As a new or small business owner, your time and advertising budget may be pretty short. You need to look for a marketing method that saves time and effectively delivers results without breaking the bank. Have you thought about Facebook advertising? In this article, we run through everything you need to know about the platform, from its benefits to exactly how it works.
What is Facebook Advertising?
Almost everyone has a Facebook page, and companies are no exception. It is likely that your brand is already on Facebook, and you probably have a lot of experience with your own personal Facebook account. However, you may not be aware of Facebook Advertising, or its potential for your business. In 2021, for example, Facebook generated nearly $115 billion in advertising revenue.
Facebook ads can appear in the feed, on Messenger or on other social media sites that Facebook own, such as Instagram. They appear as naturally integrated into the platform, so many customers don’t even realise that they are being sold to; they’re also open to comments, likes and other actions so present plenty of opportunities for interaction.
With almost 3 billion Facebook users currently active, this presents a powerful opportunity for any business as an unobtrusive way to reach a target market and boost brand awareness.
How do Facebook Ads work?
In 2007, just three years after Facebook launched its social media platform, advertising became an integral part of the platform. These days, the site offers a wide range of ad types.
When advertising, you can use:
- Images
- Videos
- Slideshows or carousels which are several images in one
- Instant experiences or full-screen ads
- Collection ads which act as product catalogues
A business can also promote its own page or the posts on its page.
While setting up your ad, you set a budget and bid for each click or thousand impressions that it will receive; costs vary depending on factors such as your industry, your ad placement, and your target audience.
How do Facebook Ads target my customers?
With Facebook advertising, you can target your prospective customers precisely using geographic and demographic data, such as age and gender, consumer behaviour (such as recent purchases), and interest profiles.
With extensive data plugged into your account, you can even create audiences that are based on past advertising, such as people who interacted with your previous Facebook posts or your website.
The benefits of Facebook Ads:
Facebook ads can be an affordable and effective way to find your target market. Their main benefit is that they are highly customisable. Since you can target a range of audiences at different stages of the sales funnel, with a huge set of data available, you can really pinpoint those who are likely to take action and buy your products or book a call with you. Wolfgang Digital’s 2020 KPI report even claims that Facebook’s ads are the best-performing ad type for eCommerce businesses.
Facebook analytics also allow you to retarget old audiences and provide data that helps you to improve your marketing. With the opportunity to target model audiences that are similar to those you’ve had success with before, you can keep increasing your return on investment over time.
Since you set your own budget, Facebook ads need not be expensive either. There are a few different bidding types available, and many of these are very affordable. With Target Cost, for example, you will tell Facebook how much you want to spend per conversion and it’ll be set there.
What are the challenges of Facebook ads?
The difficult aspect of Facebook advertising is adapting to the Facebook algorithm, which is always changing. In 2022, each user sees the posts and ads that are most relevant to them and users can click “Why am I seeing this post” if they see content that they are not interested in. Getting the best results from your Facebook ads means creating content that your target audience is likely to engage with and setting it up in the right way so that you find them.
Help with my Facebook Advertising
Now that you know Facebook advertising is a low-cost and effective way to market your business, you are probably keen to get started… And you don’t need a high budget to do so!
For as little as £10 per week, boosting your Facebook posts can increase your company’s following and provide a significant traffic source for your website. However, in order to navigate the setup and get the best results possible without spending too much time, it’s best to use the support of experts.
At Six Six Marketing, we’ve been helping our clients get a high return on investment from their Facebook ads for over the last three years. From set up through to ongoing optimisation, we help them target their ideal customers and generate leads and sales.
One example of a business we recently supported is Ecclesall Design. While their traffic from social media was once at a negligible level, it is now their second most popular traffic source. The brand has noted new business coming in as a result of their ads.
Get in touch to learn more, and to find out how Six Six Marketing could help you navigate Facebook advertising to get results for your business.