Facebook is the biggest social media platform in the world today. With over 1 billion active users, it is the perfect place for any business to not only engage with customers, but to source new customers as well. Perhaps the best way to do this is to create a Facebook ad. Why? How do Facebook ads work? Well, ads on Facebook have the ability to reach a large or small target audience, all defined by a number of demographic parameters you as the business owner decide on. In this piece, we will be looking at how to make a Facebook ad, how to create a Facebook advertising campaign, and go over some Facebook advertising tips.
Creating Ads on a Facebook
Creating an ad on Facebook is a relatively simple task, although to do this, a company must already have a presence on platform. From there, follow these basic steps:
- Select ad creation.
- Select an advertising objective. This could be as simple as driving traffic to your company website.
- Once you have decided on your specific campaign, click continue to receive Facebook’s quote.
Of course this is a very basic overview, we will look at each process in a little more detail, as well as other Facebook advertising tips to ensure your campaigns are a success.
Facebook Advertising Strategy
It is imperative to have a defined strategy when advertising on Facebook. What are the objectives for your company’s ads on Facebook? Are you looking to get email addresses, increase sales, move product, or promote an event? These are all things that you can use Facebook ads for. Facebook provides many excellent options when it comes the specifics of what it is you would like to advertise. From video to event promotions, there are many types of Facebook adsthat you can use to generate sales to your business. Before developing an ad, figure out what your objectives are so that you can build your ad around them. Related: Webinar-How to Master Facebook Advertising
Targeted Facebook Ads
Creating ads on Facebook is easy. The real decision is where to target your Facebook ad so that it is as effective as it can be. When it comes to choosing who to target with specific advertising, Facebook allows audiences to be chosen according to a number of factors. These include their location, as well as certain demographics factors such as age, gender or audience interests. How exactly do you choose your audience? Well it all comes down to what you would like to achieve with your advertising. For example, to raise awareness of your business, its products or services, choose a wide audience. If you want people to do something specific, visit your website for example, choose an audience that is more narrowly defined. Facebook also allows multiple ad targeting options. This means you can set extra parameters, for example, men ages 18 to 25. There are many of these parameters that can be defined when choosing your audience. Finally, you can further narrow down your field using segmentation. Facebook’s segmentation tool allows you to setup various segments of your target market by defining the various parameters as discussed above. This will help to see how large a target audience your Facebook ad will reach. Remember to use hashtags as a way to define your target market as well. For example #nymets will target people that like the New York Mets on Facebook.
Cost of Ads on Facebook
By now you have a good idea of the basics regarding how to create an ad on Facebook. Sticking to a set budget can sometimes be a little more difficult. Your Facebook spending budget should fit into your overall marketing plan and budget. When you begin to advertise, Facebook gives you two options regarding your budget—daily or lifetime. Facebook will also ask the amount that you wish to spend on advertising (with a minimum of $1). There are two bidding types to choose from:
- Cost per click: here you are charged every time a Facebook user interacts with the ad.
- Cost per impression: this is the average cost for 1000 impressions on an ad.
The final budget is also determined by audience targets (broad or narrow), demographics and audience behaviors. Related: Marketing Without a Budget
Facebook Ad Images and Graphics
Often useful images to use in Facebook ads are difficult to come by. Luckily, there are a number of free stock photo image sitesfor you to use. Small businesses also sometimes struggle with graphic tools to manipulate images—here are some visual marketing toolsto get you started. There are some important rules to follow when you create a Facebook ad image or graphics.
- An image should be the right size and not have more than 20% text on it.
- An image should be up to 110×80 pixels in size.
- An image should have a 4:3 or 16:9 ratio.
- No image may be larger than 5 kilobytes in size.
When you create a Facebook ad image remember these simple tips.
- Do not use Facebook’s color scheme (blue and white).
- Don’t use logos. These only work for large, established brands.
- Consider using pictures of people to give the ad personality.
- If you sell a product, consider using the product as an ad image (for example a mobile phone).
Facebook Ad Copy
Written ad copy certainly is the most important part of any Facebook ad. Information on guidelines can be read elsewhere but there are four key things the copy should achieve.
- Focus on benefits. Showcase what your product or service offers the target audience. If there are many, consider listing them for a more visual impact.
- Be honest. Stick to the facts about your product or service. Simple is best, avoid clichés and more importantly never lie!
- Optimize your ads. Remember to use the correct grammar as well as punctuation. Try to have a call to action within the advert and if you are not able to insert one, appeal to the audience’s emotions.
- Follow guidelines. Facebook has a number of guidelines that must be followed. Here are a few examples:
- Always capitalize the F in Facebook.
- Never use the Facebook logo in place of the word.
- Never abbreviate the word Facebook.
- Never advertise prohibited material.
Strong Call to Action
- Tells the target audience what to do next
- Generates leads, which in turn equal new business opportunities.
- Increases the functionality of your ad.
Managing Facebook Ad Performance
Finally, it is important to see how your Facebook ad is performing. This can be achieved by tracked links. By tracking your links, like the landing page that your call to action points you, you can evaluate the performance of your ad. Analyze the data to find out how many people are turning into paying customers and adjust your ad accordingly. By now you have a very good idea of not only the benefits of Facebook advertising, but how to make a Facebook ad, as well as how to create a Facebook ad campaign. As the world’s biggest social media platform, advertising on Facebook can only benefit your business. For more information about Facebook ads, check out our webinar on how to master Facebook advertising.
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