Although many social media platforms are available for use, the most common and effective one for business professionals is Facebook. When you use Facebook, you can connect to existing customers and create social ads that could help you to connect and attract customers to your business. You also could use Facebook to have your customers set appointments.
With more than 2.895 active users worldwide as of 2022, it is the most popular social medium in the world.
Facebook advertising could be targeted to a broad audience for maximum exposure or to a niche audience, such as those seeking your service. It depends on what you want to achieve from your advertising campaign.
For example, if you provide marketing consulting services, the best course of action is to promote that one niche in Facebook advertising and all other marketing efforts. If you would rather use your Facebook advertising to promote your business in a geographic area, then you would be broader in your content.
And, again, your marketing efforts should reflect that. Whatever your goal from Facebook advertising, you have to complement it with other forms of marketing for it to be successful.
So what makes a successful Facebook ad?
1. Visualization: Visual content is treated auspiciously in the Facebook algorithm as well as more likely to be shared and remembered as compared to the written content. By visual content, you are referring to pictures and videos. However, you shouldn’t just include a picture in your ad, you should explain that picture with a well-written caption. If you are using a video, make sure the potential customers understand what they are seeing in the ad.
2. It’s Relevant: Relevance is a critical element of success. You hear all the time that content is key, and it must be relevant. However, many people get confused about what is relevant. If you are creating an ad about marketing consulting to market to the business startups, you wouldn’t want to have a picture of a child who hasn’t lost all its teeth yet.
That picture is better used for promoting your service as a family-friendly establishment. In addition, your video must be about what to expect from a marketing consultation instead of how consulting works. The topic and the target market together make it relevant. Just because something is relevant for your website, doesn’t mean it would be relevant for an ad.
3. Valuable Proposition: A value proposition transmits the reason to the reader why they should click on your ad to learn more about your product. This is known as “call to action.” You want to create the ad in such a way that the person seeing it is called to click on it. Therefore, you have to create questions in their minds. You have to show something that has value.
Your value proposition should be believable. Providing discounts or adding social proof is the best example to get people to click on your ads. You could offer reviews and testimonials of those who have opted for your consulting service. In a niche ad, you can display why people think that you are the best marketing consultation in town, if you are trying for that broad approach in an ad.
You also could provide a 10% discount off at a first visit or a free consultation. These also are ways to get people to click on your ad and make it successful.
4. Clear Call-to-Action: As mentioned in the previous tip, calls-to-action (CTA) are important to have in an ad. You have to create the ad in a way that makes people want to take action. It could be “call for a free consultation,” “get your discount before it expires,” or “click here for more information.”
Facebook provides you with a number of call-to-action words. However, the most effective ads don’t use Facebook’s templates but are unique. People can tell when a template is used and are usually not enticed to call. “Learn more,” is an excellent option, to redirect people to your website.
You want the right person to go to your website, though. If you are advertising for marketing consultation, you don’t want a waiter to visit your page from the ad. Facebook will allow you to pick the right call to action words and to target the right people to visit that call to action.
Related: 7 Tips For More Organic Reach On Facebook
How will I get more customers through Facebook ads?
1. Customized Ads — When you use Facebook ads, you make sure that they are customized to meet your requirements and budget. Therefore, the right people will see your ads when you want them to see the advertising. The ad for each business-owner uses information about the service and combines it with the goals you want from the ads. Therefore, it will be guaranteed to appeal to the audience you seek.
Again, you have to know whether you want a broad ad or a niche ad. For instance, if you are offering a special discount on your marketing consultation, create ads that show the discount and how it could benefit potential customers.
You can also add a call-to-action button in the ad to ensure you will see an increase in responses. Without a button, people are not likely to make the call. You would monitor the responses and track the conversion rates.
Customized ads also ensure that your message doesn’t get mixed with other business owners who are competing in your city or town. You have to understand that most people pick a business-owner that is close to their home or office.
Therefore, you don’t want your ad to appear on Facebook pages to people in cities thousands of miles away. You must make sure yours is in the area you want.
Related: 5 Tried & Tested Tips For Creating A Great Facebook Fan Page
2. Location and Time — It is important that you pick the right location and time for your ad on Facebook. Facebook will target those users who reside in the same region as your business providing you know how to select the right filter for your ad.
You must choose the right geographic filters so your advertisement appears to those Facebook users who are most likely to want your services in your geographic region. You would get local customers to call you and possibly asking for an appointment, which means new customers at your doorstep.
Schedule your campaigns on specific days and times when Facebook users are most active. That will ensure that you could attract more customers, but at least the maximum number of users in your geographic region will see the ad when it runs. That is your goal from an ad. Even if they don’t click on the ad, the exposure and branding would be well worth the price.
3. Research Work: Research all your clients’ ads. Know the ad type that will get you a good conversion rate while also leaving a lasting impression on the audience. You must research target audiences. Pick those with similar interests to those who you are trying to get new customers.
For example, if a user has been researching marketing or SEO tips or searching for information related to business, then he or she will be able to view your ads if your goal is to target a broader audience.
If you want the niche market, research those potential people before you submit your ad. Therefore, whether you want a broad or niche ad, you would get a well-researched campaign to ensure your ultimate success.
4. Conversion Rates: When you advertise, especially when you advertise in a digital format, you want conversion rates. These are the number of people who see the ad and call you for more information or go to your website for more information. Then, you want them to convert into closed sales.
You should keep a continuous track of the conversion rates that result from the ad so you know whether it was effective. Ensure that the number of people who go to your website or call you remains high. You must understand that an advertisement is ineffective if it does not push the target audience to visit your site or make an appointment.
However, Facebook ads are also meant to brand you and make you the service that people consider when they do need help even if it doesn’t happen immediately. Therefore, ensure that your Facebook ad does that dual purpose.
Calculate the number of calls made, the number of leads generated and the total number of potential customers visiting your office with every ad you put on Facebook. Work with yourself to make the experience as painless as possible. Provide results that you expect and help you along the way.
Facebook advertising has proven to be an effective use of social media for business-owners if done correctly and with expertise. You would get the opportunity to reach potential customers while reaching the old customers at the same time with new services. You should hire an expert to help you launch your Facebook ad because if you do it yourself, it could prove disastrous and a waste of time for you.
Nurture repeat customers through Facebook Custom Audiences
A Facebook Custom Audience is a group of Facebook users who have some knowledge of your brand. They have previously visited your website, engaged with your Facebook page, signed up for your emails, made a purchase, or otherwise engaged with your brand.
You give Facebook customer data, and it compares it to Facebook users, eventually matching your customers with Facebook users. Then Facebook creates groups of these people, allowing you to target them with different ads.
