There’s no doubt that Facebook has a lot to offer to your business, and it can definitely help it grow if you know the right Facebook advertising tips. But you cannot just post some content to your Facebook page and expect great results. You need to go beyond publishing great content if you want to get the highest return on investment from your marketing efforts.
The key to finding real success using our Facebook advertising tips is not to be dependent on organic reach in this particular social network’s news feed. Because organic reach has been declining for quite some time now (meaning less engagement for brands) as Facebook continues to give importance to sponsored content.
Facebook has become massive over the years, so the only way your content can rise above the rest is through targeted ads that position you in front of your audience and seeking Facebook advertising tips from other marketing experts. By leveraging the right Facebook advertising tips, you can do much better than marketers who are only focused on the “free” social media tactics and outdated methods.
According to the State of Social 2018 report published by Buffer, it was found that up to 94% of businesses (big and small) have chosen to invest in Facebook ads. And a great percentage of them are focused on boosting their social media ads budget in the year 2018.
Do Facebook Ads Work?
The simple answer is yes, they do. And the proof lies in the pudding. If you look around you’ll find every major social network (such as Twitter and LinkedIn) with its own native advertising system in place. And yet, none of them are able to deliver the kind of results Facebook does.
This is mainly because of Facebook…
- Has the most robust features laid out for advertisers who want to get the best bang for their buck.
- Has the most advanced tools for targeting the right kind of users.
- Has detailed insights into what’s working and what’s not, so that you can improve your campaign.
- Has the biggest audience, where you’re bound to find your niche audience if you look carefully.
This just goes on to show that Facebook is here to stay, and its advertising system is what your business needs — especially when you’re just starting out. No wonder the number of advertisers on Facebook and seeking Facebook advertising tips is growing by leaps and bounds.
Now, this doesn’t mean that Facebook doesn’t have a learning curve. On the contrary, Facebook ads may seem complicated at first. However, don’t let this intimidate you. The only reason their ad system is sophisticated is that it has so much to offer to its advertisers. It is designed to give you better, more targeted results while helping you stay on budget.
Facebook is a great platform for brands to advertise and get exposure, but unfortunately, not everyone gets it right. Without doing your homework on Facebook ads to learn more Facebook advertising tips, you may end up burning a hole in your wallet.
This mostly happens when and if you rush in, rather taking a careful, calculated approach. In short, you need to have a strategy and use effective Facebook advertising tips in order to get better returns.
Given that Facebook’s monthly active users keep growing, you won’t have a problem reaching your target audience and converting them with a well-executed ad campaign.
Having said that, by learning a little bit about how Facebook ads work and taking the right steps (while avoiding the common mistakes), you should be able to make your ad campaigns profitable time and again.
Let’s look into five simple Facebook advertising tips to help you get the most out of your investment.
#1: Target the Appropriate Audience
One mistake that many new Facebook advertisers make is they try to reach as many people as possible with their ad. While this isn’t entirely wrong, it’s also not the right approach. Doing so can bring down your chances of finding any noticeable success with Facebook ads.
Keep in mind that every ad you create and run on Facebook has a purpose. And this purpose should align with the core values of your target audience. When you target anyone and everyone, the ad’s purpose is defeated.
So instead of increasing your reach to a high number of people, your focus should be on reaching the right audience. This is one of the most important Facebook advertising tips to keep in mind if you want a positive return on your ad investment.
There are three strong reasons as to why your ads need to be super-targeted towards a tightly knit group of people.
- You need your content to resonate with people who are not only interested in discovering your content but are also open to sharing it with other relevant people.
- You need to reach people who are inherently curious about your type of business and want to learn more about it.
- You need to connect with a relevant audience that is highly receptive and welcoming to your message.
Initially, it may feel wrong to target a smaller group of people, but in the long run, that’s how you get more conversions. That’s how you grow.
Targeting the right audience and sharing a tailored message with them is all about understanding your users and their choices. Which means, you should…
- Know what platforms appeal to them and used mostly.
- Know how they talk to each other and what language/tone they prefer.
- Know what kind of content appeals to them the most and how they engage with it.
- Know their general preferences, likes, dislikes, etc.
You can leverage Facebook’s Audience Insights feature to get a stronger, clearer understanding of who you are targeting and why you should do so. It’ll give you a bird’s eye view of your audience and at the same time allow you to dive into the smallest of details.
