Facebook has officially launched Canvas, arguably one of the most exciting ad units available to social advertisers today. Described as “A new space for big ideas on Facebook,” Canvas gives advertisers more creative freedom than ever before, offering an immersive and interactive…well, uh, canvas…on which to tell your story.Facebook is doubling down on the benefits of interactive storytelling as a way of connecting with your audience in meaningful ways (without driving them outside the platform). Facebook LIVE, Facebook 360 and Canvas are all prime examples.In the not so distant past, Facebook ads were limited to pictures. People paused for a quick second while scrolling the newsfeed and either clicked on a link or kept scrolling. Then video came along and advertisers were able to lock viewers in for a bit longer to tell a bigger (more in-depth) story. Now with Canvas, advertisers are able to capture the video view attention span while also allowing for the interactivity that users today thrive on.With Canvas still in the very early stages, it will be interesting to see what further testing reveals as it relates to calls to action, metrics and benchmarking. Facebook’s model remains unchanged - it will not be charging more or less depending on what is put into the Canvas. Facebook will, however, be able to report on deeper metrics such as time spent on the ad and increase in ad recall.Now is the time for brands to take advantage of this “thumbstopping” creative opportunity while it’s fresh. The rich media opportunities are incredibly exciting for a wide array verticals.

HEALTH + FITNESS

The health and fitness category is exploding on social for a reason. For one, it’s incredibly community-driven by nature. The storytelling – and story starting – opportunities include everything from product news/reviews and recipes to coordinated fitness challenges and workout tips. We put together the generic Canvas example above to give you a sense of what’s possible. As the #fitspo saying goes, “two months from now you’ll regret not starting today.”

RESTAURANTS

Restaurant marketers have been agonizing over the best way to uniquely communicate ingredient quality and food freshness. Worry no more. This is the perfect opportunity to SHOW your customers where your food comes from, how it’s made and who makes it. Throw in a side order of LTOs and special offers and you’ve got yourself an engaged – and hungry – audience.

ENTERTAINMENT

Canvas allows movie marketers to introduce viewers not only to a trailer, but also to the characters, memorable quotes and critic reviews (and more) in a single location, without having to leave the newsfeed. It’s an immersive experience that’s actually going to drive ticket sales.

BEAUTY

Beauty is perhaps the single most review-driven category in retail. With nearly 70% of all people trusting online reviews when making purchasing decisions, Canvas allows beauty, bath and body marketers to tell real stories from real people. When shared alongside product news, influencer tutorials and the lat est trends, you’re looking at one hot new tool.

CONSUMER PACKAGED GOODS

Feature your products, sponsorships, influencers, UGC and special promotions all in one place. This is a formula that can be re-skinned over and over again depending on the season or occasion. When you consider the stories and lifestyle that surround your product, the opportunities are endless.Header image taken from https://canvas.facebook.com/