Want to know how to run successful Facebook ads? Don’t confuse people by expecting them to jump through three hoops in order to complete the action you wanted them to take, or with weird images or by not taking them to the correct page on your website.
Below are some of the seven most common mistakes we see people making with their Facebook ads and how you can fix them.
1. Know what action you want people to take
This is THE most important thing to do when running Facebook ads, or doing any type of marketing – think about what action you want people to take.
Does your ad have multiple steps? Do people need to sign up here, then do this webinar, then click this link…. in order for you to see a result? Chances are, it won’t be very effective.
Keep it simple. Be clear on what you want people to do, so that everyone who sees your ad will know what action to take.
Remember that it can be hard to go straight from Facebook to a sale, especially if it’s to a completely ‘cold’ audience. Check out this post on How to warm up your audience using Blog Posts which explains this further.
2. Install the Facebook Tracking Pixel
I can’t tell you how many times we’ve shared the link to this blog post where Angela explains step by step how to install the Facebook Tracking Pixel into several different website types.
However a quick look at a number of ‘professional’ websites recently found so many people not using the Tracking Pixel. If you have a Facebook Page for your Business, whether you are currently running ads or not, add the pixel so that you can have the data there for when you do.
Not sure what to do next if you have the website tracking pixel installed?
Download our Retargeting Guide & Case Study. You’ll learn how to turn website visitors into Custom Audiences that you can then retarget within Facebook.
3. Decide on your campaign objective
You’ve decided to hit go on your next campaign and you want… Brand Awareness… No… Reach! Video Views? Traffic?
Getting into the Facebook ad-o-sphere can be confusing at the best of times, so check out this post on Why your Facebook Objectives matter. Remember – it comes down to what you want people to do – see point one.
4. Create your ad images & video
Nine out of ten Australians on social media are there to keep in contact with their family and friends*. If your business is about you and what you sell or do, then ensure you have some top quality images of your own to use
That’s why an overly stocky photo can look so out of place. And if your ad doesn’t connect with people, you’ll get lower clicks and lower conversions. The less people respond, your relevance score will lower and your costs will go up.
Using video in your ads can help you connect more with your audience. They not only get to see you, they also get to hear your voice and really get to know you. If one of your goals with your Facebook ads is to build brand awareness, then you definitely want to include video as part of your strategy. Check out these top DIY Video Tips from Jenny de Lacy as to how you can do it yourself.
Dotti Tip: If you are using video which has you talking or a voiceover, make sure that you add subtitles. Rev.com is a great service which allows you to upload videos & they’ll make your subtitle track for you – for just $1USD per minute.
5. Be clear on who you want to target
There are now 2 billion people using Facebook that you can advertise to, and ⚡️ NEWSFLASH ⚡️they aren’t all your customers
There are 17 million Australians on Facebook and you’re going to waste a lot of money trying to get all of them to click on your ad, because they’re not all your target customer either
The more specific you can be, the better your ad will perform. If you’re a local business, make sure that the type of campaign you choose to run can target the right area. A friend just told me that she was running an ad across the entire state, when she actually only services a small town. People may travel up to 50km to her business, but most people won’t be travelling hours just for a massage
Read more on Why generic targeting is ruining your Facebook ads, and really start to narrow down on who your potential customers are. Chances are, they are on Facebook but you may just not have shown your ad to them yet.
6. Know your Hook
Why should people take the action that you want them to take on your ad? Is it because it’s free? Is it because it’s the world’s most delicious pizza? Whatever it is, know WHY people should do what you want them to do.
As Angela wrote in her post, Five ways to win with Facebook ads, “If you don’t have a clear reason for people to take action on your ads then they will fail. The best image & the best targeting will not help you if you cannot dial into the WHY that makes people want your offer. You need to tap into the desires & pain points and the solution you can teach or offer to these”.
7. Have your landing page ready
This can be the biggest downfall of any online advertising or promotions. You hide THE most important information behind several clicks. One of the students in our FB Ads Masterclass recently shared her ad for feedback in our Facebook group. In the ad copy she directed people to go to the SALON page on her website in order to find out more.
Thereby wasting her one golden opportunity in front of her target customers to make the most of her advertising dollar. If you’re spending money to get people to your website using Facebook ads (or any advertising) make it easy for people.
Check your landing page now:
- What does it look like on mobile?
- Are the ‘Book Now’ buttons big and bright?
- Does the sales link work?
- Have you included testimonials? If not, then add some in
- Are there any links to other pages on your website? If yes, then remove them.
Finally, be prepared to try things out
You might decide to spend $50, $100 or $1000 on your next Facebook ad campaign and know exactly what you want people to do. However, like anything in business you may not get those exact results and you may be left with more questions than answers.
If you use this information and look at the results, you’ll start to gain a picture of what your audience responds to best.
And if you’ve still got EVEN more questions, hit us up below or check out our Strategy Sessions as to how we can help you out.
