell.

Now that you know the ins and outs of the carousel ad format, use it to your advantage and to help you maximize the purpose of each slide. Tell a story, be creative, and have fun with the format so that your audiences will, too. Look back to the examples we listed for inspiration, and let your creativity unleash to make some memorable ads.