Crafting Effective Facebook Ads for Your Online Business
Quick dose of brutal honesty: It takes time, skill, and willingness to learn from trial-and-error to create Facebook ads that deliver the absolute best results and conversion rate for your unique online business.
In this post, we’ll provide you with essential basics and strategies to try that will give you a solid jumping-off point. Remember though, you’ll need to be patient and persistent as you fine-tune your ad campaigns for optimal results.
Before diving into the details of ad creation, it is important to know the capabilities and limitations of Facebook ads. We need to make sure you know exactly what this type of promotion can (and can’t) do for you.
What are Facebook Ads?
Facebook Ads is a platform provided by Meta that allows businesses and individuals to create and run advertisements on Facebook, Instagram, and affiliated platforms. Its purpose is to effectively reach a specific target audience and promote products, services, or content.
Maximizing the Potential of Facebook Ads
(Hint: No hard selling!)
Scroll through your own Facebook or Instagram feed and observe the ads that those platforms serve to you as a user. You’ll likely come across a few brand-focused campaigns but many more direct-sales plugs for items like t-shirts, jewelry, or hand-crafted artisan items.
Seeing these, you may think, “Awesome! Clearly, people are selling things using this platform, so I can expect to sell classes or subscriptions using Facebook ads myself.”
But the reality is a bit more complex than that.
A “cold audience” —individuals who’ve had no prior knowledge of you or your business—almost NEVER buy something just because they’ve viewed an online ad. Even a meticulously phrased and beautifully designed ad with compelling language and stunning visuals may not immediately sway them. (Which is kind of a relief, right? It’s not you; it’s just the way that Facebook ads work!)
People occasionally pony up for actual merchandise—hence the t-shirt ads—but intangible services and virtually anything that costs more than $20 may just not reliably sell on Facebook or Instagram.
Not only that, the majority of ads you see in your own feed are retargeted ads: They’re specifically crafted by companies who have tracked your actions on their websites and are strategically reaching out to remind you about items you’ve already shown interest in, such as the West Elm lamp in your shopping cart.
Those companies tracked your actions and strategically reached back out to you through Facebook or Instagram to say, “Hey, remember looking at that West Elm lamp online yesterday—that one you added to your shopping cart? West Elm still exists! Maybe you should swing by again and actually BUY that lamp.”
Instead of shoving something brand new in your face and demanding you buy it, they’re gently reminding you about something you’ve already shown an interest in purchasing.
The good news is this is a strategy that you can also use to target and reach your own customers. We’ll circle back to the specifics shortly. But since you’ve already accepted that you won’t be selling courses and memberships directly via Facebook ads, you need to determine what you will promote and how you’ll frame it.
Defining your Facebook Ads goals
Before you shell out a single dime for an ad, it’s crucial to establish a clear campaign goal. And that goal should be something more substantial than branding or website click-throughs. If your business is relatively new to Facebook or Instagram, one effective campaign objective could be to boost your Facebook or Instagram following.
This type of campaign offers several advantages: It is cost-effective, impactful, and particularly beneficial for businesses with a smaller community of fewer than 1,000 members. It’s also a great tool to augment an existing lively and active Facebook group or if you know for a fact that your Facebook page serves as the primary sales funnel into your business. While “like” and “follow” campaigns may not directly lead to immediate sales, they do build legitimacy for your online and social media presence.
However, unless you’re a brand new business, we recommend shifting your focus to a list-building strategy using Facebook ads. This tried-and-true approach allows you to generate sign-ups for your email list, providing a powerful foundation for building and scaling your business quickly. Here’s what you’ll absolutely need before getting going:
A robust, alluring, and 100% free opt-in gift that’s emailed out to all new subscribers
A killer landing page (or a gorgeous Marvelous homepage!) with a Facebook Pixel (also known as Meta Pixel) installed. Ensure that you integrate your landing page with your email platform.
A friendly “Thanks for signing up! Here’s your freebie and a little more info about me” delivery email is written and ready to roll.
A follow-up sequence of at least three additional emails that will send automatically at specific times to remind new subscribers of your other offerings
If you’ve got all of those puzzle pieces in place, you can create incredibly effective Facebook ads that will grow your list by leaps and bounds.
Targeting the right students through Facebook Ads
As we hammered home earlier, you do NOT want to blast your ads out to the entire world. Instead, like the companies that strategically target you with their ads, you want to speak directly to your Quintessential Client (QC) and folks who are predisposed to show interest in your business.
Luckily, Facebook provides powerful demographic and psychographic tools that make it a cinch to find your target audience and reach those exact groups, enabling you to make the most of your ad spend.
Your QC profile should be extremely specific, but for ad purposes, you can use slightly broader strokes. Be sure to hone in on:
Geographic Location: Where your QC is primarily located (for online offerings, you’ll want to include the “big 5”: United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.) These countries typically have a high demand for online education and a large population of potential students.
Interests and Affinities: For example, are they a fan of someone who is prominent in your field of expertise? Do they like certain books, podcasts, events, or products? Targeting these interests helps you reach individuals who have already shown an affinity for the subject matter, increasing the likelihood of engagement and conversations.
Gender: Consider whether your educational offerings are specifically tailored to a particular gender. If there are gender-specific aspects to your courses or programs, targeting the appropriate gender can help ensure your ads resonate with the right audience.
But don’t stop there! Go beyond the basic demographic information and drill down to include additional criteria that align with your educational offering and are essential to defining your QC.
Job Title Targeting: If you’re offering classes or training that’s meant for yoga teachers, hit up the “job title” category and include all jobs that include the word “yoga.”
Category Targeting: If you focus on prenatal or postnatal offerings, mine the “parents” category to target pregnant women and brand-new moms.
