10 Best Facebook Ads Examples From Successful Course Creators
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According to the latest ads report (2021-2026) by IMARC Group, the global ad market value will reach up to $875 billion by 2026. Over the next few years, more businesses will choose to invest in paid advertising for all the right reasons.
While running Facebook Ads is not anything new, they have proven to be effective for many online businesses.
Paid ads help businesses stay relevant in their industry but also get ahead of the competition. They create demand, and they have the power to build brand awareness and boost course sales at large.
Considering that Facebook has about 2.8 billion monthly active users, the world’s most popular social network has an enormous customer base and offers unparalleled advertising potential. And, getting your course business’s message out to the right people comes with unparalleled revenue.
The best part is that Facebook advertising allows you to promote your business on a super affordable budget or with minimal costs.
To get it right though, you will need a strong Facebook ad campaign and some powerful ads. A tool that can help you design animated Facebook ads is Creatopy.
💡 Want to learn more about Facebook ads?
Download the Actionable Facebok Ads Checklist and learn how to sell your courses effectively using paid ads.
Best Facebook Ads Examples for Online Courses
Most business owners, marketers, and course creators know exactly what to do and how to do it to get those leads and customers they need coming their way.
Finding out what they are doing with their sponsored content while looking into some sample Facebook ads, is an excellent way to gather inspiration to create ads for your online school and courses.
To help you out with that, we have created this article with the 10 best Facebook ads course examples we could find online. Let’s check them out!
1Marie Forleo
Ad Type: Video ads
Ad Copy: Emotional, Motivational
Marie Forleo CEO of MarieForleo is dedicated to helping people realize their dreams and accomplish anything they want. Marie does this successfully through unique video episodes that offer the motivation, drive, and wisdom her social media followers and customers need.
Apart from that, she runs her own online business school for modern entrepreneurs – B School, which includes a 6-week online business course, and sells her own copywriting course and books.
Marie’s approach to paid advertising focuses on emotion and getting people motivated to get from point A to point B. Her ad copy talks about emotions and targets the pain points of her audience. In the video, Marie puts even more focus on those adjectives with ‘overstressed, over-committed’, showing that she knows what her customers are going through. Clearly, she has been in their shoes, and now she knows how to help them move forward.
In this ad, Marie catches the attention of Facebook users through video. The video is very short (28 seconds) but it’s just enough to entice people to join her new training course.
For Marie, it’s not enough to simply add a ‘Learn More’ call-to-action (CTA) on the ad instead she also directs people to click on it to get on her VIP list, inside the video.
See Marie’s ads here.
2Jenna Kutcher
Ad Type: Image & Video ads
Ad Copy: Determined, Actionable, Enticing
Jenna Kutcher – Marketing entrepreneur, educator, podcaster, and founder of JennaKutcher, is determined to help people get their business up and running. Offering her own expertise through courses and podcast shows, Jenna knows what it takes to stand out from the crowd, build a successful business and have fun while doing it.
For her ad creatives, Jenna uses vibrant, warm and colorful images to catch the attention of her audience. Her messaging is direct and actionable as she prompts Facebook users to engage with her through questions on her ad copy. The CTA button also encourages people to sign up for her free email list-building training.
For some ads, Jenna actually takes the time to explain all the benefits and learning outcomes for potential customers interested in her courses, and she writes a longer copy than usual.
Giving out an incentive like a free planner, a free template, or an invitation to a podcast like Jenna does in many of her ads, is an effective tactic that gets people to sign up for her newsletter. Once people become email subscribers, it’s easier to get them further down the sales funnel.
Creating a series of ads with the same theme as Jenna’s can boost ad performance and is ideal for retargeting purposes.
See Jenna’s ads here.
3Amanda Bond
Ad Type: Image ads
Ad Copy: Storytelling, Emotional, Promotional
Founder of The Ad Strategist – Amanda Bond knows a lot about Facebook advertising. As someone who has spent years working on their craft, Amanda has actually witnessed firsthand what works and what doesn’t with Facebook ads.
