Calling all advertisers: Facebook is shrinking their mobile News Feed ad space. Starting August 19, 2019, fewer lines of primary text will show on mobile News Feed. There will now be only three lines of text on the mobile News Feed rather than the usual display of as many as seven lines before the “See More” prompt. This means that advertisers will need to sharpen their messages to get their point across in fewer words, or at least make it interesting enough to entice users to click “See More.”

Media Height

Another change that will be introduced is that the media height for photos and videos will be reduced to 4:5 on the mobile News Feed, a change from the original 2:3 aspect ratio. The tallest supported aspect ratio for images without links and for videos is now vertical (4:5), and anything taller will be masked on Facebook mobile News Feed. This means that videos will need to be optimized for the new size. Facebook actually rolled out new editing and resizing options to its Video Creating Kit recently, making it easier for advertisers to create videos with multiple aspect ratios.

The Goal

The goal of these new changes is to simplify formats and create a more consistent mobile experience for Facebook users, utilizing a mindset of “less is more.” Less text combined with more focal imagery will force marketers to create an instantly understandable advertisement. It may sound insignificant, but it will change how text, photos, and videos will appear on your audience’s mobile News Feed. Considering most people scroll through Facebook on their phones these days, it is definitely a change to take note of.

Now that you are aware of the changes, keep these in mind when posting your next advertisement on Facebook mobile. Facebook is an ever-changing platform, and sometimes changes are made unexpectedly. Keep an eye out to stay aware of what else is new!