Download Paid Social Ads Recipe Book (PDF) 

This is an accessible text version of the Paid Social Ads Recipe Book, produced by Oh So Social and shared at AMA Conference 2026. The full designed PDF, including annotated advert examples, is available to download above.

Introduction

You want to start using paid social, but you don't know what you need or what to share? This is a one-stop guide to understanding advert types, creatives, and what you need to know or share with your agency to make a start.

Brand assets

For owned and branded adverts, you need to share your fonts, sizes, brand colours and logos. This allows for brand consistency and recognition across all advertising, which is vital for building and maintaining trust.

Assets to prepare include a colour palette, heading and body fonts with sizing, and any logos that need to appear in adverts.

Language

Language and grammar can be very personal to each brand, each with its own rules and colloquialisms. This needs to be consistent across paid social. If you have a tone of voice document, share it with your ads manager or agency. If you don't, the following questions are a good starting point:

Capital letters

• What do you capitalise across the brand, including within headlines and body text?
• Do you capitalise product names — is it "family ticket" or "Family Ticket"?
• Are block capitals ever used, and what are the rules?

Grammar

• Do you use exclamation marks?
• "And" or "&"?
• Emojis: yes or no, and which ones?
• "One night only" or "one-night only"? "1 night only" or "1-night only"?

Logo & text positioning

There are four common approaches to positioning branding within an advert: stickers and banners, centralised text, negative space, and branding carried throughout the creative. Example adverts illustrating each approach are shown in the downloadable PDF.

Full sales funnel targeting

Paid social adverts typically map to three funnel stages:

• Awareness: targets people who have never engaged with the brand, bringing new audiences into the funnel and sparking initial interest.
• Consideration: traffic adverts optimised for website intent, focused on interests and people already in the funnel who are thinking about buying but not ready yet.
• Conversion: retargets web visitors, social engagers and mailing list contacts, excluding anyone who has purchased within a key time frame.

Awareness adverts

Awareness adverts sit at the top of the funnel. They introduce new audiences to the brand, sparking interest and desire, and are vital for ensuring strong audiences and a full funnel.

What you need to do this:

• Image in square and portrait - think aspirational
• Video in square and portrait, up to 15 seconds
• Guidance on "the problem," "need" or "desire" the brand or product solves

Adverts include: copy, image or video, a "Learn more" or similar CTA focused on inviting people to find out more, and a link to a web URL.

Consideration traffic adverts

Consideration adverts sit in the middle of the funnel. They nurture relationships and move audiences further down the funnel, driving website traffic and supporting other marketing channels such as email.

What you need to do this:

• Image in square and portrait
• Video in square and portrait, up to 15 seconds
• An understanding of the customer journey

Adverts include: copy, image or video, a CTA to trigger action such as "Sign up" or "Book now," and a link to a web URL.

Conversion adverts

Conversion adverts are the final step in the sales funnel. They inspire final action and need to include the trigger that pushes the audience over the line. They can be image, video or carousel based, but must send the audience somewhere that triggers the final action.

What you need to do this:

• A range of images in square and portrait
• Video in square and portrait, up to 15 seconds
• The key selling point, such as a sale or key USP

Adverts include: copy, images and/or video, a CTA to inspire final action such as "Book now" or "Shop now," and a link to a web URL.

Carousel traffic adverts

Carousel adverts can be used at any point in the customer journey to tell a story or showcase a product or event. Displaying up to 10 images or videos, they highlight different features and benefits, dynamically showing the best carousel card to those most likely to engage.

What you need to do this:

• Up to 10 images in square and portrait
• Video in square and portrait, up to 15 seconds
• The key features, benefits or elements you want to display

Adverts include: copy, up to 10 images or videos, a CTA relating to the stage of the customer journey, and a link to a web URL.

UGC — User Generated Content

UGC adverts can be used anywhere across the ads funnel and tend to improve results in most campaigns. They differ from influencer campaigns in that the content creator gives full permission for the content to be promoted on your own accounts.

What you need to do this:

• Up to 10 images in square and portrait
• Video in square and portrait, up to 15 seconds
• A good brief covering what you want the creator to include
• A contract setting out the terms of your agreement

Adverts include: copy, up to 10 images or videos (face-to-camera works well), a CTA relating to the stage of the customer journey, and a link to your web URL.

Influencer adverts

Influencer adverts are run in partnership with an influencer or content creator, promoting content directly from their social accounts. These can work anywhere in the sales funnel and let you borrow the influencer's trust to accelerate the purchase process.

What you need to do this:

• A good relationship with the influencer
• A clear brief covering what you need and what they get in return
• Shared access via a Business Manager
• A contract to confirm the deal

Adverts include: copy, up to 10 images or videos, a CTA relating to the stage of the customer journey, and a link to a web URL or your social media accounts.

Event adverts

Event adverts leverage both organic and paid Meta activity. They increase reach and engagement for an event, which in turn triggers organic features such as event reminders and notifications. These adverts only work for events or shows and shouldn't replace traffic adverts.

What you need to do this: a Facebook page and an organic Facebook event already created.

Adverts include: copy and a link to the Facebook event.

Template designs

Template designs are a simple way of making sure adverts always look great and are instantly recognisable. Following a few simple rules allows for quick, easy and regular content changes and updated adverts.

Elements can include: text positioning, logos, stickers and roundels, and buttons or extra CTAs.

Technical info: portrait and mobile cut-off zones

When designing adverts, it's important to consider the areas each platform cuts off with its own interface elements. Many platforms cover large areas of an ad creative with platform information, which is why centralised text and logos have become more common. Recommended sizes and safe zones for Meta (Facebook & Instagram), TikTok and Pinterest placements are set out in full in the downloadable PDF.

Get in touch

Every organisation and audience is different, so if you'd like further support with your paid social strategy, campaigns or performance, contact Oh So Social directly:

Phone: 01326 450333
Email: hello@ohsosocialmarketing.co.uk
Website: www.ohsosocialmarketing.co.uk

These materials are the property of Oh So Social® and are provided exclusively for registered AMA Conference 2026 attendees. They may not be reproduced, copied, or distributed without prior written permission. © Oh So Social® 2026. All rights reserved.