We’re almost halfway through 2019 and you may have realized you’re behind on one of your marketing resolutions: your Facebook ads are NOT killing it. At least, not yet.
Look, we empathize. Facebook ads can be a complicated business (literally). There’s not just the budget considerations (psst! you could lower your Facebook ad costs), the billion-and-one possible target audiences, and all that clean copy to write, but there are also decisions about when to run your ad, where it should appear, and all that other jazz. It’s enough to make you want to stomp on that waning resolution.
While we’re not going to get into all the Facebook ad nitty-gritty in this post – that’s a topic for another day and a much longer guide – we can take a bit of the guesswork out of your headache, thanks to a few solid strategies, best practices, and some inspiring Facebook ads to fuel your inspiration.
What are Facebook ads?
Well, obviously, they are ads on Facebook. But, you know that. We’re guessing you want a little more information on the types of Facebook ads. There are two:
1. Sponsored posts: You’ve seen these a lot, if you use Facebook: Scroll down your timeline feed, and you’ll occasionally see posts from Pages and brands you don’t follow. Look a little closer, and under the Page or brand name, you’ll see the word Sponsored. You may also see some social proof, to the tune of “X Friend and Y Friend like this Page.” That’s what we’re talking about here: Facebook ads that feature prominently in your feed, as if they were from a friend.
2. Right-hand column ads. These are much smaller and subtler (and easier to ignore): As you’re scrolling down your Facebook News Feed, look to the right and you’ll probably see floating ads. They scroll as you scroll, so you can’t scroll past. That said, because of their positioning, they’re most likely used in Facebook retargeting ads.
Note: Facebook retargeting, or remarketing ads are a type of ad that use cookies to re-market (literally, market again) to visitors who have not yet converted to your given goal or target action.
Why should I care about Facebook ads?
Why pay money into Facebook’s advertising coffers? Simply put, because it’s still the market leader. Though some marketers believe Facebook’s power is waning, Facebook is still social king, with 2.32 billion active monthly users and more than two-thirds of all U.S. adults.
5 best practices for your Facebook ads
Right, so now that you’re on board the Facebook ad train, you have a yen to do it right. Right?
1. Target, target, target!
The best thing about Facebook ads is your ability to target very specific demographics. Do not skip this step, do not rush through this step. This is the most important step in the whole shebang. After all, why spend money and time on building Facebook ads, if you’re just going to send it out into the 2.32 billion-active-user void?
2. Be visual.
Facebook is a visual medium. Users gravitate toward photo and video, and the Facebook algorithm prefers visuals, too. Plus, visual content is more likely to be shared and remembered. And we’re betting those both sound good for your marketing efforts.
3. Write GREAT copy.
We cannot emphasize this enough: A catchy visual is important, but great copy (including a powerful final call-to-action) is what seals the deal. For every Facebook ad you craft, remember that your copy should interest, entice, persuade, and convert – however you define convert, for this particular ad.
4. Check your relevance.
The Facebook advertising platform automatically rates your advertising efforts, giving you a relevance score for each. While this isn’t the be-all, end-all of your Facebook marketing, it should be a strong consideration because, the higher your relevance score, the more favorably Facebook views your ads.
5. Monitor your performance.
Again, this is not a release-the-Kraken-and-see-how-he-does kind of deal. Once your ad goes live, for the love of all things marketing, use Facebook Ads Manager to track your ad performance: Reach, Impressions, Total Clicks, and other stats. If an ad isn’t performing well, tweak it! (Remember that relevance score? Make it rise.)
5 of our favorite Facebook ad examples
You are now primed and go for Facebook ad creation. Still struggling with how to create that eye-popping, attention-grabbing, deal-sealing Facebook ad? Here’s some inspiration to get you going:
1. Melissa Griffin
Open and welcoming smile? Check! Emojis for visual interest within the copy? Check! Solid call-to-action in the headline? Check! Melissa Griffin’s Facebook ad ticks the boxes and, if you were looking to get more traffic with Pinterest, we bet you’d be tempted to click. You know, just to see what’s behind Curtain #1.
2. OneYearNoBeer
Okay, first of all – that name? Yeah, you caught our attention. But, beyond that, the strong image is standout – literally, with a man standing at the top of a summit. It’s clearly a metaphor, once you pair it with the strong copy about overcoming challenges. Plus, way to make a strong-yet-emotional CTA.
3. The Weekend Edit
Oooh, pretty bags! Oooh, pretty bags that are also better for animals and the planet? That’s an instant eye-catcher and attention-getter, and we love how The Weekend Edit displays a bag carousel. Not every scroller will love every bag, so give ‘em options. The only thing we might change on this one? The call-to-action; a <$100 bag is a small enough purchase that you can probably jump straight to “Buy Now.” But then, maybe their analytics said otherwise?
There you have it: A few nudges, some best practices, and decent inspiration to get your started. So, what are you waiting for? You have Facebook ads to create!
If you’re looking for more information about Facebook marketing we have a series of guides on the site to answer questions like how to make a pinned post on a Facebook page?
Facebook advertising is highly effective for many brands, but it’s not the only way to grow your Facebook audience. Install the Facebook follow button on your website – it’s easy to install in just minutes – to start boosting your Facebook followers today (free!).
