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Facebook ads aren’t as ineffective as most marketers think. In fact, in the 4th quarter of 2018, their ad revenue was reported at $16.9 billion dollars. This means businesses are, in fact, spending serious money on Facebook ads. Why? Because people are actually clicking on them. So, do Facebook ads work? They must.
Why all the doubt, then?
There are many possibilities. It could be due to the poorly made ad creatives, the failure to properly target the ads, or because marketers using the wrong strategy.
Ads might have the capacity to drive profit, but if you conduct your campaign incorrectly, you won't see a return.
What’s clear, though, is that Facebook ads do work. Just like any other venture, you need to equip yourself with the right information before jumping onto the bandwagon. Otherwise, if it’s executed without the right knowledge, it’s pretty much a waste of money.
And that's why people don't trust that spending money on Facebook is worthwhile.
Let’s talk about Facebook ads and how to make them work.
Facebook has been and still is the number one social network when it comes to audience reach. With over 2.38 billion monthly active users at present, Facebook is certainly one of the best social media platforms for increasing visibility. Thus, ads released on Facebook have a higher chance of reaching more people.
There are several places your ads can appear on both desktop and mobile — like in the news feed or along the right side. There are also various kinds of ads, including photo ads, videos, and carousels.
Facebook is certain to give everyone the chance to succeed.
But before you go wild in releasing various Facebook ads, take note that there are factors that can affect your ad’s performance. Before we delve further into that, let’s break down this method’s pros and cons.
The Pros and Cons of Advertising on Facebook
Here are a few things you have to consider before going into Facebook ads.
Pros
Let’s start with the advantages.
Wide Audience
Put simply, a large percentage of the planet’s population is on Facebook, giving it more reach than any other platform. This means, when you advertise on Facebook, you have a better chance of reaching a wider audience.
But it doesn't end there. Here's another factor that puts Facebook at a *serious* advantage over the competition.
Targeted Advertising
Unlike other social media platforms, Facebook has insanely savvy targeting options. You can modify your targeting based on the most specific of factors, ensuring you're truly reaching the right demographic.
Cost-Effectiveness
Another pro that Facebook offers is that it's more cost-effective than other platforms. You can spend less and make more.
Speed
If you want to drive traffic fast, Facebook is definitely one of the best advertising options you can make use of. You have the ability to reach thousands of people (or more) within the first day, depending on what you're willing to spend.
Tracking and Insights
The insights and metrics that Facebook offers are exceptionally robust. Adjust your campaigns as needed to increase your ROI.
High ROI
When used correctly, Facebook ads can help your business generate a high ROI. If you’re looking into a fast way to convert your audience into leads and your leads into paying customers, then using Facebook ads could be right for you.
Cons
Now, let’s talk about a few disadvantages of Facebook ads.
Tight Competition
With so many businesses using Facebook to promote their brand, and the amount of interesting content popping on people’s feeds, it can be difficult to catch your audience’s attention.
The competition is tight on Facebook, so you have to get your creative juices flowing and find ways to stand out.
Testing Takes Time
Searching for ways to make your ad catch people’s attention is not easy. Crafting a strategy that works takes trial and error. Additionally, building a credible page, gaining relevant followers, and creating your content could take some time.
While Facebook ads can work quickly, plan to experiment a little bit in the beginning.
Testing Can Be Expensive
The ads are cheap, but experimenting and testing out a variety of methods to see which one works best for your brand requires not only time but money, as well. Plan ahead for this in your budget.
How to Make Facebook Ads Work
With the pros and cons listed, let’s now discuss how to make Facebook ads that work.
1. Build a Credible Page
Before you start releasing Facebook ads for your brand, review your business page first. Many people get anxious about clicking on a link. Oftentimes, they try to check the company’s Facebook page first before clicking on the ad.
You want to look trustworthy. The way to do it is to build a page that shows your credibility. Here are a few reminders.
Fill Out Your Basic Information
You don’t want people wondering if you’re really a legit company and not just someone trying to scam them. It might seem tedious, but it’s vital that you fill out your basic information.
Include your description, what category you belong to, your contact information (website, email address, and phone number), store hours — so your customers know when to contact you and expect a reply — and a price range for your products (if applicable).
Upload a Profile Photo and a Cover Photo
After you’ve entered your basic details, don’t forget to upload a profile photo and a cover photo for your page.
