To run effective Facebook ads, define your offer and business goals first, choose the ad type that fits them, and decide how you’ll measure results. Then write copy and pick an image that work together, with a headline that gives people a reason to click. Start with a small budget, test a few versions, and put more money behind the ads that convert.
Social media is one of the most effective channels for generating leads, and Facebook offers some of the most detailed targeting. This guide covers why to use Facebook ads, the different types, the pros and cons, and how to build a strategy.
Everything about Facebook ads
Facebook Ads are a great way to specifically target customers likely to be interested in your product or service. They can promote a business, product, or service. They are targeted advertisements that appear in the newsfeeds of Facebook users and have many different targeting options, including interest-based campaigns, where you could target people who like certain things, such as cooking shows. However, there’s no need for generic marketing speak when describing these types because they’re already very specific.
You can target by interests, demographics, and even behaviors. With over 2 billion active users on Facebook, your target market is likely using the platform.
Top four reasons to use Facebook ads
With over 3 million businesses advertising on Facebook, this social media network has gained popularity over the last few years. There are several reasons why companies should use Facebook Ads; the four most important of them are:
Data size: Facebook has more than 1.13 billion daily active users, of which 1.03 billion access it through mobile devices.
Time spent: Most people spend an average of 50 minutes daily on just Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger.
Declining organic reach: With recent changes in Facebook’s algorithms, the post’s organic reach has declined. They are now more focused on paid advertisements that can be woven into users’ feeds instead of just advertising themselves organically like they used to do before this newest update came out. Over time, there has been a dramatic decrease in your company’s posts being seen by people who aren’t already aware of or interested in what you do.
Focused targeting: Facebook Ads provide an unparalleled targeting opportunity by allowing advertisers to target their ads based on thousands of different factors. Incredible targeting options are available within Facebook ads, including behavior, age, location, demographics, interests, gender, etc.
Different types of Facebook ads
As a business, know the different types of Facebook ads available to you. Each type has its own benefits and can be useful for reaching different goals. There are plenty of different types of Facebook ads, giving users versatile options to solve a range of business problems, from increasing traffic to a web page to targeting people in your locality.
Photo Ads are perhaps the simplest and most common type of Facebook Ad. They consist of a single image along with a short amount of text. Photo Ads are best used for businesses with visually appealing products or services, as the image is the ad’s main focus.
Video ads are similar to photo ads but use short video clips instead of single images. Video Ads can be up to 90 seconds long and are best used for businesses with interesting or informative videos to share about their products or services.
Carousel Ads are a type of Facebook Ad that consists of a series of images or videos that users can scroll through. Carousel Ads are best used for businesses that have multiple products or services to promote, as they provide a way to showcase multiple offerings in a single ad.
Collection Ads are a type of Facebook Ad that consists of a collection of images or videos, similar to a product catalog. Collection Ads are best used for businesses that sell multiple products or services, as they provide an easy way for customers to browse through your offerings.
Slideshow Ads are a type of Facebook Ad that consists of a series of images or videos that play automatically, like a slideshow. Slideshow Ads are best used for businesses that have multiple products or services to promote, as they provide a way to showcase multiple offerings in a single ad.
Dynamic Product Ads are Facebook ads generated automatically based on a business’s products or services. They are best for companies that sell many products or services, as they provide a way to show relevant ads to potential customers automatically.
Text-only ads are a type of Facebook ad that consists of text only. They are best for businesses that want to communicate a message without images or videos.
Lead Generation Ads are a type of Facebook Ad that allows businesses to collect leads from potential customers. They are best used by companies that want to build a list of potential customers to market to in the future.
Inclusive of all, there are 11 different ad options that advertisers can use:
- Boost posts
- Promote page
- Drive traffic to the website
- Alleviate conversions on the website
- Get app installs
- Boost app engagement
- Reach local audience
- Increase event attendance
- Motivate people to claim an offer
- Get more video views
- Garner leads for your business
Pros and Cons of Facebook Advertising
There is no doubt that Facebook is a powerful marketing tool. With over 2 billion users, businesses can reach a vast and diverse audience. However, using Facebook advertising has pros and cons. Weigh the pros and cons below before you decide whether it’s right for your business.
Pros of Facebook Ads
1. Facebook Ads are a great way to reach a large audience of potential customers. With over 2 billion active users on Facebook, there’s a good chance that your target market is using the platform. It allows the use of images and videos to grab the audience’s attention to sell more products or services
2. Facebook Ads allow businesses to target their audience by interests, demographics, and behaviors. This means you can create ads specifically tailored to reach people likely to be interested in your product or service. It can target people who are at an early buying stage as well as later stages.
3. Facebook Ads are an effective way to increase brand awareness and generate leads. They can help you reach a larger audience than you would be able to get with traditional marketing methods and can also help you generate qualified leads that you can follow up with later.
4. Facebook Ads are a cost-effective way to market your business. They allow companies to target their audience precisely, meaning you’re not paying for ads that no one will see. And since you only pay when someone clicks on your ad, there’s no risk involved in trying out Facebook Ads.
