Are you currently running Facebook ads in your business? Are you happy with the results you are getting from your ads? If you are, move on, this blog post is not likely for you. On the other hand, if you are struggling to see a return on investment, or nearly given up on Facebook ads; you are in the perfect place.
Editor’s note: GetResponse has recently launched a new tool that lets you run Facebook ad campaigns without even leaving your dashboard. Read this article and learn how you start running Facebook ads in GetResponse, at no extra cost.
I see so many talented entrepreneurs getting frustrated with Facebook ads. To make matters worse, they don’t even know what they are doing wrong. They raise their questions inside the various Facebook groups and all the so-called experts jump in to answer them, and possibly confuse them even more.
If you have been there, you are definitely going to find huge value in this article. So let’s not waste another moment…
1. Should you be running ads in the first place?
The number one reason nobody talks about whether you should be investing in ads or not is simple: They either want to sell you a Facebook ads course or want you to hire them. It is your job to determine if you should be running ads in the first place
Let me give it to you straight – you cannot see a great ROI from spending $5 a day when you start. There I said it. You definitely need to set aside at least a few hundred dollars to even dip your toes in the world of Facebook advertising. This means that for a lot of people, who are barely generating any income in their business right now, Facebook ads is simply not a wise option.
If you are new to the business, if you are still clarifying your paid offers and you are still hustling to find clients, I would advise you NOT to invest in ads right now. Instead, do whatever you can to make use of free methods like guest blogging, social media, landing podcast interviews and being of service in the Facebook groups to generate traffic, build up an audience and make sure your offers are PROVEN. Now you are ready to explore the world of Facebook ads.
Related article: Is Facebook advertising really worth it?
2. You don’t have a strategy behind it
The second biggest issue that I see all the time is that you don’t have strategy behind your ads – you really don’t know what you are doing.
Are you running ads to ice cold traffic who don’t know a single thing about you? Are you running traffic to a blog post because you want to create a list of ‘warm traffic’ to retarget? Have you got a front end offer or a ‘tripwire’ in place to offset some of that ad spend? Do you even have a funnel where people enter your world and you nurture them with a sequence of emails?
Do you want to send traffic to an opt-in or a webinar? Wait, maybe you should send them to an opt-in first because you have heard it’s cheaper and then ask them to sign up for your webinar. But your webinar is live so that won’t work.
Should you run like ads, or boost posts, or use video? See … this is what happens when you don’t have a clear plan and goals to shoot for. You need a strategy in place before you start spending any money on ads.
3. You are not clear on your ideal target audience
Targeting the right people on Facebook is one of the most critical elements of running your ads and this is where most people fail. You shouldn’t target anyone just because you can. You need to know who your ideal client is first and then start creating audiences to fit that profile.
Anytime, I take on a new client, I spend at least a few hours researching and creating audiences inside the ads dashboard. That’s how important it is.
Think of it in this way. You can make the greatest offer but put in in front of the wrong people and you won’t have any takers. On the flip side, your offer can be good enough, your copy can be crappy but if reach your perfect audience – the people who want what you have on offer – your ads will still work (they won’t be optimized but they will still work).
4. You stop your ads too soon, or tweak them constantly
You start your ad campaign and then you go take a look inside your dashboard every 5 minutes. You start worrying that you have spent seven dollars and haven’t had a single opt-in. You go in and tweak something. There, that should make it better. You take a peak in another 10 minutes. Hmm, there doesn’t seem to be any improvement on the ad you just tweaked. Maybe the audience is all wrong. Seem familiar?
Start your ad campaigns and let them run for 48 hours or so. Don’t touch a thing.
There is actually no clear guidelines. With experience you’ll know when to kill your ads, after 24 hours, 48 hours or in a week. What is important that you understand the metrics you need to look out for. Stop fiddling with your ads. Step away from the ads dashboard.
5. You don’t have a testing budget
When you are running ads for the first time, you are bound to make mistakes. In fact, I would go so far as to say that all of us are testing our hypothesis anytime we launch a new campaign. This means that the first ad campaign you try is most likely going to fail.
You may end up spending a few hundred dollars just to see what audiences are responding to your ads, what copy is working and which image is getting the most clicks, also known as ‘split testing’.
I actually recommend that you set aside a small budget just for testing on a regular basis. Spend it without guilt and use that to gather more data from Facebook ads because at the end of the day, this is what we are doing: Buying valuable data from Facebook.
6. Your images don’t stand out in the newsfeed
What’s the first thing you notice in your newsfeed while scrolling? The image. The right image can stop you scrolling fingers and make you take notice.
This is what you are aiming for with your Facebook ads. In fact, the more your ad looks like a regular post, the better it will fare. In order to make your ads not look like ads, try using images without any text overlay. You might be surprised with the results.
Also, I understand that for coaches, consultants and service providers, building a personal brand is important. However, know that when you are running ads to cold audiences (people who don’t know you), try to refrain from using your own photos because they don’t care about you – yet. Feel free to use your photos when targeting your warm audiences (page fans, email subscribers or website visitors).
7. You write like a direct-response copywriter
Finally, this tip alone can make a really big difference to the overall performance of your ads. Imagine you are on Facebook. Observe your own behavior. What are you most likely doing and why are you on Facebook?
If you are like most people, you are on Facebook to relax, socialize and just entertain yourself. You are not there to buy. You are not sitting with your credit card ready to make a purchase. This is why it is super important to understand and stay in congruence with the platform that is Facebook.
Be conversational in your writing, even if you are writing an ad. Talk to your audience like you would talk to a friend. Invite them to take some action like visit your website, sign up or download something. Don’t do a hard sell. This is not what people want on Facebook. If you do this often, people will start hiding your posts, increasing negative scores for your ads. Don’t do it.
So there you have it. My top 7 mistakes that people make with their ads. Just being mindful of each of these, paying attention and getting educated is the key to running ads that are insanely successful.
Have you made any of these mistakes? Share in the comments below.