If you’re a business and you already have an existing company logo, it’s a good idea to use it as the profile picture. Your cover photo should be something relevant to your business. Moreover, you should check out Facebook’s guidelines for a cover photo before you start editing.
Create An Easy-to-Remember Username
The username you use matters. Stick as close to your business name as much as possible for easier retention and brand recognition. In case your first choice is already taken — which is entirely possible, given the number of people and businesses using Facebook — find a few relevant add-ons to your name.
For example, you can add a short text for your location, like "US" if you’re doing business in the United States, or "app," if that's what you're promoting.
Add a Call-To-Action Button
When you’re creating a page, don’t forget to add a call-to-action button to make it easier for your customers to reach you.
Facebook allows you to add any of the following CTAs: contact us, send message, call now, sign up, and send email.
Publish Relevant Posts Regularly
Your page doesn’t end with your information and call-to-action. Your Facebook page has to have relevant content in order to draw audience attention and improve engagement. Publish at least one post every day. Consistency matters.
2. Get Specific With Your Audience
Once you've done all of that, you can move on to your ad.
How your ad will look and the demographics you choose for your targeting options will depend greatly on who your audience is. What's your product or service? Who is it for? Who will be able to make use of it?
Facebook lets you get really specific with your targeting, and you should take full advantage of this.
Remember, when you try to target everyone, you end up reaching no one. If you're a smaller business, you don't want an audience of millions, as awesome as that sounds.
Focused on the people most likely to spend money with you.
3. Create an Appropriate Ad Creative
Your ad creative comes next. This is something you'll need to test, to see what brings you the best results.
If you use a photo, be sure to:
- Size it right. The recommended size is 1200 x 600 (landscape).
- Choose something likely to resonate. Pictures of happy people, pets, and children perform well when it comes to conversions.
- Use the right colors. Facebook runs on blue and white, so it’s best to avoid similar colors on your ads. Contrasting colors and bright colors work best to grab your audience’s attention.
You should consider testing out a video, too. Very often, they convert the best.
4. Include a Value Proposition
Adding a value proposition is a great way to entice people to click on your ads. Your audience wants to know what’s in it for them. If you can satisfy this condition, you’ll be able to encourage them to respond to your ad.
Now, what type of value proposition can you use?
This is where you can get really creative. Find ways to tickle your target audience’s fancy.
For instance, in exchange for them filling out your form with their email address and name, you can offer a freebie — like an eBook, a limited time free trial for your app, or a discount coupon for their first purchase.
There are so many options that you can choose from. Get creative!
5. Send Them to a Quality Landing Page
Your ad won't be effective if the landing page that it sends people to is poorly made. Remember to include these basics.
Headline
Your headline is the first thing your audience sees. Make it compelling.
The Need-to-Know Details
Keep it concise. The more information you give people, the greater opportunity they have to leave the page. Tell them the most vital parts and call it a day.
A Call-to-Action
A call-to-action is essential for improving engagement. This encourages your potential customer to take action. Examples of CTAs are "Sign up now," "Click here to purchase," or "Contact us."
There are so many ways to write a call-to-action, meaning this is yet another variable that you should test.
Reduce (If Not Eliminate) Anxiety
Anxiety is a natural reaction, so try to find ways to alleviate it. Make your audience feel safe and secure when they’re responding to your ad.
You can do this through adding authentic testimonials from previous clients, customer success stories, logos of your existing clients, certifications, and security badges.
A Simple Form
Your form should be easy to fill out. Make it as simple as possible so your potential lead wouldn’t feel that filling it out is a chore.
6. Test Test Test
Your campaign may or may not get your desired response right away. If it doesn't, don't panic.
And even if it does, you should still test different variables to see if you can get a better response. Testing is a part of the process. Consider playing around with:
- The ad creatives.
- The call-to-action.
- Your targeting.
- Every element of the landing page.
7. Monitor Your Metrics
Finally, monitor your metrics. Otherwise, you can't determine what works and what doesn't.
This is one of the most essential parts of creating an effective Facebook ad. It's not a "set it and forget" type of thing. Your metrics reflect how well your ad is doing, if it’s successfully reaching your target audience, and if it's bringing you leads and conversions.
In other words, it's tell you if your money is being put to good use... or thrown away.
You need to be closely monitoring your Facebook ads’ data to be able to identify the strategies that work and those that don’t. This way, you’ll be able to plan your next move intelligently.
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