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How to create Facebook Ads

how to create facebook ads

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

16-Facebook

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.

01-Facebook-for-Business-Marketing-on-Facebook-Create-Advert (1)

2 – Promote your Page.

02-Adverts-Manager-Promote-your-Page

3 – Choose your page to promote.

03-Adverts-Manager-Choose-your-page-to-promote

4 – Restrict the region for ads to show by a radius eg 20km.

04-Adverts-Manager-Restrict-the-region-for-ads-to-show-by-a-radius-eg-20km

5 – Target people who are interested in relevant companies and topics.

05-Adverts-Manager-Target-people-who-are-interested-in-relevant-companies-and-topics

6 – Define the schedule for start and finish of ads.

06-Adverts-Manager-Define-the-schedule-for-start-and-finish-of-ads

7 – Choose Advert Creative.

07-Adverts-Manager-Choose-Advert-Creative

8 – Select Images.

08-Adverts-Manager-Select-Images

9 – Add more images.

09-Adverts-Manager-Add-more-images

10 – Existing page images.

10-Adverts-Manager-Existing-page-images

11 – Select a stock image or upload an image.

11-Adverts-Manager-Select-a-stock-image-or-upload-an-image

12 – The stock image is showing.

12-Adverts-Manager-The-stock-image-is-showing

13 – Set the text and headline.

13-Adverts-Manager-Set-the-text-and-headline

14 – See what the ad will look like on desktop right column and mobile.

14-Adverts-Manager-See-what-the-ad-will-look-like-on-desktop-right-column-and-mobile

15 – Click Place order.

15-Adverts-Manager-Place-order

16 – Click Continue.

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17 – Summary of Adverts.

17-Adverts-Manager-Summary-of-Adverts

and once you start getting a few clicks the columns of data will be a bit more interesting.

Adverts-Manager

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.

18-Adverts-Manager-Send-people-to-your-website

19 – Enter your website address.

19-Adverts-Manager-Enter-your-website-address

20 – Name the pixel after your business.

20-Adverts-Manager-Name-the-pixel-after-your-business

21 – Email the pixel code to yourself or web developer.

21-Adverts-Manager-Email-the-pixel-code

22 – Send the tracking code.

22-Adverts-Manager-Send-the-tracking-code

23 – Pixel code has been emailed.

23-Adverts-Manager-Pixel-code-has-been-emailed

24 – Choose the pixel tracking code.

24-Adverts-Manager-Choose-the-pixel-tracking-code

25 – The code is set click on audience and budget.

25-Adverts-Manager-The-code-is-set-click-on-audience-and-budget

26 – Specify and restrict the region.

26-Adverts-Manager-Specify-and-restrict-the-region

27 – Specify targeting options.

27-Adverts-Manager-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.

28-Adverts-Manager-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.

29-Adverts-Manager-Single-or-multiple-images

30 – Setup images for ads and change the image.

30-Adverts-Manager-Setup-images-for-ads-and-change-the-image

31 – Upload the image you want to use.

31-Adverts-Manager-Upload-the-image-you-want-to-use

32 – The image will be selected that was uploaded.

32-Adverts-Manager-The-image-will-be-selected

33 – Select to Crop the image if necessary.

33-Adverts-Manager-Crop-the-image-if-necessary

34 – Crop the image for best effect. Click and drag to position.

34-Adverts-Manager-Crop-the-image-for-best-effect

35 – Select the next ad graphic in sequence.

35-Adverts-Manager-Select-the-next-ad-in-sequence

36 – Add some more images as you wish. Then click Place Order.

36-Adverts-Manager-Place-Order

37 – Click Continue.

37-Adverts-Manager-Continue

38 – You will arrive back at the adverts manager.

38-Adverts-Manager-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.

  • Performance: Can be customised further to include metrics such as results, reach, frequency and impressions
  • Engagement: Can be customised further to include metrics such as Page likes, Page engagement and post engagement
  • Videos: Can be customised further to include metrics such as video views and avg. % of video viewed
  • Website: Can be customised further to include metrics such as website actions (all), checkouts, payment details, purchases and adds to basket
  • Apps: Can be customised further to include metrics such as app installs, app engagement, credit spends, mobile app actions and cost per app engagement
  • Events: Can be customised further to include metrics such as event responses and cost per event response
  • 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.
  • 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.