The evolution of Meta ads over the past decade has ushered in a completely new era for brands. While creating an ad used to require a photographer, videographer, or even models at a cost of thousands of dollars, today you can create effective content with just a smartphone. In the article, “How to Make Meta Ads Creative (A Guide for Beginners),” you’ll explore the journey from simple early ads to the creative formats that dominate today. Whether you’re new to digital advertising or looking to enhance your brand’s performance, the guidance in this blog post will provide you with the necessary foundation to confidently create and launch successful Meta ads.
Meta Ads and the change after 10 years
Over the past decade, Meta ads have undergone tremendous changes in both creative methods and the way businesses reach customers. If you once needed a professional team of photographers, videographers, models, and even an art director to build an ad, today, everything is much simpler. With just a smartphone, you can create quality ads that are compelling enough to attract users on Facebook or Instagram. This change not only helps save costs but also opens up opportunities for anyone, regardless of experience, to create a creative ad.
Meta Ads in the early days
Going back more than 10 years, early Meta ads, or what was then called Facebook ads, required a significant investment. Brands often had to spend thousands of dollars to organize photoshoots and video shoots with a full support team. Ads back then were more “showy,” focusing on sharp images and meticulously staged videos. However, this created a barrier for small businesses or startups due to the high cost and complex production process. Only brands with large budgets could afford to reach customers through such professional advertising.
Why it’s easier to create ads in 2025
By 2025, the landscape will have completely changed. Authentic, relatable, and personal content is more popular with social media users than overly perfect, staged ads. Instead of needing an expensive shoot, you can quickly record a video with your iPhone, add some simple overlay text, and you’ll have an effective ad. Social media platforms also prioritize short videos and everyday content, making it easier for small brands to compete. This is why creating Meta ads today is not only cheaper and faster but also suitable for beginners without a lot of experience or a huge budget.
Popular types of Meta Ads creative
When you start with Meta ads, understanding the different creative formats will save you a lot of time and effort. Instead of randomly experimenting, you can rely on proven formulas. In general, Meta ads are often divided into two main groups: Static Content and Video Content. Each group has its own sub-formats with unique characteristics, suitable for different business goals. These are arguably two of the most popular ad types for businesses, and you can also check out other types of Facebook ads to find the perfect one for your business’s ad campaign.
Static Content
This is the most basic and easiest format to create when running Meta ads. You just need a simple photo combined with a headline, a short description, and a call-to-action (CTA). However, to be truly effective, you need to leverage some of the following formulas:
Benefit Callout Ads
This type of ad, which originated in print ads, focuses on directly highlighting the greatest benefit that a product or service provides to the customer. The image is often simple, perhaps just the product accompanied by a short but impressive line of text like “Lose 20lbs in 2 months” or “Save 50% on energy costs.” The strength of this ad type is that it directly addresses customer needs and desires, making it easy for them to decide to click or make a purchase.
Us vs. Them
This is an extremely popular ad format because it piques curiosity and a competitive mindset. You’ll compare your product or service with a competitor’s, highlighting the key strengths that customers get when they choose you. For example: “Us – 2-hour delivery / Them – 2-day delivery.” This ad type is highly persuasive and particularly useful in industries with many direct competitors.
“Ugly” Ads
It may sound strange, but ads that look “less polished” can sometimes deliver surprising results. You can use a product image and add a sticky note with some handwritten text. This raw and natural look makes the ad feel like a personal message, creating a sense of intimacy and making it feel less commercial. It’s this “ugly” factor that helps it stand out among a newsfeed of meticulously designed ads.
Video Content
Compared to images, videos can often convey a more powerful message because they combine moving visuals, voice, and music. The good news is you don’t need professional equipment to create an effective video ad; a smartphone and a simple script are enough to get started.
One-shot Videos
This type of video is shot quickly, with minimal editing. Typically, the person filming will talk directly about the product or record the product in a real-life situation. The strength of this video type is its authenticity and cost-effectiveness, making it very suitable for beginners running Meta ads.
Founder’s Ad
One of the most effective long-term video formats features the brand’s founder. The content can be a story about why they started the business or a sharing of the values the company wants to bring to customers. This ad creates a personal connection and builds trust because customers see the real person behind the brand.