That’s why she stresses the importance that only when Facebook Ad campaigns are executed right they will bring the desired results. The secret to selling through Facebook ads is putting the customer first.
Facebook ad course examples like Amanda’s, usually follow a unique story that takes a potential customer through a few – usually emotional stages until they are ready to convert.
The first ad (on the left) shows the short version of the Digital Course Kickstart Bootcamp (by Amy Porterfield) ad that informs people what it is all about. It explains who it is for and tells people what they can gain from it. The second ad (on the right) tells a story, has a longer text, and aims to take people on a unique journey by sharing a personal story that people can easily identify with.
While both ads have the same goal, they are totally different in terms of structure and each one works better for targeting specific audience segments.
See Amanda’s ads here.
4Ryan Levesque
Ad Type: Image ads
Ad Copy: Informational, Emotional, Enticing
Marketing expert and business coach Ryan Levesque is also using Facebook ads to gather leads and entice Facebook users. As the CEO of The AskMethod Company, Ryan knows how to help people build their online business from the ground up.
Also, he is the founder of Bucket.io – the leading marketing funnel software made for entrepreneurs, to help them create interactive quizzes, assessments, and surveys to segment their audience.
In these ad examples, Ryan asks people to take a free quiz and he is prompting them to take action. This is a good enticement strategy as Ryan’s quiz is targeting a specific audience – aspiring entrepreneurs who want to start their own businesses. For someone who doesn’t know what type of business to start, taking this quiz is a good starting point.
The difference between the two ads is the length of the text and the ‘talking’ approach.
The first one is more detailed and talks about emotions, referring to feeling ‘stressed, frustrated’ and taking people through the obstacles of starting a business. The second one is more straightforward and aims to spark the curiosity of users in order to get some clicks and redirect them to the landing page.
Creating different ad variations is an effective way to inform your audience about what the ad is all about quickly – if it’s short. But you also get to serve those who require more details with the long one.
See Ryan’s ads here.
5Paul Xavier
Ad Type: Video Ads
Ad Copy: Dynamic, Results-Driven, Confident
Paul Xavier’s goal is to help creative entrepreneurs succeed in their area of work, empowering them with the right tools, knowledge, resources, exercises, and skills. As the founder of PaulXavier, Paul went through his own transformation journey and now he is teaching others how to do the same to achieve wealth, freedom, and passion through his online training programs.
Paul’s video ad refers to pricing to entice Facebook users to sign up for his YouTube training program focusing on how super affordable it is. Throughout the video, he also makes use of social proof as he mentions that there is already a private community of content creators – counting 16,000 happy students. Paul specifically refers to clients who managed to get actual results since they started the filmmaking course and creates a powerful testimonial.
The ad shows a dynamic approach to selling. Paul clearly comes with a unique value proposition. In the video, he talks about all the barriers filmmakers encounter, tracks them down, and destroys them.
In the ad copy, Paul uses a lot of emojis which helps people relate to the text better while it also gives it some structure.
See Paul’s ads here.
6Jennifer Allwood
Ad Type: Image & Video ads
Ad Copy: Enticing, Emotional, Informational
Jennifer Allwood is helping business owners grow their businesses using social media while keeping true to her faith and family values. She is the one behind JenniferAllwood, while she is running a podcast and blogs about home remodeling. After publishing her own book, she now shares her knowledge with others through business coaching sessions and masterminds.
Most of Jennifer’s ads are video and image-based. Her ad collection shows that she isn’t afraid to put herself out there or appear in front of the screen. This is paramount because she is choosing to invest in creating a real connection with her audience.
Through her ads, Jenniffer invites women to join her Bootcamp. In her videos, she refers to the pricing but makes it clear that the small amount of money as an investment is totally worth it. What makes Jennifer’s ads more enticing is that she also offers exclusive pre-entry Bootcamp bonus content to encourage more people to join in.