5. Campaigns on Facebook can be easily tracked through analytics. Ads are a great way to increase traffic and ROI instantly. CPC is relatively cheaper (on average, up to $0.61 per click).
Cons of Facebook Ads
1. Creating effective Facebook ad campaigns without experience or guidance can be difficult. So have a solid strategy before running ads or to work with someone who does.
2. Facebook Ads can be very expensive if you’re not careful. If you’re not targeting your audience correctly, you could pay a lot for clicks that don’t convert into customers.
3. Your Facebook Ads account could be permanently suspended if you violate any platform’s policies. This means that it’s essential to read the terms and conditions carefully before running ads and to ensure that your campaigns comply.
4. Facebook Ads can be time-consuming to manage. If you’re not using an automated tool like AdEspresso, you must manually create and manage your campaigns. This can be a significant time investment, especially running multiple campaigns.
5. Works for B2B but they are more suited for B2C.
Designing a Perfect Facebook Ads Strategy
Creating a Facebook Ad campaign is relatively simple and can be done in just a few steps:
Step 1: Choose your objective
Step 2: Set up your ad account
Step 3: Create your ad
Step 4: Target your audience
Step 5: Set your budget and schedule
Step 6: Measure your results
But your strategy is more important than your ad. It is actually what your ad depends on. So, at this point, let’s learn how to define your Facebook ad strategy best.
Define Your offer
Before defining your Facebook ad strategy, you must ascertain your offer. An easy way to determine you offer to ask yourself a few questions, including the purpose of your promos, such as driving traffic, increasing brand awareness, or downloading.
The objectives and ad style greatly depend on whether your offer is online or offline. For instance, if you want people to subscribe to your email newsletter, you may want to try a lead generation form. If you want people to get an in-store visit, a campaign with an offer may be a better option than a single photo post.
Ascertain your business goals
Once you know your business goals, pick the kind of Facebook ad that aligns. If you aim to reach new customers, then having a lead generation ad should be your objective. If you have retail locations, then having Store Visits’ objective makes more sense. All these instances show that it is imperative to determine your business goals before you start any Facebook ad campaign.
Ways to measure results
Before starting your campaign, we recommend having your Key Performance Indicator (KPI) in place. Whether it is the number of sales you made, the total revenue you generated, or the total form submissions you received, measuring the results of an ad campaign will help you improve your future campaigns. The best way to measure the results is by putting a unique tag called a UTM code at the end of your URL.
Copywriting for Facebook Ads
Optimizing the image is the initial step to writing fantastic copy for a Facebook ad. According to Consumer Acquisition, the image accounts for 75-90% of the ad’s performance. Therefore, optimizing the images and the ad’s text is essential.
It is always a good idea to pick multiple images while keeping the copy consistent to determine which images work best for you. Use the UTM code to track the ad copies and see which brings maximum results.
Text message on the image
It would be best to be mindful of the messaging on your ad’s image to get at least one key message across to the target audience. Even though Facebook only allows 20% of the image to be text, how you place the text on the image and what text you put will eventually matter the most in converting leads into sales.
The copy and the image
Once you’ve determined the image text and optimized the image of the ad copy, you’d want to create a compelling copy. How you create the copy will depend upon your target audience and where they are in the funnel stage. If it is at the top of the funnel, having a copy that compels the person to write a report, sign up for a webinar, or subscribe to your newsletter is best suited for starting a new relationship. However, if the ad targets the bottom-of-the-funnel audience, having a free trial or promo offer will close the deal and increase sales.
5 Rules To Write Compelling Facebook Ad Headlines
How often have you seen a Facebook ad with a dull, unimaginative headline? Unfortunately, too many businesses still don’t understand the importance of a great headline. Without an attention-grabbing headline, your ad is likely to get overlooked. In this post, I’ll share five rules for writing compelling Facebook ad headlines. Follow these tips, and you’ll be on your way to creating ads that stand out from the competition.
- Include CTA in headlines using an imperative verb form as the first word.
- As part of storytelling, tell them why they should take the action you’ve asked them to take in the CTA. By connecting the “what” to “why,” you give your readers a direction and a solid reason to act.
- Don’t have multiple ideas in the headlines. The headline should be crisp and should not convey various thoughts.
- Use numbers and special characters to make the headline more eye-catching.
- Keep it short by restricting it to 5 words because this primarily works, according to AdEspresso.
Understanding the data gathered.
Once your ad campaign begins on Facebook, you will be provided with a generous amount of data along with its analysis. You can access the data by clicking on an individual ad campaign, ad set, or data just for a particular ad copy. All the data provided by Facebook ads can be sorted by clicking on the heading, and this data can be exported into an Excel spreadsheet using the Export button. The stats for each data set have essential information such as delivery, cost, reach, relevance, and more to help you see if your campaign is working.
Start With a Small Test Budget
Start with a small daily budget and 2 or 3 versions of one ad, each sending traffic to a website or landing page built for that offer. Let them run for a week, keep the version with the lowest cost per lead, and test a new headline or image against it.
Once you have a winner, raise the budget gradually and keep testing. Your goal, your offer and your ad should always point at the same result.