In 2004, a college kid created one of the most powerful communication tools we have today called Facebook, and now, everyone and their grandma is on it. It has evolved with society and has only continued growth since its inception — barring a few blips.
As of today, more than half of people who use the internet access Facebook every month (about two billion people). Since it’s so deeply ingrained into the daily lives of so many people, they’ve effectively created one of the most valuable resources for advertisers.
It’s easy to assume that because of your industry, “your potential customers aren’t on Facebook.” But to that, I say, everyone is on Facebook and you should be using it to leverage your company.
Before we get into the nitty gritty, it’s important to note the difference between a Facebook Ad and a Facebook post. A standard Facebook post is a message you push out to people who Like your business’s Page. An Ad is an ultra-targeted message that you push out to the Audiences you determine, which is not limited to just people who Like your Page.
Now that we’re on the same page with Facebook Advertising being a must-have, let’s figure out how to make the highest converting Facebook ads.
1. Find Your Crowd
The first step is to make sure your ads will be served up to the people who have a need based on what you’re offering. In the Ad Manager, Facebook’s Audience Builder is an excellent way to target the enormous pool of people who use it every day. You start by targeting a location and create subsequent rules of who sees your ads. The best way to build audiences is to specify interests and job roles within your industry, then continue to refine the areas you’re targeting, based on the effectiveness.
Pro tip! Target people with interests in your company and your competitors for even more exposure to the right people.
2. Craft a Message
Now that we know who your ads will be served up to, we need to create the best messaging so potential customers know what you’re offering and how you’re making their lives better. Bear with me here — based on basic human needs, your body tries to conserve as many calories it can in every situation. This is relevant because making potential customers think too hard about what you’re offering forces them to burn too many calories, leading them to not pay attention to you.
Pro tip! Brevity is your best friend. Keep your messaging simple, about the customer and how your company acts as the guide that improves their life. Don’t try to be a hero, make the potential customer the hero.
3. Make it Visual
Now we add in some flare. Have your graphic designer, videographer (or the kid down the street who needs some job experience) create an ad or a set of carousel ads to accompany your messaging and offer. It’s important to know the guidelines Facebook has for creative in each ad type. For example, photos and ad designs can usually only include no more than 20% text in images.
4. Monitor Your Costs
Now that we have a campaign set up, it’s important not to just set the ad and forget about it. Set your campaign budget based on what an acquisition is worth to your company, and monitor your overall spent. Setting a realistic Cost Per Click (CPC) is imperative to be sure you’re not overspending on non-converting leads on Facebook.
Pro tip! The average cost per click tends to go up every year across most platforms, but keeping your average CPC under $5 is a great place to start.
5. Rinse, repeat
Taking this format and repeating it will ensure that you’re staying top-of-mind and top-of-newsfeed for your potential customers. Continue to review and refine your audience interests and job roles, test different ad copy and creative, then, repeat.
Following these steps will help to grow your company and be the start of a beautiful relationship with the most robust advertising platform in the world.
