Facebook has become a great place for businesses to advertise. With millions of users on the site at any given time, the potential is huge. Creating and managing a Facebook ad can be a bit difficult. Here are a few tips to help you through the process.
Determine what your goals are.
Before you even start to place the ad, you need to figure out what you want to get out of it. Are you looking to increase the number of likes on your Facebook page, or get more traffic to your website? Are you looking to gain customers or inform people about something? The answers to these questions will impact how you place your add.
Use a visually interesting graphic.
Pictures grab attention. Great pictures grab more attention. Spend some time on the graphics you’re going to use. Generally when people scroll through their newsfeed they won’t stop to read something unless the picture associated with it grabs their attention. Reel them in by creating something unique and interesting.
Use multiple images.
When creating a Facebook ad, it’s a good idea to use three images. One will be used for ads on the side, another for an ad in the newsfeed, and the third is usually shown on mobile devices. You want the pictures to be different enough that people aren’t seeing the same thing over and over, but yet consistent enough to reinforce brand recognition.
Include a call to action.
Make sure your ad clearly tells people what you’d like them to do (e.g. ‘visit our page!’). Without a call to action, all you’ve really done is put up a picture and some words for people to look at. If there’s a specific page on your website that is associated with the ad, make sure the link goes directly to that page so people don’t get lost along the way. If your call to action is to purchase a specific product, have your ad send them directly there.
Target, target, target!
I cannot convey how important it is for you to target people correctly when placing your ad. A common mistake is for people to think that the larger the potential audience the better. This isn’t true. Sending your message out to a huge audience is a gamble. Yes, a lot of people are seeing your ad. But are they the people you’re looking for? Probably not. Make sure you keep your customer persona in mind when creating ads. If you know that most of your customers are women, cut out men altogether from your ads. If your ultimate goal is to get people in the store, target people in your area. It will do you absolutely no good to target other areas to achieve this goal. You may also want to target based on relationship status, whether or not they have children, if they are likely to move, etc. Facebook ads allow you to get really specific.
Make your headline and description interesting.
A great picture is the first thing you need to grab attention, but a good headline and description to go along with it are very helpful. This is where your call to action should be. Don’t make it too “salesy” as it may turn people off.
Keep track of the ads and make changes as needed.
You may notice your ad isn’t giving you the results you were expecting. Don’t be afraid to go into it and change a few things, such as the targeting or the description. A few tweaks here and there can really help if your ad isn’t doing well.
Facebook ads can be a great tool to drive business when used correctly. At Blue Frog we are able to place Facebook ads for companies and manage them for a reasonable rate. If you are interested in learning more about our Facebook advertising services, contact us.
