Facebook Ad Creative: Sizes, Examples and Best Practices
What makes Facebook and Instagram ad creative work: sizes and safe zones, hooks, formats, examples for Malta businesses, testing and creative fatigue.
Facebook & Instagram ads · Ad copy
Facebook ad copy that sells.
Clear words, honest claims, more enquiries.
Good Facebook ad copy names one offer, speaks to one kind of customer and asks for one step, within Meta’s rules and Malta’s consumer law. Malta Digital writes and tests ad copy as part of Meta ads management in Malta, from €1,249 a month plus ad spend.
27 charactersMeta’s headline guide for Facebook feed image ads
Short answer
Write the first line for one customer, say what you offer, add one true reason to trust you and end with one step. Malta Digital, a Meta ads agency in Malta, writes copy this way and keeps it inside Meta’s rules and Malta’s consumer law.
Key takeaways
- How long should Facebook ad copy be? For a Facebook feed image ad, Meta’s Ads Guide suggests 50 to 150 characters of primary text and a headline of about 27 characters. Put the offer first, because longer text can be cut behind “See more”.
- What is a good formula for Facebook ad copy? Who it is for, what you offer, one reason to trust you, what happens next and one step. Cut every word that does not do one of those jobs.
- Why was my ad rejected for personal attributes? Meta does not allow ads that assert or imply a reader’s traits, such as health, age, religion or money trouble. “Do you have diabetes?” fails; “New diabetes treatment available” is allowed.
The short version
What ad copy has to do.
An ad has three bits of text: the primary text above the image, the headline below it and the button. The picture stops the scroll. The words decide whether someone taps.
Good copy is specific. “Best quality, great prices” could be any shop in the world. “Free home measure in Mosta this week” could only be you. Specific words also help Meta find the right people, because the people who react are the people you described.
Malta adds one twist. The audience is small, so the same people see your ads again and again. Copy that is vague gets ignored fast. Copy that is clear keeps working for longer. Choosing the language matters too; see our guide to ads in Maltese or English.
The anatomy
The parts of an ad, and how long each should be.
Meta’s Ads Guide gives text recommendations for a Facebook feed image ad. It suggests 50 to 150 characters of primary text and a headline of about 27 characters. These are guides, not hard limits. Longer text can be cut short behind “See more”, so put the offer and the reason to act first.
Each part has its own job. The first line of the primary text picks the reader. The rest gives the offer and one proof. The headline repeats the offer in a few words. The button, such as Book now or Get quote, matches the next step. If the button says “Shop now” but the page asks for a phone number, people feel tricked.
A simple formula
A five-line formula you can reuse.
Most ads that sell follow the same shape. You can use it for a clinic, a shop or a contractor. Write these five parts in order, then cut every word that does not earn its place.
1. Who it is for. Name a place or a situation, not a personal trait. “Moving into a new flat?” works. “Are you overweight?” breaks Meta’s rules.
2. What you offer. The product or service and the offer, with a price or a “from” price if you can.
3. One reason to trust you. Years of work, a guarantee you really give, or your number of reviews.
4. What happens next. “Takes 30 seconds” or “We reply the same day”, only if it is true.
5. One step. Book, call, get a quote. One only.
Here is an example for a kitchen fitter, not a client ad. Before: “Best kitchens in Malta!!! Contact us now for amazing offers.” After: “Planning a new kitchen in the north of Malta? Free home measure this month and a 3D design within a week. 18 years fitting kitchens. Tap to pick your measure date.” The new version is longer, but every part tells the reader something.
| Part | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Who it is for | Nobody | “Planning a new kitchen in the north of Malta?” |
| Offer | “Amazing offers” | Free home measure this month |
| Proof | “Best kitchens” | 18 years fitting kitchens |
| Next step | “Contact us now” | Pick your measure date |
| Characters | 60 | 163, a little over the 150 guide, so the offer sits in the first line |
Not sure your ads say the right thing?
Apply now. We will read your current ads, your offer and your form, and tell you what to change first.
Write for Malta
Small details that make Malta ads work.
Name places people know. A locality, a region such as “the north” or “Gozo”, or a landmark near your shop tells the reader you are close. It also filters out people you cannot serve.
Show prices in euro and say what is included. “From €49” is clearer than “great prices”. If the price changes with the job, give a range or say what the quote depends on.
Write for the right reader. Residents and visitors want different things, and location settings alone do not split them neatly. So say it in the copy: “For people living in Malta” or “Visiting Malta this summer?”. Our guide to targeting in Malta explains why.
Change the copy for people who already know you. Someone who visited your website last week does not need the introduction again. Give them the next reason to act, such as a review, a price or a date. Our retargeting guide shows how to set that up.
Meta’s rules
Words that get ads rejected.
Meta’s Advertising Standards do not allow ads that assert or imply personal attributes of the reader. The list includes race, religion, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, physical or mental health, vulnerable financial status, criminal record and name. Ads should focus on the product, not on what the advertiser thinks it knows about you.
