Canvas – Facebook’s Call to Creativity

Natalia Joyce - October 10, 2016

Conveying a message about your product or service can be difficult when you are limited to a certain character count, or specific creative requirement. There is only so much you can say in 140 characters, or showcase in 300 x 250 pixels, in order to try and engage your audience. Facebook Canvas is looking to change that. This new, immersive mobile experience, allows users to interact with various design elements that come to life at their fingertips.

When you see a Canvas post on your timeline it looks like a regular post –

However, upon clicking, it opens up the interactive experience that allows you to swipe through a variety of different frames. An added bonus is the ability to include both still photos, and videos. The additional space and design capabilities allow you to truly convey your story.

This inventive approach can lighten up your creative social strategy, and potentially increase your social engagement. Note that this is a mobile-only experience, so keep this in mind when creating your assets. It can be posted both organically, in addition to having the ability to be promoted (paid), allowing for addition exposure. Ultimately, this can also lead to increased conversions.

Here are 4 things to consider when creating your Canvas:

1. When you are creating your title and headline, you should draw users in, and entice them to click. If that is a person who is on a desktop, they should want to go and open the Canvas on their mobile. If the consumer is on mobile, they should want to tap the Canvas when they see it. Intrigue your consumers with your messaging, and make them want to see more.
2. Take full advantage of the easy-to-use templates. These templates allow you to storyboard your Canvas and plan out your experience. Play around with the different frames, and test to see what you like. You can try out 4 frames of still photos that lead to a video, or you can begin your Canvas with a video that leads into still frames. There are endless possibilities – have fun with it.
3. Don’t stick to one kind of media; if you can mix and match photos with videos, then why not do it? This is your canvas – create your story.
4. Use the call-to-action button tool! As a marketer, you know that a call-to-action is the most important part of your message. Facebook allows you to generate a variety of buttons that should be appealing to your consumers.

For more information about Facebook Canvas, go straight to the source.