(Light Introduction To Using Facebook Ads For Your Business)
Your future customers are using Facebook and Google – every single day. At the end of 2018, more than 2.2 billion people were using Facebook.
In Australia alone, there are over 17 million Aussies that use Facebook – and 70% of them log in every single day.
By advertising on Facebook and Google, you’ll be able to reach a massive amount of people without putting in much effort in deploying the ads themselves.
Both platforms allow you to hyper-target your audiences and measure results with ease. And they’ve made it easier for the everyday business owner to DIY ads.
And, if you’re not using paid ads, you’re missing out on a 50% better conversion rate – which your competitors are most likely capitalising on.
How Can You Get Started With Facebook Ads?
Right off the bat, you need to understand that there are a lot of variables that will lead to your success.
While it’s a dynamic, hyper-targeted platform for marketers, Facebook advertisers need to be savvy and work from an intentional marketing strategy.
Here are a few of the key steps to get started:
1. Select Your Target Audience
As with any form of advertising, your messaging is only as effective as its ability to reach the right people.
No matter how well you understand your usual buyers – their wants, needs, and buyer personas – you’re going to need to nail down their actual demographics to create great campaigns on Facebook.
Factors like job title, age, interests, and location are key to making sure you’re targeting the correct individuals. According to one of Facebook’s case studies, careful ad targeting resulted in 3x ROI for some clients.
As you go through the process online, you’ll notice there are several choices for defining your audience. Pay attention to the tools that Facebook provides to help you gauge if your target group is too narrow or too broad. They even offer a barometer so you can visualise this information.
Note: the first few ads you run won’t be successful (in most cases), so have the expectation that the first few ads are for testing purposes (testing multiple ads and audiences).
2. Test Different Ad Types
Whether you want to increase app downloads, sell new products, or advertise your latest case study to get more consultation bookings, Facebook offers several ad delivery modes that can help align your ad creative with your objective.
Here are some of the most popular types of paid ads that you can take advantage of:
Carousel Ads (ideal for eCommerce) – You likely see these in your own feed if you’re an avid online shopper. These ads boast a low-cost per conversion (depending on the niche) and are ideal for showing off multiple products at the same time.
Video Ads – This type of advertising is booming, and for good reason. Consumers increasingly prefer video delivery modes, as opposed to reading ads. The less effort the consumer has to learn your product, the higher your conversions will be.
Promoted (or boosted) Posts – If you’re short on time, but have some great content already created, simply boost it! Promoted posts are an efficient way to get eyes on posts that you’ve already created, making them cost-effective as well (recommended for beginners only). If you’re serious about advertising, always use Facebook’s Ad Manager (within the Business Manager function).
Lead Ads – Similar to a typical lead magnet, these ads are perfect for businesses seeking email addresses so that they can begin nurture marketing. For example, encourage users to redeem a coupon, download a pdf, or sign up for a webinar in exchange for an email address.
Retargeting Using Facebook Ads
Retargeting helps you keep your brand in front of mind (a.k.a. brand lift) and close more customers. The key here is understanding that very few people convert right away. That would be like choosing someone to marry on a first date – could happen, but extremely unlikely (for most people anyway).
People who are interested in buying but haven’t made a purchase yet still have a high potential to buy. Retargeting can track those potential customers and gently remind them of your product/service, giving them another opportunity to buy.
Retargeting campaigns are tailored to consumer behavior. They build off of experiences an individual has already had with your brand – for example, landing on a certain web page, or opening an email.
The key to having successful retargeting campaigns is to create irresistible offers that people simply can’t refuse. Examples include scarcity coupons, limited-time offers, and rewards.
BEFORE you get started on ad retargeting, ensure you have a Facebook Pixel installed on your website. This will help you collect data about the people who visit your site.
Okay, to summarise, here are three tips before you get started:
1. Stop and think.
Before you do anything, you need to understand where your audience gets their information. Do research on your buyer personas: where are they most likely to see your content? What platform will they engage with it on? Stop to think about where you can advertise before you decide where and how to allocate your resources.
2. Proceed carefully.
Split-test out all your ads! Don’t assume that people will like your ad just because you do. By experimenting with a variety of ad options and analysing Facebook’s metrics, you can begin to hone your most effective ads coupled with the most engaged audiences.
3. Full speed ahead!
Retarget to capture those who have interacted with you on social media, on your website, or via email. Keep your brand in front of the mind (a.k.a. brand lift) by creating and pushing content that relates to the buyer’s journey and their personal tastes.