The trap is the word “you”. Meta’s own examples allow “New diabetes treatment available” but reject “Do you have diabetes?”. They allow “A service for teens”. A passing reference to an age group or gender is fine. The problem starts when “you” is tied to a personal trait.
| Avoid | Why it fails | Write instead |
|---|---|---|
| “Struggling with your weight?” | Implies a health trait | “Small-group fitness classes in Birkirkara” |
| “Behind on your rent?” | Implies money trouble | “Free 15-minute call about rental help” |
| “Over 50 and single?” | Asserts age and status | “A dating evening for people over 50” |
| “Is your back pain getting worse?” | Implies a medical condition | “Physiotherapy appointments this week in Sliema” |
| “Meet other Catholics near you” | Asserts religion | “A parish choir that welcomes new voices” |
Some topics are blocked whatever the wording. Since October 2025, Meta does not allow social issue, electoral or political ads in the EU. If an ad was rejected, our guide to a rejected Facebook ad shows how to fix it and appeal.
Malta’s law
What Malta’s consumer law says about ad claims.
Malta’s Consumer Affairs Act (Cap. 378) covers your ads as well as your shop. Article 51C treats a practice as misleading if it gives false information, or deceives the average consumer about things like the price, a price advantage, availability or the results to expect. Article 51D adds that leaving out or hiding material information can be misleading too.
The Act also lists practices that are banned in all circumstances. The ones that come up most in ad copy are:
Fake deadlines. Falsely saying an offer is only available for a very short time.
“Free” that is not free. Calling something free when the customer must pay anything beyond the unavoidable cost of replying or delivery.
Bait offers. Advertising a price when you do not expect to have enough stock at that price.
Fake closing down. Claiming you are closing or moving when you are not.
Legal rights as a perk. Selling a right the law already gives every buyer as if it were your special feature.
Fake reviews. Posting or commissioning false reviews, or misrepresenting real ones.
If your ad says it, be ready to prove it. This is a summary, not legal advice. For sale prices and reductions, see our Black Friday ads guide.
Free tool
Free tool: check your ad copy before it goes live.
Paste the primary text and headline of an ad you plan to run. The checker counts characters against Meta’s text guide and flags wording that often causes trouble: implied personal traits, fake-sounding deadlines, “free” claims, closing-down claims, big unprovable words and shouting. It is a simple pattern check, not Meta’s review and not legal advice. Nothing leaves this page.
Facebook ad copy checker
The text below is the example from this guide. Replace it with yours.
Your copy check
This tool needs JavaScript. Without it, check by hand: primary text 50 to 150 characters, headline about 27, no implied personal traits, no false deadlines, “free” only if it is free, one clear step.
Testing
Test copy without wasting budget.
Write two or three versions that differ in one thing, such as the first line or the offer. Run them in the same ad set and let Meta show each one. After about a week, compare the cost per lead or sale, not the likes. Our guide to A/B testing Facebook ads shows how to set up a fair test.
Borrow your customers’ words. The phrases people use in reviews, emails and calls make the best first lines, because they are how buyers really talk. Keep a note of them, and test one new line every few weeks.
Then look past the ad. A great ad sends people to a slow page or a long form, and the sale is lost anyway. Check the form, the page and how fast you reply, as our guide to landing pages for Facebook ads explains.
Proof
Proof: clear ads and a simple form at a small budget.
Copy is one part of a result, together with the offer, the form and the follow-up. One lead campaign we ran on €6 a day brought 478 leads at €9.68 each, from 1 May to 25 July 2026. It shows what a modest budget can do when the offer is clear and the next step is easy.
Want ads that say the right thing to the right people? Apply now
A few straight answers
What you might be wondering.
How long should Facebook ad copy be?
For a Facebook feed image ad, Meta’s Ads Guide suggests 50 to 150 characters of primary text and a headline of about 27 characters. Put the offer first, because longer text can be cut behind “See more”.
What is a good formula for Facebook ad copy?
Who it is for, what you offer, one reason to trust you, what happens next and one step. Cut every word that does not do one of those jobs.
Why was my ad rejected for personal attributes?
Meta does not allow ads that assert or imply a reader’s traits, such as health, age, religion or money trouble. “Do you have diabetes?” fails; “New diabetes treatment available” is allowed.
Can my ad say “today only” or “last chance”?
Only if it is true. Malta’s Consumer Affairs Act bans falsely claiming an offer is only available for a very limited time.
Can I call an offer free in an ad?
Only if the customer pays nothing beyond the unavoidable cost of replying or delivery. Otherwise Cap. 378 treats it as misleading.
Should I write Facebook ads in English or Maltese?
Most Malta businesses start in English and test Maltese for local offers. Our guide to ads in Maltese or English explains how to test both.
Does Malta Digital write the ad copy?
Yes. Ad copy and static creative are part of every Meta ads package, from €1,249 a month plus ad spend. We test versions and keep the ones that bring leads or sales.
Sources
Where these facts come from.
Keep reading
Related guides.
Facebook Ads A/B Testing: A Simple Guide for Malta
How to A/B test Facebook ads the way Meta recommends: one variable, 7 to 30 days, a fair budget, plus a free test planner and a result reader for your numbers.
Facebook Ad Rejected? Why It Happens and How to Fix It
Why Facebook and Instagram ads get rejected, where to find the reason, when to request a review or edit, and how Malta businesses write ads that pass.
A useful first step
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