Creator Content
If you don’t want to appear in the video yourself, you can collaborate with freelancers, creators, or micro-influencers to produce content. They will record product review videos, share their experiences, or create engaging short scripts. The advantage of this format is that it feels natural, like advice from a friend, which helps increase the conversion rate.
Using stock footage with text overlay
A time-saving approach is to use existing stock video clips (e.g., scenes of people exercising, a kitchen, an office setting, etc.) and then add text overlay to convey your message. This method gives you a professional-looking video ad without new footage, which is very useful for quick test campaigns.
Four steps to create an “Us vs. Them” Ad
The “Us vs. Them” ad is one of the most successful formulas for many businesses running Meta ads. The strength of this ad type lies in directly comparing your product/service with a competitor’s to highlight the value customers receive when they choose you. However, to create an ad that is both persuasive and not off-putting, you need to follow this four-step process.
- Create a clear visual comparison: The first and most important step is to build a comparison that is easy to understand. Instead of using generic words, create a chart or a split image: one side is “Us” and the other is “Them.” The comparison points should be short and to the point, such as “Delivery time: 2 hours / 2 days” or “Warranty: 12 months / None.” The more visual it is, the faster viewers will grasp the difference.
- Identify the brand’s key strengths: Once you have the comparison layout, you need to select your brand’s truly unique strengths. This could be product quality, competitive pricing, after-sales service, or a superior user experience. Don’t present too many advantages at once; just focus on 2–3 key points that carry weight, because customers usually only remember what’s most prominent.
- Recognize the competitor’s weaknesses: An effective “Us vs. Them” ad not only talks about you but also subtly points out the competitor’s limitations. However, instead of directly attacking with negative language, choose an objective and subtle approach. For example, instead of writing “Poor quality competitor,” you could write “Competitor – No safety certification” or “Competitor – Long return period.” This approach maintains professionalism while helping customers easily decide in your favor.
- Use visual effects to emphasize: To make your ad stand out on the newsfeed, you should leverage colors, icons, or visual effects. For example: use a green checkmark in the “Us” column and a red X in the “Them” column; or use arrows and highlights to emphasize key strengths. These visual elements help guide the viewer’s eye, helping them instantly recognize which is the better choice.
Experimentation strategies to optimize creative Meta Ads
In Meta ads, the creative is always a determining factor in campaign effectiveness. However, no fixed formula applies to every industry or business. Therefore, continuous experimentation and optimization at every stage are the only ways to find the right formula. Below are three important principles that anyone, especially beginners, needs to master.
Why is there no “Magic Bullet” ad format
One of the most common mistakes for new advertisers is trying to find a “magic bullet” ad format that can deliver sustained results. The reality is that no single ad will guarantee success forever. An ad might be effective in the first week, but its appeal can quickly fade when viewers see it too many times. Therefore, instead of looking for a “master key,” you need to think about continuously experimenting, changing, and optimizing to keep up with changing customer tastes.
How many ad creatives should a beginner test?
For beginners, testing dozens of ads at once is unnecessary and can easily lead to wasted spending. Instead, you should start with just 2–4 different creative versions, with each one focusing on a unique angle: one ad emphasizing a benefit, one for an “Us vs. Them” comparison, a short video ad, and maybe an authentic, “ugly” one. After running them for a while, analyze the results, keep the effective ones, and get rid of the ineffective ones. This approach helps you optimize your budget while learning a lot. If you want more detailed instructions, you can check out the latest new ad testing guide on our blog.
DIY Ads vs. Outsourcing
This is a question that many beginners wonder about. If you have the time and want to gain a deeper understanding of customer behavior, creating the ads yourself will help you learn quickly and save initial costs. You can start by using your phone to record videos, take product photos, and try simple editing. However, as your business grows or when you want professional content, outsourcing to a freelancer or an agency is a suitable choice. They have better skills, experience, and tools to create high-quality content. The best solution is a combination of both: do it yourself for quick testing and outsource when you need an upgrade.
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Conclusion
No ad is perfect from the start; even large brands have to run dozens, or even hundreds, of tests before they find a winning formula. Therefore, you need to stay open-minded and be ready to accept failure with the first few ads. Every ineffective ad gives you valuable data to improve the next time. Once you get used to producing content yourself, you can consider hiring a freelancer or collaborating with creators to expand your creative scale. Maintaining a habit of testing, optimizing, and learning will gradually help you turn Meta ads into a stable and sustainable tool for business growth.
