Post and test your image ads

Once a batch is drawn, you can post the pictures you like straight away, or test them: each picture goes out as its own post, the numbers come back side by side, and you pick the one that did best. The winner is the one to put money behind.

Before you start

• An image ad with pictures. See Make a batch of image ads.
• At least one social account connected. A test needs somewhere to run.
• The owner or admin role.

Steps

Post the pictures you like

1. Go to Marketing › Image ads and open the ad.
2. Tap the pictures you want. The bar above them says how many are chosen.
3. Click Post now or Schedule. The social Planner opens with those pictures in the post.
4. Choose the accounts, add a link if you want one, and click Post now or Schedule. See Write and schedule social posts.

Test pictures against each other

1. On the ad's page, tap two, three or four pictures.
2. Click Test these. The box Test these against each other opens.
3. Under Name it, keep the headline or type a name such as "Autumn candles – which picture".
4. Under Where it runs, choose the social accounts to post them on.
5. Click Start the test. A message says it is running on those accounts.
6. Come back after a day or two. Go to Marketing › Image ads and open the Tests tab.
7. Each test shows its pictures side by side with reach, Likes etc and clicks. The one doing best is marked Ahead.
8. When you are happy with the numbers, click Pick winner on the picture you choose. It is marked Winner.

What happens next

• Each picture in a test goes out on its own, so the numbers compare like with like.
• Numbers arrive about a day after the posts go out, and grow as people see them.
• Once you know the winner, boost the post it went out as, or use the picture in a standalone ad. In the picture editor, Boost puts money behind the post that picture went out as.

Troubleshooting

Test these is greyed out. Point at it to see why. You need at least two pictures ("Pick at least two pictures to test against each other.") and at most four ("Four at most — more than that and no one variant gets a fair run.").

The test box says "Connect a social account first — a test needs somewhere to run." Connect an account under Marketing › Social › Accounts, then start the test again.

It says "Saved. It hasn't started yet — open it from Tests." The test was saved but has not started. Open it from the Tests tab, and check that at least one connected account is chosen under Where it runs.

The Tests tab says "No tests yet". You have not started one. Open an ad, choose two to four pictures and click Test these.

All the pictures have the same low numbers. It is too early. Leave the test running for a few days before picking a winner.

It says "Couldn't open the composer with those." The pictures could not be handed to the Planner. Refresh the page and try again.

Related

• Make a batch of image ads
• Change the words and picture on an image ad
• Connect an ad account and boost a post