Posted by Roberto Dal Corso

The One Thing That Can Make or Break Your Campaign

Picture this: you’ve just launched a new Facebook Ad campaign for your coaching programme, consultancy, or tech service. You’ve spent hours perfecting the copy, crafting your call-to-action, and choosing your targeting. You hit publish, sit back, and wait for the results.

But the clicks barely trickle in. Engagement is non-existent. Leads? Forget about it. What went wrong?

Here’s the thing: on Facebook, your ad image does the heavy lifting. It has one job: to grab attention and stop the scroll. If it fails at that, the rest of your ad never gets a chance to shine. The best copy in the world won’t matter if no one reads it.

So how do you create an image that grabs attention without feeling overly promotional? Let me share how we discovered the answer—and transformed our ad results in the process.

The Campaign That Taught Us Everything

When we first started running ads for a coaching client, we thought we had it all figured out. We chose sleek, professional images of a well-dressed consultant in a pristine office, overlaid with a sharp tagline promoting their service. It looked polished. It looked professional. And it completely flopped.

The engagement was terrible. People scrolled past without even a glance. Worse, the few clicks we did get didn’t lead to conversions.

Why? The image screamed advertisement. It looked too staged, too salesy, and too polished to feel relatable. It wasn’t connecting with our audience.

So, we went back to the drawing board. This time, we focused on creating an image that felt natural and inviting—like something a friend or family member might post. Instead of polished stock photos, we used a simple, brightly coloured background and added a casual shot of a notebook, pen, and coffee mug.

The difference? Engagement rates doubled, and leads flooded in. The ad didn’t just look better; it performed better. And that’s when we realised the power of getting the image right.

What Makes a Winning Facebook Ad Image for Professional Services?

We discovered that the most effective Facebook Ad images for coaches, consultants, and tech professionals follow three golden rules. Here’s how to make your ad images stand out:

1. Bold Colours That Stop the Scroll

Facebook’s default palette is a sea of blue, white, and grey. To break through, your ad image needs to pop. Bright, bold colours like yellow, red, green, or pink immediately grab attention.

For one of our tech consultancy ads, we used a striking yellow background with a graphic of a laptop and tablet. It was simple but bold, and it worked brilliantly to draw people in. Even small changes—like adding a colourful border or backdrop—can transform an otherwise forgettable image into something unmissable.

Pro Tip:

Contrast is your best friend. Pair vibrant colours with clean, professional elements to maintain credibility while standing out.

2. Avoid Text on the Image

In our early campaigns, we made the rookie mistake of cramming our ad images with text—taglines, offers, calls-to-action. It seemed logical, but it backfired.

Facebook’s algorithm penalises images with too much text, meaning fewer people see your ad. Even beyond that, text-heavy images feel cluttered and overwhelm the audience.

Now, we let the image do its job: grab attention. The words belong in the copy where they can shine.

For a business coach’s ad, we replaced a text-laden design with a clean shot of a workspace—planner, coffee mug, and laptop—framed by a bold pink border. The simplicity made the ad more engaging and inviting.

3. Be Relatable, Not Salesy

One of the biggest lessons we learned is that your ad image shouldn’t look like an ad. If it screams “I’m selling you something,” people will scroll past without a second thought.

Instead, your image should feel like it belongs in the user’s feed—like something they might see from a friend or family member.

For example:

• A business coach might use a casual desk setup with a notebook and pen.

• A tech consultant could feature a candid shot of someone working on a laptop.

The goal is to connect with your audience, not sell to them. Make it feel real, approachable, and inviting.

Why This Matters for Coaches, Consultants, and Tech Services

Your audience isn’t looking for flashy gimmicks. They want value, expertise, and solutions to their problems. But here’s the twist: you can’t deliver credibility if you don’t grab their attention first.

Your ad image is the gateway to your message. It’s your first impression. If it doesn’t stand out, your audience won’t even get to the part where you showcase your expertise.

How We Transformed Campaigns with These Rules

One of our most successful campaigns was for a coach launching a time-management programme. We tested two ad images:

1. A sleek photo of the coach, overlaid with text promoting the programme.

2. A brightly coloured image of a desk featuring a planner, a steaming cup of coffee, and a pen.

The second ad outperformed the first by a landslide. Engagement rates tripled, and the cost-per-lead dropped by 50%.

The takeaway? Simplicity and relatability win every time.

The Psychology Behind Effective Ad Images

Why do these rules work so well? Let’s break it down.

1. Colour Psychology

Bright colours naturally draw the eye. They evoke energy, optimism, and action—qualities your audience associates with success and progress.

2. Relatability

People trust what feels familiar. An image that looks like it belongs in their world builds an instant connection, making them more likely to engage.

3. Simplicity is Powerful

In a busy feed, less is more. A clean, uncluttered image makes it easier for the audience to focus on what matters.

How You Can Apply These Lessons

Here’s how to create Facebook Ad images that connect with your audience:

1. Start with Bold Colours
   Use tools like Canva to experiment with bright, attention-grabbing backgrounds.

2. Choose Relatable Photos
   Opt for natural, candid images that feel human—not overly polished stock photos.

3. Test and Optimise
   Run A/B tests with different designs to find out what resonates most with your audience.

The Takeaway

For coaches, consultants, and tech professionals, the image in your Facebook Ad is the most critical element. Make it bold, clean, and relatable, and it will do what it’s meant to do: grab attention and build trust.

We’ve seen these principles transform campaigns time and time again. Now it’s your turn to use them to connect with your audience, stand out in a crowded feed, and turn attention into results—one un-scroll-past-able ad at a time.