Facebook advertising is an incredible way to generate exciting new leads for your business. There are about 2.5 billion monthly active Facebook users around the world, which means you have the opportunity to reach a huge audience if you play your advertising cards right.
The other advantage for the platform is the relatively low cost of advertising. Across all industries, the average cost per click for Facebook ads is $1.72. It’s entirely possible for a small business to get great results by spending just $100 a month on Facebook ads.
But the secret to making the most of a small investment in Facebook advertising is to create a really effective campaign. And to generate leads using Facebook ads, you have to take a step back and revisit everything you think about advertising.
Reinvent how you think about advertising
When you think of print, television, or radio ads — more traditional advertising media — you might imagine an ad that is selling a specific product. However, this sales-focused message, which has been working for decades in other channels, will not have net results on Facebook.
People expect to be sold by television or radio advertising or by direct mailers they receive. But they go to Facebook for a completely different reason. People are on Facebook to build connections and communities, not for marketing. So your Facebook ad should be less about “buy my content” and more about creating content that builds awareness and trust for your brand.
When people see useful content from your brand on their feed, they know, like, and trust your business. You establish yourself as a source of knowledge and become more of a trusted friend than a pushy, anonymous salesperson.
start with great content
So the place to start on Facebook isn’t with a sales pitch, but with meaningful content. To identify content topics that will resonate with your audience, start with keyword research.
Take a look at your existing content, and see which search terms are driving people to find that content. Using Google Search Console, you can access a list of real-world search terms that people are using to search every page of your website.
Look for patterns in the types of queries that lead to your content. And look for the intent in those questions. Understanding the intent, or why, behind a person’s search term can help you create new content that describes the needs and wants of your prospects.
Competitive research can also be helpful in this quest. Identify shortcomings in your competitors’ content offerings, or find ways to expand on the successful content they create. This is a great way to give your audience what they want.
Make sure the right people see it
You know that old saying about a tree falling in the forest with no one to hear it? The same principle applies to your online content. If there’s no interested party around to see your Facebook ad, it won’t move the needle and generate leads.
Let’s say you own a home remodeling company. No matter how great your content is about preparing for a remodel, if it’s only seen by a group of renters who aren’t in the market for your services, you can spend your advertising dollars on (newly installed) toilets. Can flush down.
Once you’ve created meaningful content, you’ll turn to Facebook to share it with the world. Start by organically sharing your content on the platform by posting it to your Facebook page. For your advertising purposes, you’ll want to focus on the parts of the content that get the most organic engagement. When a significant portion of your existing audience likes and comments on a particular content, it’s a sign. You know you’ve hit on something that really resonates with your ideal audience.
From there, you can promote the post with Facebook through their advertising platform. Using their Custom Audience tool allows you to show your content only to people to whom it may be relevant. Meaning, if you have a remodeling business, you can direct your ad spend at people in certain neighborhoods, age groups, and even people Facebook knows they recently bought a home from. .
By boosting your posts, you expand your reach beyond your existing followers. And by growing a Custom Audience that looks like your current best customers, you ensure you’re getting the most ROI on your advertising investment.
Follow your best prospects
Once you’ve boosted your content, it’s time to track how it performs with the wider world. Facebook provides detailed analytics that allow you to see how people react to and interact with content. They’ll show an analysis of organic versus paid reach. Also, you can see likes, comments and shares on the post.
You will also want to create and install a Facebook pixel on your website. This tool allows you to track customer behavior on your website. Adding a pixel lets you see how your ad on Facebook is affecting prospects’ behavior on your site.
With these analyzes in hand, you’ll want to follow up with the prospects who are showing the greatest promise – the people who are interacting with your content and discovering your website. Once someone expresses that interest, offer them the next step towards conversion.
It should be advertising material that invites them to try it. Show them an ad for a free trial or evaluation. By reserving these ads for people who have already expressed interest in your brand, you are increasing your advertising ROI once again. Save your serious advertising offers for your potential prospects, and you’ll be more likely to get a higher conversion rate.
Facebook advertising doesn’t have to cost a fortune to get results. If you are smart about the content you create and the audience you target, you can generate impressive returns with a small monetary investment.
If you liked this post, check out our Small Business Guide to Social Media.
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