Social media connects your business with the world.
It does this in a variety of ways. From simple concepts such as likes, comments, and shares, to more complex features like reviews and calls-to-action, Facebook is truly necessary for brands who want to engage with their audience.
You may have considered the idea of Facebook advertising in the past, but you’d be surprised at how many times companies place ads without much thought behind them. Perhaps you’ve “boosted” your current posts for $5 or $10 and have seen little to no results. Or you have run real ads before, but did not develop any strategies or put into place best practices for managing your page as a whole.
There is a lot more to it than that.
SEO Brand will touch on some of the reasons why Facebook advertising can help your business on a social level. We’ll also provide a few simple steps on how to get organized.
Types of Facebook Ads
When you want a successful Facebook advertising campaign, it’s important to have the basics down first. Start by choosing the type of ad you want to place.
A Domain Ad is pretty simple. It is only displayed on the right-hand side, or right column, of a user’s Facebook page. You can write a short title, external URL, short description, and small image with your ad. Keep in mind that while this type of ad is inexpensive compared to others, there is no mobile support, so it may not be ideal for you.
A Page Post Link is much more common. These are displayed on your audience’s direct Facebook feed. They also include a title, URL, and description, as well as a much larger image. An added benefit to a Page Post Link is that it tends to generate more page likes for your brand. It is also mobile-friendly.
A Multi-Product Ad, or Carousel, was introduced in 2014. These support up to 5 photos to display. Carousels are perfect for product features, so if you have an eCommerce store, this ad type should be at the top of your list.
Leads Ads, added in 2015, are meant to generate leads for your company. These are convenient because a user does not have to leave Facebook to fill out their information.
Canvas Ads are probably the most engaging (and let’s admit it – fun) type of ad out there. With Canvas, you can swipe through a series of images, zoom in, zoom out, and tilt the images in different directions. Because of its interactive nature, this type of ad is only available on mobile.
Creatives to UseÂ
Once you decide what type of Facebook ad you want to use, you must create the original content.
Start out by taking a look at your successful direct competitors. What types of posts are getting the most engagement, and what are they doing right? Do they use videos, photos, or infographics most often? What kind of language do they use?
Don’t forget to choose a goal for your ads. For example:
- Improving post engagement
- Getting more likes and/ or clicks to your website
- Promoting your new app or website
Yes, the ultimate goal of Facebook advertising is sales. However, being too “sales-y” may not get you as many sales as you might think! Choose creatives that you believe will support your end goals. This will lay the groundwork for your Facebook advertising efforts.
Target Your AudienceÂ
Take a moment to ask yourself: who are your customers? No matter what type of ad you choose, make sure that you properly define your audience. Facebook advertising will do you no good if you are showing your ads to the wrong people.
This is a crucial step for your campaign. Factors such as location, age, and gender are important, but you must also know in a general sense what their interests are. This can include other pages they’ve liked. For example, if you are a women’s clothing store, a great test audience is women between the ages of 21 – 35 who like popular brands such as Francescas and Forever 21.
Feel free to try out several test audiences and see how each segment responds to your ads.
Analyze Your DataÂ
How do you know if your Facebook ads are working unless you write down the data? Ads need to be monitored and adjusted to ensure your business is reaching its goals.
The most useful data is the cost per action since you can base future budgets on these numbers. Make weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly reports to track growth and continue testing as needed. No matter how well you perform, there is always room for a little extra improvement!
Find Profits Through FacebookÂ
True and lasting profits through Facebook advertising takes time and just the right metrics, so find out what works for your business. For more information on how SEO Brand can help your business through this process, contact one of our social media experts today!