Think strategically, then select another three to five criteria in addition to the basic three listed above. Choose ones that contribute to creating a rich, full picture of your QC, or ones that make your ad campaign tailored and specific.
Drawing from our extensive experience of testing Facebook ads for almost a decade, we highly recommend maintaining a relatively small ad audience, between 90,000 and 400,000 people. More than that, and you’re casting a mighty wide net; you may end up catching lots of people who don’t truly fit your QC profile.
Crafting compelling ad content that captivates and converts
Now that you’ve dedicated time honing in on the demographic and psychographic groups you want your ad to reach, and have made a decision on whether you want them to:
Join your Facebook following (like your page or join your group), or
Subscribe to your email list (our recommendation in most cases),
It’s crucial to allocate some time crafting your copy and visuals, and embracing the experimentation phase. Begin by creating dynamic ads that incorporate multiple options for text, graphics, and calls to action (CTA). This approach allows you to test different combinations and discover what resonates most effectively with your audience.
For instance, maybe start with testing two ad creatives (one featuring a static image and another showcasing a video of you explaining the opt-in), two types of ad description (one long-form ad copy with a couple of paragraphs and another with just a few lines of text), or test a “Sign Up” vs “Download” or “Learn More” CTA.
Beyond these initial tests, you can explore additional variations, such as directing people to different lead magnet freebies, refining your target demographics, and modifying your headline. Pay close attention to the results generated by these tests, as they will provide valuable insights into what resonates most effectively with your audience. By continuously iterating and analyzing the outcomes, you can refine your ad strategy for optimal performance and achieve your desired objectives.
Unlock the Power of Facebook Retargeting Ads
Yep, time to circle back to the concept of retargeting and how it can significantly benefit your business! If your focus lies in building a valuable email list, then pay close attention to this crucial next step:
Once you’ve executed a series of ads that directed folks to your email list sign-up page, it’s time to leverage your Facebook Pixel and retarget those recent sign-ups
Create new ads that guide these new subscribers to your blog posts, entice them with your paid offerings, or introduce them to your captivating video series. Given their demonstrated interest in you and your business, NOW is the ideal moment to encourage them to take the next leap.
This next step can involve making a purchase or engaging with you on a deeper level by signing up for a more extensive (yet still free) class or webinar. By implementing this strategy, you’re maximizing your investment by reconnecting with individuals who are already primed to transition from mere followers to valuable customers.
FAQs
Q: How do Facebook Ads work?
Facebook Ads operate on a bidding system. Advertisers create ad campaigns with specific objectives, target audiences, and ad creatives. They bid for their ads to be shown to their target audience based on factors such as budget, bid amount, and ad relevance. Facebook's algorithm determines which ads to display to users based on their interests, behavior, and demographics.
Q: What are the advantages of using Facebook Ads?
Some key advantages of Facebook Ads include:
Extensive user base: Facebook has billions of active users, providing a vast potential audience for your ads.
Precise targeting: Facebook offers advanced targeting options based on demographics, interests, behaviors, and more, allowing you to reach your desired audience.
Diverse ad formats: Facebook supports various ad formats, including images, videos, carousels, and stories, enabling you to create engaging and interactive ads.
Measurable results: Facebook Ads provides detailed analytics and reporting tools to track the performance of your campaigns, enabling data-driven decision-making and ad optimization.
Q: How much does it cost to advertise on Facebook?
The cost of Facebook Ads depends on several factors, including targeting options, bid amount, ad relevance, and competition. Advertisers can set a daily or lifetime budget for their campaigns, and Facebook optimizes the ads to stay within that budget. Bidding options like cost-per-click (CPC), cost-per-thousand-impressions (CPM), and cost-per-action (CPA) are available.
Q: How can I create Facebook Ads?
To create Facebook Ads, follow these general steps:
Set up a Facebook Business Manager account.
Create a Facebook Page for your business.
Access Facebook Ads Manager and select your marketing objective.
Define your target audience based on demographics, interests, behaviors, and location.
Choose the ad format and create compelling ad content (text, images, videos).
Set your budget, bidding strategy, and campaign duration.
Launch your campaign and monitor its performance through Ads Manager.
For more detailed instructions, visit the Meta ads page.
Q: Can I advertise on platforms other than Facebook?
Yes, Facebook Ads Manager allows you to advertise not only on Facebook but also on other platforms owned by Facebook, including Instagram, and Messenger. This expands your reach and enables you to leverage different advertising formats available on each platform.
Please note that Facebook's specific features and functionalities may change over time, so it's advisable to refer to Facebook's official documentation and resources for the most up-to-date information.
Q: Is Facebook Ads now called Meta Ads?
Facebook underwent a major rebranding and now goes by the name Meta. Facebook has undergone a major rebranding and is now known as Meta. But despite the name change, the advertising platform Facebook Ads has retained its name.
Q: Is Facebook pixel now called Meta pixel?
Yes, as part of the rebranding from Facebook to Meta, Meta has also changed the name of the widely-used tool known as Facebook Pixel, and it is now officially called Meta Pixel.
Final Thoughts
Creating awesome and efficient Facebook ads for your Facebook ads-ready business takes time, skill, and a good ol' dose of trial-and-error.
It's crucial to know the ins and outs of Facebook ads, including strengths and pain points, especially when it comes to promoting intangible services or high-cost items. Setting clear goals, such as increasing your social media following or gaining email sign-ups, can yield better results. The key is to target the right audience by utilizing those powerful demographic and psychographic tools available.
Additionally, it is essential to ensure that your advertising content is highly captivating, enabling it to effectively engage with your target audience and evoke profound emotional responses.
Finally, employing retargeting ads presents an opportunity to reestablish connections with individuals who already showed interest in your biz. This approach allows you to nurture and convert those prospects into your raving fans and loyal customers.
