Love it or hate it, Facebook has become a powerhouse in business advertising.
Corporate giants, independent entrepreneurs, and everyone in between are seeing huge gains from using Facebook Ads as part of their marketing strategy. Facebook gives you direct access to customers in a way that no other advertising channel can; if you want to grow your business, it can’t be ignored.
I’ve had hundreds of conversations from business owners claiming Facebook doesn’t work for them. They’ve put out an effort, saw little to no results and don’t believe it’s ideal for their business. WRONG!
More often than not, Facebook fails because it wasn’t used properly or it wasn’t taken seriously. Just like any other marketing tactics, there are certain things that you need to do to ensure you’re getting a result from your time, effort and money.
To harness the full potential of Facebook and see your business grow you must invest in ad spend.
Without a budget for running Facebook Ads you’re unlikely to reach your ideal customer and will have a difficult time getting any real traction from your efforts. For a business simply trying to boost their Facebook presence, a budget of $300-$500 per month on advertising is completely reasonable. For businesses that are interested in selling a particular product or course, there is a more mathematical approach to determining how much to spend. Hubspot has a useful calculator for determining what your budget should be. Anyone who takes their business seriously understands the important of advertising and getting your name in front of people; I recommend using marketing dollars on Facebook because they offer a cost-effective, precise and measurable way of growing your business.
The last thing you want to do is start throwing money on Facebook Ads without the strategy and know- how you need to get results. Facebook gives you access to potential clients worldwide but not everyone is your customer. In order to get most out of your dollars, you must identify who your customer is; knowing who exactly to reach will ensure you’re using every penny wisely and can save you a lot of money in the long run. If you haven’t completed this exercise you can download my Free Guide to Finding Your Dream Customer.
Now that you have a clear picture of who your customer is, you’ll want to utilize Facebook’s targeting features to reach those people. One of the important reasons Facebook works is because of your ability to target exactly who you want to see your ads. You can set-up audiences based on a variety of factors such as: Locations, Age, Gender, Demographics, Interests, Behaviors and more. Seriously, think about that for a minute! No other advertising channel or platform allows you to precisely pinpoint and market specifically to those people who are already interested in what you have to offer. This alone should be the number one reason you invest in Facebook Advertising for your business.
There is a science that goes into developing a Facebook Ad but before you start running it, you’ll want to have your website up and a proper sales funnel in place. A funnel is what you will use to capture leads.
This information is invaluable if you want to convert those leads into paying customers. The most successful sales funnels are ones that include an attractive and functional website and include an offer they can’t refuse.
Creative visuals can make or break any ad; whichever advertising channel or marketing media you are using I strongly suggest you have a professional and powerful visual to pair along with it. You’re going to want something that grabs attention, piques interest and appeals to your audience specifically. One of the best ways to determine the right images for your ads is to conduct a split test. Split tests within the Facebook ads platform allows you to determine what style of images resonates best with your target customer. A good visual for your ad will have an image directly related to your product or service and will stand out among the endless images that users scroll through. Your ad is going to be the first impression someone has of who you are and what you represent, and if you don’t take that seriously they won’t either.
A final but important component of a successful ad is to have a persuasive written copy. The words you use in the ad should invite your customer in and incite emotion that leads them to take action. This “call to action,” or CTA, is one of the most essential parts of persuasive copy. Powerful calls to action speak directly to the customer, telling them to take an action that will have an impact on their day. Phrases like “register today,” “try it for free,” and “buy now” tell the customer what the button will do for them.
Weaker phrases like “learn more” or “click here” don’t entice the customer by telling them what they will learn or why they are clicking. This is one of the most difficult parts of marketing and a valuable skill in the industry. The last thing you want is to spend time getting all the parts ready only to fall short because you didn’t convey the right message. The right copy will complement your visuals and leave a powerful ad that performs well.
Here are two examples of Facebook ads for totally different products and services. The ad on the left has a bland generic stock image and weak written copy. The call to action button is not compelling and the evidence of the ad’s failure is there is an incredibly low like and share ratio.
The ad on the right is different in nearly every respect. It has an image that creates an emotional response in the viewer and is directly related to the campaign. With a strong call to action button, “Donate Now,” and copy that has a sense of urgency and creates an emotional response, the like and share ratio is much higher.
When you combine your Facebook ad spend with precise targeting, Facebook tools and the science behind an ad you’ll unlock the powerful potential that Facebook has to offer. Stop wasting your money! If you are ready to accelerate growth and are committed to taking your business to the next level, start advertising with Facebook today.