Unlike Google Ads, which target people already searching for something specific, social media ads use push marketing—allowing you to proactively reach your audience and introduce them to your brand. With total users up 4.4% from 2023, reaching 5.17 billion in 2024, social platforms offer great global reach and influence. Common choices for ad campaigns include Facebook, the platform with the widest user base; Instagram, ideal for visual storytelling; and LinkedIn, especially effective for B2B marketing. This growth means social media ads are more impactful than ever for connecting with new and engaged audiences worldwide.
Before we jump into the examples, here’s a quick rundown of social media ad essentials:
Common Platforms for Social Media Ads
With its huge, diverse user base, Facebook is great for reaching all kinds of audiences. Its various ad formats make it flexible for building brand awareness and driving conversions.
Known for its visual appeal, Instagram is perfect for showcasing products through images, Reels, and Stories. It’s especially popular with younger, highly engaged users, making it ideal for e-commerce and lifestyle brands.
LinkedIn is the top choice for B2B to reach professionals based on their roles, industries, and companies. It’s highly effective for generating leads, especially in fields like tech.
Do’s and Dont’s for Social Media Ad Design
Dos:
- Keep it simple: Clear visuals with a straightforward message work best. Focus on one main idea, pain point, or benefit to avoid overwhelming people.
- Use eye-catching colors: Bold, contrasting colors can grab attention and stop the scroll. Make sure your colors align with your brand.
- Use high-quality visuals: Blurry or pixelated images can harm your brand’s credibility. Check and make sure all visuals are good quality.
- Make it mobile-friendly: Social media ads are mostly viewed on phones. Design for mobile screens using vertical or square formats with easy-to-read text.
- Stay attuned to trends: Sometimes it’s good to ride the wave of virtual trends happening in the social media world.
Don’ts:
- Don’t ignore brand consistency: An ad is not just an individual image; it will be part of your online presence once you launch the campaign. It will probably be the first impression of your brand for most of the viewers. Use your brand colors, fonts, and logo to make sure your ad feels connected to your brand.
- Don’t rely on one ad type: Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Test different types to see what resonates with your audience more.
- Don’t overload with text: Too much text can turn people off. Keep your copy short, sweet, and straight to the point.
Now, let’s dive into the best social media ad examples we spotted in 2025.
1. Suri - Toothbrush
- Platform: Instagram
- Ad Type: Social Proof + Feature Callout Ad
- Industry: E-commerce
- Visual: An elegant display featuring the toothbrush against a wooden background, along with a feature list and social proof.
- What’s good about this ad: Even though it combines testimonials, feature callouts, and other social proof in one frame, the ad still maintains a clean, fresh look without being overwhelming.
2. Capchase - Payment solution
- Platform: LinkedIn
- Ad Type: Problem-Solution Ad
- Industry: SaaS
- Visual: A cute, playful image of a cat accompanied by the headline.
- What’s good about this ad: B2B ads don’t always have to be serious. This ad uses humor and a relatable image to make it memorable and approachable.
3. Smyle - Dental product
- Platform: Facebook
- Ad Type: Social Proof Ad
- Industry: Beauty & Oral Care
- Visual: Two five-star rating testimonials are displayed against a clean, light background with images of the product, creating a fresh look.
- What’s good about this ad: Authentic customer reviews build credibility and can enhance consumer trust, especially in personal care products. Both quotes emphasize a specific benefit: teeth whitening in a short amount of time.
4. Jasper - Marketing AI tool
- Platform: Facebook
- Ad Type: Product Benefit Ad
- Industry: SaaS
- Visual: Colored tabs visualize how tasks are simplified by Jaspe and highlight the creative value it brings. The clean and bold layout focuses on the core message.
- What’s good about this ad: The header first hooks the viewers with a bold statement. Then the subheader creates a sense of exclusivity and positions itself as the better choice.
5. TestGorilla - Talent assessments
- Platform: LinkedIn
- Ad Type: Problem-Solution Ad
- Industry: SaaS
- Visual: Bright pink colors, metaphorical images of mismatched chairs, a bold header, and a minimalist layout that grabs attention immediately.
- CTA: “Find out why”
- What’s good about this ad: For SaaS ads, it's not always easy to introduce your product directly. This ad addresses a specific pain point with a simple visual metaphor, which makes it interesting yet easy to understand.
6. Bellroy - Everyday accessories
- Platform: Instagram
- Ad Type: Product Display Ad
- Industry: E-commerce & Fashion
- Visual: A detailed, time-stamped journey through a student's day, with a well-organized backpack and pouch at the center.
- What’s good about this ad: When advertising a physical item with familiar features, a clear product photo against a monochrome background can be effective. This ad also links each component of the bag to a specific moment of the day, guiding viewers to imagine practical use cases and showcasing the product’s versatility.
7. ahead - Emotion coaching app
- Platform: Facebook
- Ad Type: Before/After Ad
- Industry: Self-Help & Healthcare
- Visual: The Microsoft Paint interface and vibrant colors grab attention first and evoke a nostalgic, joyful memory. The hand-drawn style of illustration and text creates a lighthearted, positive feeling.
- CTA: “Download on the App Store”
- What’s good about this ad: Choosing the right design theme that catches people’s eye is a win at the start. Conceptualizing the app’s benefits with metaphoric illustrations sparks curiosity and adds a playful touch to the standard before/after ad format.
8. Intuit Mailchimp - Email marketing platform
- Platform: LinkedIn
- Ad Type: Benefit First Ad
- Industry: SaaS
- Visual: Bright, warm colors associate with the product’s positive benefit. The repeated text “7x more revenue” is used as the background to display a laptop with an interface of the software.
