83% of consumers say they use Instagram to find new services or products. Needless to say, it’s essential to have a presence on Instagram and Meta’s other platform, Facebook. However, many advertisers make the mistake of not paying attention to Facebook and Instagram Story and Reel safe zones. This mistake can obstruct important parts of their message.
Luckily, the social media advertising experts at Forge Apollo are here to share everything you need to know about safe zones, plus a Meta Story and Reel safe zone template.
What are Safe Zones?
Meta places several buttons, captions, usernames, icons, etc., over Stories and Reels on Instagram and Facebook that can block text or other important visuals that your brand wants viewers to see.
Facebook and Instagram Story and Reel safe zones represent the areas of the content on which you can place important visuals or text without fear of it getting obstructed.
After you’ve uploaded your content to Meta Ads Manager, you can turn on a safe zone guardrail to view what content appears within the safe zone.
But let’s be honest: no one wants to waste time creating content that won’t work with safe zones. Download our Story and Reels safe zone templates to confidently make content before uploading it to Ads Manager.
Reel Safe Zone Template Content Offer
Facebook & Instagram Story Safe Zone
Facebook & Instagram Stories, and ads with this placement, include links to your profile and Story progress at the top and calls to action, ad captions, or abilities to comment, like, or share at the bottom.
So, the Meta Story Safe Zone excludes the top 14% and bottom 20% of the story, plus an 8% buffer on either side to account for different device sizes.
Facebook & Instagram Reels Safe Zone
Facebook & Instagram Reels, and ads with this placement, include more buttons and overlays that complicate their safe zones.
Again, the Meta Reel safe zone avoids the top 14% and 8% on either side. Safety towards the bottom of the Reel gets more complex as you need to account for the like, comment, and share buttons on the right and the profile, caption, and CTA buttons on the bottom. On 21% of the right side, keep content 40% above the bottom. On the rest of the bottom, keep content 35% away.
Here is a basic visual representation that Instagram for Business shared, or you can download our template for an easy, reusable reference.
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Overall Meta Story & Reel Specs
Meta Reels and Stories are effective ad formats for sharing a brand’s unique and authentic story. However, using the right ad specs is vital to ensure your content appears how your brand envisioned.
Check Meta’s Reel ad specs and Story ad specs for complete design and technical best practices, but here are the basics you need to know.
Meta Reel Ad Specs
- 9:16 Ratio
- At least 500 x 888 pixel resolution
- Video captions recommended
- Video sound recommended
- Avoid licensed music
- MP4 or MOV file type
- Maximum file size under 4GB
- Primary text (caption) of 72 characters or less
- Content that meets the safe zones
Meta Story Ad Specs
- 9:16 Ratio
- At least 1080 x 1080 pixel resolution
- Video captions recommended
- Video sound recommended
- MP4, MOV, or GIF file type
- Primary text (caption) of 125 characters or less
- Maximum file size under 4GB
- Content that meets the safe zones
Effective Meta Ads that Drive Results
Whether figuring out Meta Reel and Story safe zones or simply mastering the specs, Forge Apollo’s Philadelphia-based team can help your brand create compelling content to help you meet your goals. Contact us today to discuss your social media advertising goals.
