I think there’s a lot of confusion about whether you can manage your ads yourself (you can) vs spending $$ getting another person or consultant to run them for you. So this week I’m sharing what I see as the three different levels of running your Facebook ads.
What’s involved with Ads Management?
Facebook ads management varies greatly in terms of what you receive and what you end up with. I can’t speak for other managers but I thought I’d share how I work with people.
Before I go on, here’s a few red flags to look out for…
Some ads managers go so far as to adding their own separate pixel to your website and running your ads out of their account to keep what they’re doing ‘hidden’. Also make sure that if the relationship ends you retain all the existing ads so you’re not left wondering where your ad spend actually went.
Usually it starts with sitting down with a client to find out what their goals are. I used to focus mainly on online launches for courses etc however now I feel as though I have more attuned to the evergreen model.
That is ads are on all the time, you’re optimising for an end goal that may be down the end of a funnel.
Some examples might be:
- Focusing on whether someone ends up booking a consultation after they sign up to your mailing list
- Optimising not just for the webinar registration but the call booking to chat about your program or the purchase of a course
- Retargeting website visitors with offers
Other ads managers may have an ecommerce focus, local businesses or a focus in a particular niche.
If you’re someone who totally can’t handle the thought of running your own ads because it’s ‘too confusing’ or you get approached by a company to run your ads, then here’s my advice when talking to a potential Ads Manager or company
- Results can be skewed. I saw a business claiming they’d gotten an ecommerce store 14x return in ad spend in November. Ummm ever heard of Black Friday? If you’re running Black Friday sales chance are you’re going to see stats like this. If you still want to see results ask for specifics – timeframes, ad spend, average lead cost etc.
- Ask to see screenshots of ads to see if you like the creative, similar to how you may select a web or graphic designer. Do you like how the copy is written? Does it have social proof (likes, comments, shares)? Do you like how the image is cropped, what image is chosen?
- Do they have experience in your industry? If they’re totally new to knowing about your ‘real estate’ niche they may not know the lingo. This means your ads will end up sounding unnatural and forced. As a result you might end up with higher link click and lead costs.
- Ask them tell you how they’re going to do it. And try not to be overwhelmed by words like optimisation and campaign monetisation. If you’ve got a question about whether the wool is being pulled over your eyes, jump on in and ask it here.
- Cheaper does not necessarily mean better. But do your sums first, know how much you can spend on ads plus your fees. It pays to shop around
- If you’re still not convinced, ask for some credentials. What courses have they done? Some reputable ones are Claire Pelletreaus Facebook Ads Consultant Incubator, Facebook Ads University, Rick Mulready, Molly Pittman and Jon Loomer.
Things to know about Facebook ads coaching…
To me, you go after coaching when you’re ready to step it up and be seen. You’re at the point in your business when word of mouth hasn’t exactly dried up but you’d like it to be a little more impressive. Coaching works well when your social media game is strong but some coaches can also advise on how to get traction.
- Some bigger online courses include Facebook ads training in their courses. This is great as it will get you beyond just ‘boosting posts’. However you may find that you’re not getting the specialist attention you need.
- It’s very hard to get everything you need in one video, one hour or one blog post. If you can find someone who can deliver goods in under 60 minutes, let me know! I recently recorded myself running ads for a traffic campaign for my DIY Leads You Need course and I had to record them over several weeks. Hopefully with coaching you may get to the point of having something that doesn’t need to be tweaked daily, that starts to work.
- If you’re looking for online coaching, look for one that involves them jumping into your ads manager. Might be a bit pricier to begin with but you’ll be better off in the long term.
- Be clear in your goals. Are you after an ecommerce ads coach? What’s their track record? Is it something you’re going to be able to replicate yourself?
- Are you after a launch coach for your online course? Are you after getting bums on seats at in-person workshops or online webinars.
- Are you a local business who just needs more people through the front door? You might want to talk to someone who can help you be strategic around special offers and deals so a marketing / ads hybrid may suit better.
- Are you a local business that people ‘google’? Facebook ads may not be what you need. Google AdWords work best when people are looking for your business online e.g. ‘lawyer Byron Bay’ or ‘lawn mowing Lennox Head’ Facebook ads work well for people ‘discovering’ you as the answer to a problem they may or may not have known they had.
- You may find that you only need a coach or management for a specific time to reach specific goals. Sometimes it’s a matter of wondering ‘how can I get to the next level’ with my business that can see you searching for a coach.
- And speaking of marketing, I’ve worked with lots of marketing managers and agencies who just need guidance on whether what they’re doing is ‘right’. Seeing as most in house marketers need to be social media managers, graphic designers, website updates, email marketers these days sometimes you just need a little help when it comes to Facebook ads too.
- For more information on how I work, check out my Coaching program.
Can you DIY your Facebook ads?
I love love love it when I read someone share their results in some Facebook groups I’m in about their ‘self-taught’ Facebook ads strategy that’s making them mega bucks. As it proves the point that often business owners are the best people to run their ads. As the person who knows your business best, you’ll be leveraging your own knowledge to get results.
- I do think you can DIY your Facebook ads but not without watching a few videos, being instructed by a friend or consultant or reading at least one blog post on what to do.
- DIY can be great if you’re only after engagement on your posts aka ‘boosted posts’. This means you’re not directing traffic to a website, you just want people to come in store or call you to book (all the information is contained on the post)
- It can also be great if you have a really engaged Facebook / Instagram audience. In fact some people are so engaging, they’re able to ‘sell out’ just using organic posts or Instagram stories.
- DIY can work really well when you just want to supplement what you’re doing organically for ‘brand awareness’
- And after doing some training or coaching, you should totally be in a position to DIY!
Hopefully this clears up which option may be right for where you’re at in your business. If you’ve got any questions, post them below, book in a free strategy call or send me a message as I’m more than happy to answer them.
