Facebook Ads can be used to promote your posts to new viewers, get more people to see your Facebook Page, direct them to your website and more. Facebook divide the ad types into the following categories:
- Boost your posts – Use the Page Post Engagement objective to boost your post.
- Promote your Page – Use the Page Likes objective to promote your Facebook Page.
- Send people to your website – Use the Clicks to Website objective to send people to your website.
- Increase conversions on your website – Use the Website Conversions objective to promote conversions on your website.
- Get installs of your app – Use the App Installs objective to get people to install your app.
- Increase engagement in your app – Use the App Engagement objective to increase engagement in your app.
- Reach people near your business – Use the Local Awareness objective to reach people near your business.
- Raise attendance at your event – Use this objective to get more people to see and respond to your event.
- Get people to claim your offer – Use the Offer Claims objective to promote your offer.
- Get video views – Use the Video Views objective to get people to watch your video.
Promoting your Page and Webpage
We’ll work through two popular examples, the first being promoting a page to get likes and the second to promote a website. The other commonly used option is post boosting but it is quite simple and many people will have tried it as an experiment as it is a feature often promoted by Facebook directly when you have a popular post.
I’ll assume for the purposes of this tutorial you have a Facebook account and have created a Facebook Page for your business or organisation and that you already have a website.
There is a Google Presentation slideshow summary of this tutorial on how to create Facebook Ads, here.
Facebook ads come in many forms, here are two common types
1 – First we need to go to the Facebook Ads / Business page.
Browse to www.facebook.com/business and click on the button to create an advert.
2 – Promote your Page.
3 – Choose your page to promote.
4 – Restrict the region for ads to show by a radius eg 20km.
5 – Target people who are interested in relevant companies and topics.
6 – Define the schedule for start and finish of ads.
7 – Choose Advert Creative.
8 – Select Images.
9 – Add more images.
10 – Existing page images.
11 – Select a stock image or upload an image.
12 – The stock image is showing.
13 – Set the text and headline.
14 – See what the ad will look like on desktop right column and mobile.
15 – Click Place order.
16 – Click Continue.
17 – Summary of Adverts.
and once you start getting a few clicks the columns of data will be a bit more interesting.
Use Facebook Ads to get website visitors
Facebook Ads have a Pay Per Click system much like Google Ads. That’s not to say that people on Facebook are necessarily looking for your service though. Facebook lets you target regions, demographics and other specifics about people but what it doesn’t know is does someone want your services right now.
Think of Facebook Ads for your website as more like a billboard beside the road. If there is any degree of interest maybe the person will visit your website and have a poke around but they may not place an enquiry.
Contrast that with a Google Pay Per Click ad where the person has searched deliberately for the keyword you are advertising on and there is a good chance they are in need of or researching a solution to their problem and would be interested in your service or product related to that keyword.
18 – Send people to your website.
19 – Enter your website address.
20 – Name the pixel after your business.
21 – Email the pixel code to yourself or web developer.
22 – Send the tracking code.
23 – Pixel code has been emailed.
24 – Choose the pixel tracking code.
25 – The code is set click on audience and budget.
26 – Specify and restrict the region.
27 – Specify targeting options.
Adding more options here will make your audience bigger. To refine your audience, use the links below to exclude people or narrow based on other details.
28 – Set budget and schedule.
Minimum Spend
For ad sets with automatic bidding, the minimum daily budget is $1.00 USD and must be at least 2 times your cost per click (CPC) bid. For example, if you have a $1.00 CPC, your daily budget must be at least $2.00.
For ad sets with manual bidding, the minimum daily budget is $1.00 USD and must be at least 5 times your cost per click (CPC) bid. For example, if you have a $1.00 CPC, your daily budget must be at least $5.00.
29 – Single or multiple images.
I chose the multiple image option for this ad since I think it will be a neat way of presenting a few of the websites we have built. You can do the single image one instead though that would be fine too.
30 – Setup images for ads and change the image.
31 – Upload the image you want to use.
32 – The image will be selected that was uploaded.
33 – Select to Crop the image if necessary.
34 – Crop the image for best effect. Click and drag to position.
35 – Select the next ad graphic in sequence.
36 – Add some more images as you wish. Then click Place Order.
37 – Click Continue.
38 – You will arrive back at the adverts manager.
Definition of metrics in Adverts Manager
Choose from the Columns: Performance drop-down above your campaign table to view specific metrics that you want to see in your report.
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Performance: Can be customised further to include metrics such as results, reach, frequency and impressions
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Engagement: Can be customised further to include metrics such as Page likes, Page engagement and post engagement
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Videos: Can be customised further to include metrics such as video views and avg. % of video viewed
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Website: Can be customised further to include metrics such as website actions (all), checkouts, payment details, purchases and adds to basket
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Apps: Can be customised further to include metrics such as app installs, app engagement, credit spends, mobile app actions and cost per app engagement
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Events: Can be customised further to include metrics such as event responses and cost per event response
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Clicks: Can be customised further to include metrics such as clicks, unique clicks, CTR (click-through rate) and Cost per click for all clicks on your ad. The amount you’re charged each time someone interacts with your ad. Your total charges are based on the amount you spent on the ad divided by all clicks the ad received.
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Settings: Can be customised further to include metrics such as start date, end date, advert set name, advert ID, delivery, bid and objective
Experiment and see what works
Facebook Ads are a relatively new and regularly improving possibility for internet marketing. If you compare what options are available now in 2016 to what was possible 5 years ago there is a lot more alternatives to simple buying likes.
People on Facebook are not trying to find your ad
I think it’s wise to keep in mind that people on Facebook are there being somewhat sociable much of the time. Sharing friends photos, messaging, commenting on events and other things that are happening in the world. They are not necessarily there waiting to see your ad and click on it to book an appointment.
Use lead capture or giveaways to get an outcome from the visitors
In view of that it may be a good idea to setup some fee giveaway or lead capture on the page people arrive at on your website so that you can get some contact details and re-market to them rather than having them close the page and disappear.
It’s quite likely that someone visiting your page from a Facebook ad has some interest in what you have to offer but it could be impulse or fleeting and so having some reason for them to give an email or mobile for later followup is a great way of improving the ROI of such ads.
Would you like help with Facebook Ads for your business?
Give us a call and let’s discuss how we can help with your internet marketing. We can start with a general discussion about what other marketing you are doing and whether including Facebook marketing in that mix and how we can get a return on investment for your business.
