How to Make the Most Out of Paid Facebook Ads

A big-budget and no strategy is not going to work anymore

Facebook ads are an intricate system. While it is easily accessible and used a lot in Trinidad and Tobago, many of us can agree that there are very few effective Facebook ads we see locally. The truth is that Facebook ads have to be considered as a part of a company’s overall marketing strategy and brand identity. Each ad requires attention to detail and must support the end goals of a company’s marketing.

That being said, a paid Facebook ad has a few criteria that should always be met to get the best out of the ad, especially campaign ads.

So here are three factors to consider when doing any paid Facebook ads:

1. Target Your Audience Accurately

One of the best features businesses have access to on Facebook is that they have a lot of data available about current and potential customers. Businesses must use this data to ensure that their ads are reaching their exact target audience. The best way to waste your money on a paid ad is by letting Facebook send it to a huge portion of users and place the ad automatically

Firstly, have a clear idea about your target audience and their behaviour, consider things such as:

- Location

- Age

- Gender

- Devices used

Much of this can be found on your Facebook page and ad analytics, if you need help narrowing your audience.

Once these have been decided, then it is important to get even more precise. Under “Detailed Target Audience” you can then include or exclude certain groups or demographics, this can be as specific as, a business specifically selling plus size clothing. This will include people interested in this niche and excluding people who are “straight-sized”.

Businesses can also use the “Connections” tab to exclude or include people who already like their page depending on their goal. You can also target friends of people who already interact with your page.

The more detail included about a business’s desired audience the better.

2. Choose your Ad Placement Wisely

Strategy is key when doing an ad, similar to other ad formats, digital ads should be strategic in design and execution especially when it comes to their placement. Businesses can often gauge whether certain ads performed better as a story or post through their analytics, however, it is equally important to think about what ad placement best suits the ad and the audience.

For example, a carousel will likely be best for featuring new products that are available on a website whereas messenger ads are sometimes best for app downloads. The ad should essentially reach the consumer and give them a seamless experience towards buying or contacting the company about the products or services that are being offered.

It is important that companies know the options Facebook ads offer and assess which ones will work for them. There is no rule of thumb but video tends to be one of the more effective formats across the board, i.e video in a story, video posts etc.

3. Test the Ad

If you are running a campaign ad, you will have an option from Facebook to do an A/B test. This is a test that allows a company to test various formats of the same ad, for example, the same ad with a different copy. Facebook’s A/B Test is very thorough and allows companies to run an ad and test it in a variety of formats such as changes to the, “ad creative”, audience, or placement. Businesses can then see very quickly which ad is working and then choose that one to run with.

This is a great tool to help businesses test two strategies or even just two variables to see which one is most successful with their audience.

Facebook ads are a great advertising option, however, to truly reap the benefits they should be done strategically and be as detailed as possible in their approach.

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