Using emojis in the ad copy as bullet points is effective for structure but also to draw attention to the text e.g. the STOP signs – 🛑. Equally effective is starting off with a question or a quote.
See the full ad here.
7Ryan Reger
Ad Type: Image & Video Ads
Ad Copy: Straight-forward
Ryan Reger is an online entrepreneur who teaches people how to fulfill their dreams and earn money online. As a radio host of the Streams of Income, Ryan has already written a book, created multiple courses, and participated in many key industry events as a speaker. As of today, Ryan has a total of 16 streams of income along with his wife. Impressive, right?
While Ryan runs video ads as well, what’s exceptional about this one above is that it stands out.
The ad headline ‘Free Download’ is hard to miss and this has to do with the choice of the colors in the image. The white text stands out in the green background catches the eye and makes the ad more alluring. Clicking to get a free book doesn’t cost people anything, and those who are serious about increasing their revenue are more likely to do so.
The ad copy is short and to the point and gives a brief introduction to what the book is about. No complex design or many words are needed here since it is evident that less is more.
Ryan’s ad shows a single-image product ad. This is a great ad format to use, especially when you run a SaaS (software-as-a-service) business and you want to promote a new product.
See the full ad here.
8Krista Neher
Ad Type: Image ads
Ad Copy: Straight-forward
International speaker, best-selling author, and entrepreneur Krista Neher is offering her consulting services to entrepreneurs and organizations, or anyone interested in digital marketing. With over 15 years of experience in the industry, and after having written five books on social media, Krista knows what she is doing.
Krista has created the first accredited social media marketing certification program in the world and has already helped big companies like P&G, Google, General Mills, and Remax.
Through her ads, Krista is promoting her coaching business and Facebook page reaching out to more people.
To do that, Krista’s persona is highlighted in the ads. Her ad collections feature her own photos in presenting events that make her stand out as a passionate speaker and engaging presenter. Showing that she appeared on the TEDx stage – which is a huge achievement, boosts credibility, and encourages people to trust her.
When it comes to public speaking, building rapport with the audience is fundamental, but so is for running Facebook ads.
See Krista’s ads here.
9Elaine Welteroth
Ad Type: Image & Video ads
Ad Copy: Powerful, Motivational, Encouraging
Award-winning journalist, TV host, and former editor-in-Chief at Teen Vogue – Elaine Welteroth, makes all career dreams happen. In her Masterclass course, Elaine talks about how she managed to build a successful career for herself and teaches others how to use their passions, talents, values, and skills to make it happen.
To get more people to join her course, Elaine’s ads are focused on video and putting her professional figure at the front. Highly motivational content, encouraging words, bright warm colors, and a welcoming attitude are all that it takes to get those clicks from Facebook users.
Even though Elaine uses the same copy throughout the ads, facebook ad examples like these help her content resonate well with ‘creative entrepreneurs and big dreamers’ who she defines as her target audience. Her course is clearly intended for those who want to do and achieve better, thus creating a sense of FOMO (fear of missing out) that makes more people want in.
See Elaine’s ads here.
10Bryan Harris
Ad type: Image & Video Ads
Ad Copy: Methodical, Confident, Testimonial
Certified Marketing Coach Bryan Harris is the founder of Growth Tools. Growth Tools is a business growth coaching company that helps online course creators and coaches generate more leads, attract more customers, and financially grow their business.
Through his ads, Bryan wants to reach out to a niche audience and does so in numerous ways. He creates many ad variations with different ad copy and tests out their effectiveness.
Bryan’s Ads are carefully designed and selected to convey the message each one intends to pass on to Facebook users. Targeting online coaches specifically – and with bold letters, Bryan makes a promise on the quality they will be getting once they start using his services and offers a money guarantee.
