There are about seven billion people in the world — and roughly two billion of those people use Facebook. That’s almost a quarter of our population! There isn’t any other social media platform that can boast that dominance. It’s not only a social network but also a place to share videos, publish original content, and connect with customers.
With about 1.5 million active users per day, Facebook is ripe for brand discovery. This popular social network is also a major ads platform. Facebook ads blend seamlessly into the overall feed, boosting your business’s ability to connect with all those users.
A single ad campaign can connect you with thousands of people who can become aware of your company. Even if only a fraction of these decides to use your services, that’s still a lot of people!
Many business owners assume it’s enough just to have a Facebook account and that people will find it. That may get you a bit of attention thanks to Facebook’s discovery algorithms. However, if you want to be successful, you need to be doing more. This includes launching a Facebook ad campaign.
Facebook ads can be complicated and a bit confusing for the newcomer. Don’t worry, though; we’re here to cover the basics. Read on for helpful guidance and tips for surviving your first Facebook ad campaign.
Three Tips For Launching A Successful Facebook Ad Campaign
Step 1: Establish Your Page
When you first begin, you’ll have to set up your Facebook business page if you haven’t already. Here, you’ll find options to customize your page, including the call-to-action button, hours of operation, etc. Make sure everything is complete before you start running a Facebook ad campaign. Then, establish your ads account, which you’ll find in Facebook Business Manager.
Also, don’t forget to fill in your billing information for the ads! Once all your settings and billing are set up, you can begin setting up your campaign.
Step 2: Research Your Target Audience
Before you begin to put together your Facebook ad campaign, know whom you’re targeting. Facebook charges for ads based on the number of impressions, i.e., how many times your ad is seen. If no one clicks on the ads, that could be a large expense with no payoff. So, you’ll want to do thorough research first to ensure that you fully understand your audience and what will resonate with them.
This research includes identifying your target audience’s main interests, the solutions they’re seeking, and the language/imagery that appeals to them. Remember, ads should be designed to get clicks! Try to speak directly to your ideal customers. The Facebook Ads platform will give you options to specify certain demographics, interests, and behaviors in each ad audience segment.
If your page has been running for a while, check out your Insights in Business Manager to see who’s already been interacting with your page. When it’s time to choose your audience, you can even select these people to target for your Facebook ad campaign.
Another option is to “boost” a post from your business page. This can be a great way to promote existing content to even more people — without seeming like an ad. Boosted posts are ideal for building brand awareness and generating buzz.
Step 3: Design Your Ad
Designing a compelling ad is critical to launching a successful Facebook ad campaign. Facebook offers an infinite scroll of content. Your ad must be eye-catching and relevant — or else your audience may skip over it, easily moving on without a second glance.
Fortunately for you, Facebook offers many ways that you can design your ad to grab people’s attention. You can choose a video, multiple images, or just a single image. In any case, a common Facebook ad campaign template is usually a brief description, a link, and a call-to-action.
Different segments of your target audience respond to different formats. For example, those who are primed to buy from you (e.g., previous customers) are more likely to respond to a flash-sale carousel ad. By contrast, people who have never heard of your business may be more enticed by a sponsored post that contains helpful information.
No matter your format, be sure to follow Facebook’s ad guidelines closely. Use the proper image/video size and format. Certain words and claims are not permitted on Facebook. Research before you spend time designing graphics and writing ad copy!
Facebook does give you the option to automatically adjust and renew ads based on your results. If you have some money to spend, this can be a good approach. Otherwise, monitor your Facebook ad campaign results, and tweak with each new round of ads!
5 Facebook Ad Campaign Examples
Stumped on where to begin? We’ve got you covered. Here are some common Facebook ad campaign examples.
Get Likes for Your Page
Still growing your Facebook Business page? Run a Likes campaign. Choose your target audience, then set your ad’s goal to “get more page likes.” Don’t forget to include an eye-catching banner image!
Drive Traffic to Your Website
Send people to a landing page with a carousel ad. You can choose up to 5 images, 2 headlines, and 2 button texts, and Facebook will mix and match them based on your audience.
Generate Leads
Want to add some potential customers to your pipeline? Set your goal to “Get more leads, and Facebook will capture users’ information with a simple form.
Promote a Video
Build interest in your product by uploading an explainer video to your Facebook page, then choose “Boost Post.” Facebook will show the video to your target audience.
Get People to DM You
If you’d like to start conversations with potential customers, run a Facebook ad campaign with the goal to “Get more messages on Messenger.” There’s also a WhatsApp option if that better suits your audience.
In Conclusion: Making Your First Facebook Ad Campaign A Success
Overall, Facebook is a great opportunity to promote your business and reach a wider audience. However, it can also be complicated and a bit overwhelming when you begin putting together your first Facebook ad campaign.
The good news is that you have some creative freedom, and Facebook makes it easy to generate and adjust your ads. The most important thing is to thoroughly research your audience before you even begin designing your ad. Know your ideal customers, and you’re more likely to capture their attention on this massive social platform!