#2: Get the Landing Page Right
Every person that clicks through to your ad wants to see a relevant offer that adds value. And you only have a few seconds to prove to them that you’re the right deal. How do you do that?
With the help of a proper, well-constructed landing page that helps you reach your goal. Along with the other Facebook advertising tips, this one about focusing on the landing page should not be ignored if you’re serious about getting results.
The thing is, clicks to your Facebook ads can become expensive if you’re not converting them consistently. Which is why you need to catch your visitor’s attention with a targeted landing page and convert them into a lead or customer.
When you get the landing page right, your chances of achieving a better ROI increases. Whether it is getting people to register for your webinar or have them download a free eBook or simply buy your new software tool, it all depends on where they land and how you treat them.
The more efficient the copy and the design of your landing page is, the better conversions you will see with your ad.
This is how you can make your Facebook ads landing page more efficient in terms of converting visitors:
1-Know Your Goal
When it comes to the copy of your landing page, you may have a hard time choosing between a long or short version. But this shouldn’t be that difficult if you are clear about what you want to achieve with your Facebook ad campaign. In other words, your conversion goals almost always determine the length of your landing page copy.
If you’re only looking out to generate a lead or capture your visitor’s email address, then having short copy makes sense. But when you have a much bigger goal to achieve, such as creating trust with your audience or actually selling them a product or service, then your copy should be longer with more convincing details along with social proof.
Ultimately, you need to focus on the bounce rate of your page as much as the conversion. In other words, you should make your copy interesting and relevant enough so that people actually spend some time on it. The time they spend on your page is definitely a metric that you should consider, especially when you want to see better long-term results with your ads.
2- Improve the Visuals
Using proper visual elements on your landing page goes a long way when it comes to getting real-world results. Mainly because your brain is used to processing images quicker, which is something you should use to your advantage.
Also, good, relevant visual elements add to the overall flow of the landing page and make the content easy to scan and consume. Which translates to lower bounce rates and better conversion rates.
Last but not the least, visuals can be extremely powerful when appealing to the emotions of your visitors and make them take action without adding to your copy. For instance, the choice of color your call to action button can have an impact on the conversion rate of your page.
3- Say No to Distractions
Your landing page should simplify things for your Facebook ad visitors, not complicate them. Which means you should avoid using any distracting elements that clutter your pages, such as unnecessary navigation links or social icons that drive people away from the page. If something isn’t contributing to the overall goal of your landing page, it should be avoided at all costs. Fewer distractions for the visitor means better results from your landing page.
However, this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t add elements that help build trust and credibility. While your landing page should not have navigation links, it can have links to your privacy policy, which helps your visitors make the decision.
#3- Make the Image Count
Facebook ads are different than the ads you find on the Internet, or other social media sites. When you’re running a Facebook ad, you not only need to use the right copy but also an image that helps your ad stand out from the rest. Using a wrong image can turn off your potential audience or worse, it may not even get noticed.
In order to make your Facebook ad campaign successful, it’s crucial that you have all elements in place, especially the image associated with your ad. All the testing and tweaking you do to your ad copy won’t make a difference if your ad is invisible simply due to a bad image.
So how do you ensure that your image makes a difference to your campaign? How do you make it count?
Use Text Creatively
While it’s true that Facebook no longer rejects ads based on the amount of text the image contains, the text still matters. Depending on the text you’re adding to the image, Facebook gives you a rating of low, medium, or high.
But you still need to remember that Facebook loves or rather prefers ad images that contain little or no text. So if you are going to use text in your ad images, then you need to do it creatively. In other words, you should practice brevity and make sure you’re not adding any text just for the heck of it.
best way to determine how much text should go into your ad image is to test a few different versions of it. This will give you a much better idea of what’s working and what’s not.
Avoid Choosing a Random Stock Image
No, there’s no harm in using stock images in your Facebook ads. But if you are going to use one, ensure it is highly relevant to your ad’s message. You can’t just pick something that simply looks appealing but has zero connection to the ad copy. The stock image needs to stand out but at the same time, it has to be unique to your brand. Regardless of what you select, test a few stock images to determine which one fetches you the most conversions.
