Facebook ad success relies on a defined marketing strategy. And while there is some value in “spray and pray” tactics, they’re often not as effective as a well-thought-out plan.
Start by creating buyer personas based on real data about your target audience. Then use that information to develop ads that speak to them directly.
1. Create a Custom Audience
The first step in any Facebook ad strategy is to create a custom audience. Custom audiences are groups of users that are familiar with your brand in some way, whether they have visited your website or interacted with your ads.
To build a custom audience, click the “Audiences” tab in your Facebook account and select “Custom Audience”. Then, choose the source of your data (customer list, external data file, or Facebook Pixel) and name your new audience.
You can also add an indicator to filter your lookalike audience by lifetime value, making it even more targeted and effective. This is a great option for B2B and professional services businesses looking to increase their sales through Facebook advertising. You can use this audience to target your ads on Facebook and Instagram.
2. Create a Lookalike Audience
If you have a solid list of customers, leads, or engaged fans in place, you can use this as the basis for creating a lookalike audience. This approach allows Facebook to find cold audiences that have similar features as your warm audience and thus will perform better.
You can select the location of your lookalike audience and the percentage of people in the Facebook population to match. The lower the percentage, the more precise the matching will be.
We recommend starting with a 1% lookalike to get the most value from this targeting option. A 1% lookalike will reach about 2 million people in the U.S., while a 10% lookalike will reach about 20 million in the U.S. Choose the one that works best for your business goals.
3. Create a Retargeting Audience
Facebook retargeting campaigns are essential to drive customers through the customer funnel. When you run a retargeting campaign, you can retarget Facebook users who visited your website or post-click landing page but did not convert.
When creating a retargeting campaign, select your desired campaign objective from the drop-down menu. Then choose a target audience to reach with your ad.
You can also create a Lookalike Audience to find Facebook users who are similar to your existing customers. Facebook uses this information to find potential customers who are more likely to take action with your ads. You can choose the size of your Lookalike Audience during ad creation. A larger audience can increase ad reach, but it may decrease the level of similarity. It’s best to test this option in a small test group first.
4. Create a Video Ad
If you have the right messaging, video ads can be an effective way to increase your Facebook reach. Video ads are especially effective if you can create something that resonates with your audience and is relevant to the products or services you offer.
The goal of your ad can influence the tone and length of the video. Videos that are designed to educate viewers on a product tend to be longer than those that prompt users to sign up for your newsletter.
As with all Facebook ads, the post-click optimization of your campaign depends on optimizing your ad components – headline, copy, and media (image or video). This includes connecting each Facebook ad to its own dedicated post-click landing page. When you change the destination of your ad, be sure to also optimize the corresponding post-click landing page.
5. Create a Carousel Ad
Carousel ads are a great way to showcase multiple products or services that you offer. They are a visual format that encourages interaction and can lead to higher click-through rates than other types of Facebook ads.
Whether you want to drive product awareness, highlight a sale or feature different aspects of your product, or tell a story about how customers use your products, a carousel ad is the ideal platform. These ad units are easy to create and can be linked directly to your eCommerce site or landing page.
When creating your ad set, be sure to select “Optimization for ad delivery” so that Facebook will test and optimize the order of your carousel’s cards. This will ensure that the best performing card is shown first.
6. Create a Lead Ad
Facebook lead ads allow users to sign up for your product or service directly through a sponsored post. You can use this to increase free trial signups, ebook downloads, or just to get a list of potential customers to nurture and qualify.
Using a clear buyer persona and a reputable CRM will ensure you can follow-up with your new leads. Once you have a system in place to manage your new contacts, it’s easy to optimize your Facebook lead ad performance.
When you’re creating your Facebook lead ad, be sure to select a Daily or Lifetime Budget for your campaign. You can also choose to use Automatic or Edit Placements for your ad. Choosing the latter gives you the ability to target specific locations on Facebook or exclude certain products from showing your ad.
7. Create a Call to Action
Facebook offers a variety of ad types to help you reach your campaign goals. However, creating a compelling call to action is what can transform a potential customer into one of your brand’s loyal followers.
Whether you’re looking to drive traffic to your website, build brand awareness, or increase sales, the goal of every Facebook ad is to convert people from passive viewers into raving fans of your products and services. A well-crafted ad with an optimized post-click landing page is a surefire way to do just that.
To do this, you need to choose a budget and schedule for your ad set. A lifetime budget lets Facebook spend your selected amount as long as the ad set is active, while a daily budget sets a limit for each day your ads are delivered.
