Like it or not, if you want to maximise your Small Business’s Online Success, then, without a doubt, you need a social presence. And with more and more of your competitors joining the throng of Small Businesses jumping Online, creating a Facebook Page for your Small Business should be at the top of your priority list.
But these days, simply having a Facebook Page isn’t enough. You can post pretty images and funny cat memes until the cows come home, but this still isn’t the best way to use Facebook to your full advantage.
To truly get your Small Business out there in the world of Social Media, you really should consider Paid Facebook Advertising. But just what is this relatively new form of advertising? How does it work and how can you best utilise it for your Business?
Well, read on, because we’ve created this Facebook Advertising Toolkit that answers all these questions for you - and then some!
So, Just What Is Paid Facebook Advertising?
You know those little Facebook Ads you see popping up in the middle or along the sides of your newsfeed. Well, that’s a Paid Facebook Ad. They can be shown as an image, video, carousel (series of scrolling images), or links.
You might have thought these were just random Ads that appear out of nowhere, but they’re actually targeted specifically for you. Have you ever noticed that the day after you were Online Shopping for a new pair of running shoes, you see heaps of Ads in your newsfeed advertising Nike or New Balance? Well, that’s not a coincidence. That’s because the Businesses that created these Ads have purposely designed these Ads for consumers just like you. And what’s even cooler (or creepier, depending on how you look at it), they’ve identified you as their target market, so these Ads will literally follow you around Facebook.
While users may not think too much about the logistics of these Ads, they’re typically highly planned, designed and published in a way that’s most likely to create leads, promote engagement and ultimately increase sales. These aren’t just your average Facebook Post. They’re strategic Ads, focused entirely on a specific audience that will be interested I that particular product.
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, take a look at the following steps which can help you create and implement an effective Facebook Ad Campaign!
Step 1: Goals
Before you dive in head first into Paid Facebook Advertising, the first important step is to identify your goals. What do you want to achieve from Facebook Ads? Are you after more website clicks, more customer engagement or do you simply want an increased social presence?
By pin-pointing these goals, each step that follows should be moving towards achieving them. But remember, your goals need to be specific. If you choose a wishy-washy goal, such as ‘more customers’, then there’s no way of measuring exactly whether or not your Ads are performing as you need them to be.
To truly find out if you’re hitting your targets, you need to choose goals like:
- Generate 100 new leads by ‘X’ date
- Increase Facebook likes by 2000
- Get 50 Website clicks this month
- Increase attendance to my event by 250 people
- Have 250 people view my video
- 100 App Downloads in a month
Step 2: Who To Target?
Paid Facebook Ads are a great way to hone in on specific target audiences. By selecting from categories focusing on age, interests (remember the running shoes) and location, you can direct your Ads at users that are more likely to purchase your product or service.
You can even target your Ads based on users’ buying behaviours, device usage and gender. It’s actually crazy how detailed you can make your Facebook Ads, and you’d be just as crazy not to take advantage of this incredibly powerful tool.
With the ability to target your specific audience, you won’t waste money on people who aren’t interested in your products, and you’ll increase the likelihood of reaching your goals.
Step 3: Budget
If you didn’t figure it out earlier, Paid Facebook Advertising will indeed cost you. But it’s really up to you how much you invest. This might be a turn off (after all, you can post on Facebook for free, right?!) but let us tell you, the results will make that upfront cost so totally worth it.
By establishing a budget for Facebook Ads, you can accurately determine what your return on investment is after you’ve launched your Campaign and also manage your financial input, so you don’t blow the budget.
Facebook Ad budgets are set up a number of ways. You can set a budget by day, month, and lifetime. You can also select a particular time period in which you want your ads to run, which could increase its effectiveness. This means that you’ll only be charged for the time the advertisement is live.
Step 4: Choose Your Content
When it comes to promoting your Small Business Online, there’s one thing you desperately need: interesting, well-written and engaging content. It sounds pretty straight forward, but it’s something a lot of people still aren’t grasping. And when you’re placing this content in a Facebook Ad, it becomes even more critically important.
This content can be visual, written or both. This includes quotes, GIF’s, videos, poems, articles, links, tips... the list goes on! It’s essential to choose the right kind of engaging content for your Ads or they’ll simply fall on deaf ears, which isn’t the aim of the game.
Create content that makes your audience want to stop scrolling through their newsfeed. You want them to take notice of your Business and then click on your Ad!
When creating the best possible content for your Ads, there are some common mistakes you should avoid, including shouting at your audience with capital letters, or posting content completely unrelated to your brand. These kinds of Ads will not only deter potential customers, but also waste your money.
What Next?
Now that you’ve got your guide for running a successful Facebook Ad Campaign, it’s time to dig in! Explore the functionality of Facebook Ads; click, interact and engage with them. What happens when you hit the ‘download now’ button. It also pays to research ads you like and dislike, and note what it is you appreciate about them.
If you’re still a little unsure if Facebook Advertising is right for your Business, that’s ok, it’s an intimidating thing! If the prospect of creating your own Campaign is too truly overwhelming, you can hire a professional to do all the hard yards for you. A professional Digital Marketer, like those we have here at Sites n Stores, will be able to design the perfect Facebook Campaign that’s tailored to your goals and needs. So get in touch today and start maximising your customers, leads and sales with effective Facebook Advertising!