If you have the time and the money, you may want to go out there and snap your own images. These will be a lot better than the stock image options Facebook offers you from its library. Once again, test any image before you go full throttle.
Be Consistent
Make sure the image you choose for the ad is consistent across your ad copy and the landing page. The image has to align with the overall message that you’re sending to your prospect. It should help them connect to your ad on an emotional level. This can only happen when you focus on consistency. All other Facebook advertising tips won’t give you the kind of results you want if you’re not consistent.
For example, if you’re running a Facebook Newsfeed ad about your e-commerce store, use an image that reflects the experience that your visitor will feel once they are on your website. Also, the copy and the images you use on the landing page should match your ad creative so that the visitor doesn’t experience any cognitive dissonance.
#4: Leverage Video Ads
Facebook is giving immense importance to video ads and will continue to do so. So if you are not leveraging video “newsfeed” ads, you are leaving money on the table.
Even though Facebook’s organic reach is declining, videos have a special place in its newsfeed. Which means, by embracing video, you can experience better organic reach and a higher engagement rate when compared to other types of content.
The reason why Facebook is giving weight to video content is simple: its users are watching more videos than ever. As much as 100 million hours every single day!
When it comes to social advertising, Facebook videos are not only budget friendly but also have a better reach. Facebook knows this, which is why they’re encouraging advertisers to use video ads. Of all the Facebook advertising tips that we have discussed above, this one has gained the most prominence in the online advertising world.
When it comes to making videos ads that get a favorable return on investment, you can’t follow the examples of videos you find on YouTube or Vimeo. Video ads on Facebook have to be structured keeping in mind the audience you’re targeting and what they would find appealing in this particular social environment.
Let’s see what you can do to ensure your Facebook video ad campaigns are structured the right way.
1- Your video ad on Facebook needs to be interesting. It has to grab the attention of the viewer in the first 3-4 seconds to make an impact. Why? Because the Facebook newsfeed is crowded, and users have many other options to look at. So you want your video ad to be interesting enough for them to not move on.
2- While adding sound to your video ad is recommended, it’s not the most critical focus area. Instead, focus on creating videos where you impress the user with zero sound. That’s right, your videos need to be effective when silent. Most of the Facebook users by default watch videos on silent mode, and tend to up the volume if the video is interesting enough.
3- Test different variations of your video ad to find out which one entices your audience the most. Testing each variation will give you the room to tweak your ad and refine it for better results.
Facebook video ads have immense potential for businesses of all sizes. They can help you improve your ROI while creating a stronger relationship with your target audience.
#5: Build a Proper Sales Funnel
Selling on Facebook isn’t reserved for the elite few or brands that have deep pockets. Your business can actually sell on Facebook with the help of organic content, paid ads, and a few of our Facebook advertising tips. Selling on Facebook is a lot more effective when you create a sales funnel that helps you achieve your purpose.
The purpose of a Facebook sales funnel is to warm up your target audience or nurture them before pitching them a product or service. This tactic works because using relevant messages for different users (at different stages) can make it easy for you to convince them to convert.
Facebook ads work extremely well for this purpose as you can target prospective buyers at all stages of the sales funnel. Even though Facebook is used for engaging users, it can also be used to generate a large number of sales with the help of a strong funnel.
Sales funnels tend to fill a gap and educate users to take action by creating demand overtime. It gives users a fair idea of their own pain points and how your product/service can address them. In short, a Facebook sales funnel will help you take a different path. It’s one of those Facebook advertising tips that will stand the test of time.
The best part about building a sales funnel is the fact that you can create different types of ads targeted towards all types of users. Here are two basic steps that you need to take to start creating a sales funnel on Facebook.
- Create awareness about your brand with the help of organic posting, relevant Facebook ads, and referral contests. This is the first and the most subtle step to getting the user into your sales funnel.
- Once your target users are made aware of your product/service, they reach the consideration stage, where you need to tell them why they need to invest in your brand. This is the stage where you give enough proof to help users move to the next stage. Make sure to address pain points and the same time take care of any objections they may have. For example, answering comments on your Facebook ads is a great way to do this.
We’ve given you our five best Facebook advertising tips, so you can leverage this new-found knowledge to grow your business. If you want to pick our brains a little more, then contact us to schedule a time to chat or browse through our services to learn how our social media marketing company can help you increase reach with your advertising efforts.
