Facebook Advertising From Start To Finish
Who would have known back in 2004 when Facebook was created that it would be the social media behemoth it is now. Today, Facebook is home to 2.6 billion users, and home to $67.37 billion in ad spend in 2019 alone. In 2020, these numbers are expected to grow exponentially, and brands just can’t afford to miss out on all of the benefits that come with advertising on the platform.
Facebook has very specific ad targeting options that other social media platforms don’t, but harnessing its potential can seem intimidating to the uninitiated. Knowing where to begin from square one can feel like a challenge, but our AdOps specialists have your back. Here is everything you need to know to get started with your Facebook digital ad campaigns.
Creating Audiences & Targeting Users
There’s a reason why the popularity of Facebook Ads has skyrocketed in recent years. This platform allows you to get as broad or granular as you want so that you can target the right audience for your brand. In addition to demographic information, you can target a number of things like interests, job position & education, device, and even time previously spent on your site.
For example, if you own a local art supply store, you can segment & target users who work as painters or artists, & show ads to people interested in painting, watercolor, & art supplies. While running campaigns, you can also refine your audience even more or broaden it depending on how your ads are performing.
Creating Budgets for Your Facebook Campaigns
Your Facebook Ad budget is the amount of money you’re willing to spend on a Facebook Ad placement,&the spend will never go above the limit you set. There are two different types of budget potions available on Facebook currently:
Total Budget
As the name suggests, this is the total amount you’ll spend on an ad. Once the budget runs out, the ad will stop running. For example, if you set a total budget of $100 on your ad, it can run for multiple days until it reaches that $100 mark, upon which it will turn off.
Daily Budget
A daily budget is just that – the total amount you’re willing to spend per day on your ad. Let’s say you’re willing to spend $100 on your ad over the course of 5 days. In this case, you can set your daily budget to $20 per day for 5 days. Once the budget runs out at the end of each day, your ad will turn off until the next day.
It’s important to note that Facebook will use part of your budget each time it shows an ad to someone, even if they don’t click it or engage with it. Closely monitoring the performance of your ad is important so that you can refocus if one of your current ads isn’t delivering the results desired.
Bidding Strategies
While budget talks about the total amount you’re willing to spend on an ad, a bid refers to how your budget is being spent. Essentially, a bid on Facebook is the maximum amount you’re willing to pay to compete with other ads. Keep in mind, that Facebook will always have you pay the lowest possible amount possible in order to win the bid. Bid strategies depend on the campaign type you choose, but most marketers choose to set bids at the lower possible cost.
Exploring Facebook Ad Placement Options
Placements for ads are simply the places where you can run your ads on Facebook. Where you want to place your ad will rely heavily on your objectives. A lot of different options are available to capture user’s attention, including:
Newsfeed
Newsfeed ad appears when users scroll through on desktop or mobile, & can even show up in their messenger inbox. This is somewhat of a broad “catch-all” term that applies to any feed on Facebook, & includes the right-column ads you see while scrolling.
Stories
Facebook’s Stories feature allows users (and brands) to upload short photo or video clips that will appear for 24 hours. The stories feature is optimized for mobile use with a full-screen vertical appearance, meaning you’ll get the most out of it when targeted to mobile users.
Messages
Some users don’t have a Facebook, but they still use the Messenger app. Close to 1.3 billion people use this app, making it a great place to show your ads. These ads only appear to users who have sent your brand a message before, making them a great way to target customers in the middle/bottom of the marketing funnel.
In-Video
Simply put, video works. That’s why brands from all verticals are investing their time & money into creating video content. In-video ads can appear before, after, & even in the middle of longer videos.
Available Facebook Ad Goals
Finding the right placement & choosing the right ad format go together like peanut butter & jelly, you have to have both for a high-performing ad. Facebook offers a variety of different ad types for marketers based on what their specific goals are.
Awareness
For users who are at the top of your marketing funnel, this is a great way to start building connections. Types of ads under this category include:
- Boost Posts
- Promote Your Page
- Reach People Near You
- Increase Brand Awareness
- Increase Reach
Consideration
When a user enters into the “consideration” stage of their buyer’s journey, going with an ad objective from this section can be a great way to remind users of your brand. Types of ad under this category include:
- Send People to a Destination On or Off Facebook
- Get App Installs
- Raise Event Attendance
- Get Video Views
- Collect Leads
Conversion
When customers are almost ready to make their purchase & at the bottom of the marketing funnel, using conversion tactics can be a gentle reminder about your product or service.
- Increase Website Conversions
- Increase App Engagement
- Get People to Claim Your Offer
- Promote a Product Catalog
- Get People to Visit Your Shops
Before choosing from these categories, work to determine your goals & hopes for your campaigns for a good fit.
Available Facebook Advertising Formats
Finally, it’s important to understand what types of ad formats are available to you. The ad format is the creative representation of your ad which can feature single or multiple images, GIFs,& even videos. Currently available formats include:
Video
Video ads are just how they sound, playing short clips before, after, or during a Facebook video. Video ads can deliver a lot of information at once, making them good to use in brand awareness & consideration campaigns.
Photo
Photo ads use a single image,& are one of the easiest types of ads to execute. These always feature a CTA & usually link off of Facebook. Be sure to accompany these with engaging copy to inspire users to take the desired action.
Slideshow
Slideshow ads use multiple images, often overlaid with text to tell a story. Facebook features a slideshow creation feature in its ads manager which allows you to create it directly on the platform, or you can create your own & upload it. When using slideshows, be sure to use high-quality imagery & put the most important information at the beginning of the video to entice users.
Canvas
In the wise words of Facebook, canvas ads are “a full-screen ad experience built for bringing brands products to life on mobile”. Canvas ads allow you to use videos or photos to convey your message,&are a great means for sharing information & delivering uses with an experience. From your canvas ad, users can access a page on the site of your choice to accomplish your marketing goal.
Carousel
Carousel ads make it possible to link to multiple destinations & show different images or videos in one ad. Each carousel ad can feature up to 5 images in it with 5 separate link destinations. We recommend putting your most important first in the ad. These ads can be a great tool for raising brand awareness & guiding users in the consideration phase.
Dynamic Ads
This is Facebook’s version of a retargeting ad, delivering specific products to users who have been to your site or searched for relevant products. These ads allow you to connect your online store’s catalog to pull in relevant products, so be sure your site is updated if you run these types of ads.
Lead Gen Ads
If you have a piece of gated content or are looking to collect information from users, Lead Gen Ads can be a great resource. These allow you to create a form with customized fields that pops up when people click on your ad.
Get Started With Your Facebook Ad Campaign
We’re living in an age dominated by social media, & Facebook Ads aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. With social media use higher than ever before, now is the perfect time to get started. Remember that every ad type has different intricacies, specs, & creative demands; & the best way to navigate this is with the help of an experienced paid media partner like Cape & Bay.
Ready to get started? Let’s chat.