Facebook ads can be a very successful part of your marketing strategy. With some claiming significant results you have probably been wondering:
How do you run a successful Facebook Ad?
As with anything in your business, you need a plan. So many small business owners sit down because they “want to run a Facebook ad” but realize very early on in that set-up process they need many questions answers. Here is my step-by-step process to setting up your ad so it effortlessly blends into your overall marketing picture and realizes maximum results.
- Your ads should be part of your editorial calendar – this includes themes, tag lines, specials, and any other specifics that you want to blend throughout a certain month. Typically your editorial calendar is developed by month but if another block of time is easier for you to manage then that is your plan.
- Know what type of ad you are running – do you want clicks to your webiste? Likes to your page? Sign-up for a webinar? Their email address for your newsletter? Each goal has a specific type of ad associated with it and early in the set-up process you will need to let Facebook know what you are doing.
- Your website is ready with a landing page for the ad directly related to the copy. If you are an divorce attorney in Pittsburg, do you have a page on your website specifically designed to handle those coming in from your ad? Do your picture, copy, and landing page all blend? Your ads will be much more successful if they do.
- Budget – you can spend as little or as much money as you would like running Facebook ads so know your numbers before you sit down to set-up. Having a clear budget will allow you to stick with a plan rather than get side tracked by possibilities.
- Demographics – if you are only allowed to operate in a certain radius make sure you go into the Ad Manager and clearly target that area. For instance if you are an attorney in Lambertville make sure your ads are not showing in New Hope – you can not practice law on the other side of the river and would be wasting your money running ads over there.
- Ad picture and copy – you are extremely limited when it comes to what can be included in your picture. For instance only 20% of your image can be text – which is barely enough room to make your logo visible. How creative can you get while staying with the guidelines requires a plan and some creativity.
- Continual monitoring – you want to make sure that you place your ads, check them about 3-6 hours after they start and then again at 24 hours. Once you are certain they are optimized and running with the correct budget you should let them sit for at least three days but preferably a week to let them really take hold in the Facebook system.
Many small business owners have told me they want to start running ads but the basic pieces of their digital marketing startegy are not yet in place. Running ads can be a tremendous way to drive traffic to your website and storefront. But be careful, do not waste your time and money without a plan and some expertise.