In one of his ads, he also presents a successful case study explaining how his client Nick managed to make $18 in coaching sales on autopilot.
To get people further down the sales funnel, he prompts them to schedule a call with him.
Another effective strategy Bryan isn’t afraid to use is adding animated images and controversial statements. Animated images or videos are easy to grasp and can get you ahead of the competition. While statements like ‘Borrow other people’s audiences’ are not something you hear coaches say often, these can easily spark attention, excitement, and curiosity.
See Bryan’s ads here.
Key takeaways
So, what makes up a great Facebook ad?
Displaying eye-catching images is a must, but judging from these examples of Facebook Ads, there are many things you can do to increase your possibilities of generating leads:
1. Use emojis
Emojis can make your ad copy appear more friendly. Their use sets a lighter mood; it signals that you are not as threatening and acts as a nice icebreaker for people who get easily annoyed by sponsored ads. It also helps to bring out those emotions you want your audience to feel while reading through your ads.
Want to find the best emojis? Try out Emojipedia.
2. Build high-quality image ads
While you can use stock photos, research shows that using a real person who is associated with – or better yet tried – your product can increase the conversion rate by 35 percent.
Take advantage of image editing tools like Visme or Canva, to help you create high-quality and engaging images not just for Facebook but other social channels like LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter. Such tools can give you the right image sizes (in pixels) you need for your creatives.
3. Add videos
Video ads are effective for many reasons – they are more interactive, engaging and deliver information faster than either media.
Facebook video ads are more likely to get attention and be clicked on as people can see them while scrolling through their Facebook news feed. If you are creating Facebook video ads, make them short. While the general rule is to keep it less than 2 minutes, the optimal length is 5 to 10 seconds.
If you want to add video in your ads, consider adding parts of a webinar you have done, or create one from scratch using any of these video editing tools.
4. Experiment with different ad formats & ad types
There are many ad types for Facebook advertising. For every ad inside your Facebook Ads campaign, you get to choose a different format and add a collection of multimedia.
Apart from image ads and video ads, there are carousel ads, or ads that you can add to Stories or Messenger, and more. Having a variety of different formats and dimensions will help you engage with your audience better and tune in with your industry’s needs.
For example, Facebook carousel ads are great for e-commerce products, because they allow people to view and shop for different products.
Find more details about each Facebook ad type here.
5. Have a clear Call-to-Action (CTA)
When running Facebook Ads, you have the option to choose between CTA buttons that say Shop Now, Learn More, Sign Up, Book Now, and Download. Make sure you go for the one(s) that best describes your promotional efforts and aligns with your end goal. Also, don’t forget to insert a link to where you want customers to go once they leave Facebook.
6. Create engaging ad copy
Add industry-related keywords and talk about your target audience’s pain points. Pinpoint them down and provide solutions and actionable steps your audience can take towards getting them.
The key here is finding your unique selling point – or tagline, and then presenting it through your text the right way. Would it be a story, a testimonial, a coupon, or promoting a limited-time offer that demands people’s attention? You can try different approaches and decide what works best for your audience and channel, while staying true to your ad objective.
If you need more help with this, make sure to check out these Facebook advertising courses to get the most of what you can do with the platform.
Ready to Create Your Own Facebook Ads?
Instead of solely relying on organic growth through SEO, which can take a long time to bring results, you can try running your own Facebook ads for online courses.
All of these Facebook ad examples offer some valuable insights into what other professionals and industry experts are doing. If you want to promote your online courses through ads, make sure to find out which are the best practices for it.
To build a successful Facebook PPC strategy, experiment with your own ad variations, and see what will engage your audience the most. At the end of the day, you know them better than anyone else!
Kyriaki is a Content Creator for the LearnWorlds team writing about marketing and e-learning, helping course creators on their journey to create, market, and sell their online courses. Equipped with a degree in Career Guidance, she has a strong background in education management and career success. In her free time, she gets crafty and musical.
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