- CTA: “Learn more”
- What’s good about this ad: The message is clear—the header highlights the benefit of “get up to 7x more orders” brought by the automation feature. The creative layout, bright colors, and interface mockup visually support the message.
9. BBC Maestro - Online courses
- Platform: Facebook
- Ad Type: Problem-Solution Ad
- Industry: E-Learning & Self Development
- Visual: The clean layout of the daily planner, contrasting colors, and prominent time slot (emphasized with a quote and an image) for "moments that matter" communicate the core message.
- What’s good about this ad: The creative use of a daily planner presents a relatable scenario for readers to consider how they can manage their time while subtly positioning BBC Maestro as a valuable online resource.
10. Dovetail - Customer insights hub
- Platform: LinkedIn
- Ad Type: Problem-Solution Ad
- Industry: SaaS
- Visual: An unusual item (a pot with a handle inside) catches the eye, paired with a large, bold header. This encourages viewers to pause and engage with the metaphorical ad.
- What’s good about this ad: The metaphorical elements ignite curiosity, prompting viewers to read through the ad and uncover its message. Although the visual doesn’t provide clues about the software itself, the subheaders highlight the product's benefits, making viewers likely to want to learn more about it.
11. Huckberry - PROOF T-Shirt
- Platform: Instagram
- Ad Type: Comparison + Feature Callout Ad
- Industry: E-commercec
- Visual: A simple, clear product image (T-shirt) is displayed against a textual background of the clothing material (merino wool), which is the main focus of this ad.
- What’s good about this ad: A smart way to combine two types of ad formats. Instead of using two blocks to compare “Us vs. Others,” the header delivers the message directly and is followed by a list of key features.
12. Finimize - Investment app
- Platform: Instagram
- Ad Type: Feature Callout + Social Proof Ad
- Industry: Finance
- Visual: The creative header and design simulate a Google search bar, with a list of common queries users might have. The phone mockup provides strong visual confirmation.
- CTA: “Try for just $0.22 per day”
- What’s good about this ad: It grabs attention by using a familiar design element: the Google search bar. Displaying a screenshot of the App Store overview is a straightforward and efficient way to inform viewers about the app.
13. Navan - Business travel & expense management
- Platform: LinkedIn
- Ad Type: Problem-Solution Ad
- Industry: SaaS
- Visual: A clear question and solution, presented alongside a familiar flight booking interface.
- What’s good about this ad: The simple problem-solution format is effective when you focus on one specific pain point of your target audience. This ad not only addresses a relatable issue and provides a solution, but also uses visuals to support the message.
14. Demantive - Marketing agency
- Platform: LinkedIn
- Ad Type: Feature Callout Ad
- Industry: Marketing Service
- Visual: A fun, game-like selection screen where users pick qualities they want in a growth agency.
- CTA: “Unlock with Demantive”
- What’s good about this ad: This ad’s gamified approach draws viewers in, making them feel like they’re “playing” to unlock the ideal solution. This could increase engagement and the click-through rate of this ad.
15. Afterpay - Financial services
- Platform: Facebook
- Ad Type: Explainer Ad
- Industry: Finance
- Visual: A smartphone screen displaying a relatable text conversation about booking flights.
- CTA: “Check the app”
- What’s good about this ad: This ad uses a conversational format to spark curiosity, as people often associate a screenshot of a chat with secret, private information. It also makes the service feel approachable, personalized, and relevant to everyday life.
Lessons from the Best Social Media Ad Examples
A closer look at these social media ad examples reveals several best design practices that can catch the viewer’s eye and deliver a message:
- Design to stop the scroll: Your ad needs to stand out visually. Bold colors, creative layouts, or an eye-catching image can make people pause and pay attention.
- Visual storytelling is the key: Ads that use appealing visuals to tell a story grab attention and resonate with viewers emotionally. It’s all about pulling people in quickly.
- Address specific pain points: The best ads hit on a common problem and show how the product solves it, making it relatable and desirable.
- Leverage social proof: People care about what other people think, especially social media users. Real reviews, testimonials, or influencers make your ad feel credible and trustworthy. This could be the key to winning over new customers.
- Optimize for mobile: Social media ads need to look great on mobile, so use vertical formats and keep the message short and sweet.
In short, when creating social media ads, go visual-first, keep it clear, and make it pop. Test different formats and platforms to see what clicks. Get inspired by high-performing social media ad examples of other brands to build a connection with your audience and leave them wanting more.
FAQs
What are the differences between advertising on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn?
Instagram ads are highly visual and perfect for engaging younger audiences like millennials and Gen Z. Facebook offers versatile ad formats that reach a broad demographic with text and CTA options. LinkedIn targets professionals, ideal for B2B marketing and industries like tech and finance.
What is a good budget to start with for social media ads?
Typically you can start with a budget of $10–$20 per day to test the water. For a more structured approach, a monthly budget of $300–$500 allows you to test, gather data, and adjust your creatives as you learn what works.
Can I easily target a specific audience with social media ads?
Absolutely. Social media platforms offer precise targeting tools that allow you to reach highly specific audiences. You can target by age, location, interests, behaviors, and even professional details like job title or industry.
What is the average CTR (Click-Through Rate) for social media ads?
It varies across platforms and industries. For example, e-commerce generally sees higher CTRs, ranging from 1.0% to 2.5%. SaaS typically ranges from 0.5% to 1.5%, with LinkedIn often on the lower end.
How to find inspiration for my social media ad campaign?
The Meta Ad Library provides a collection of ads running across Facebook and Instagram, allowing you to search by industry or company. LinkedIn Ad Library is another great tool, particularly for B2B companies, as it showcases ads targeting professional audiences. Lastly, MagicLibrary is a curated collection of high-performing ad examples from various platforms, helping you find creative and effective ad ideas. These platforms offer a broad range of inspiration to help you craft compelling ads.
