Facebook ads are paid advertisements that are incredibly powerful tools that provide so many options for marketers to choose from. They have become increasingly more flexible and affordable than other known advertising mediums, especially because they take the form of calls to action, thereby attracting new potential users or customers to your site whom you may otherwise never have met.
The ads can be a fun, fast, and relatively easy way to get traffic, grow your tribe, get page engagements, grow your emails, score Likes, and make sales. However, it is very easy to make mistakes when it comes to using Facebook ads to their maximum potential. So, if you want a successful ad campaign, then make sure that your business is not falling victim to these very common Facebook ad mistakes.
1. Targeting:
Too narrow or too broad targeting: Facebook allows you to be really specific about whom you can target. You can target people based on gender, age, sexual reference, education, location, language, interests and more. However, the most important of all these aspects is interests. Think carefully about whom the people you’re targeting, and what their interests may be.
Do not let your keywords target so narrowly. Demographics are pretty straightforward; the real trick, therefore, is to expand your keywords to the extent where you have a relatively large enough audience to get the job done.
Targeting non-fans: The first thing that you need to do is to build an audience first. This is so because increasing your fan engagement helps support any future conversation efforts. When you want to convert your Facebook ads, targeting fans is the best way to go. Actually this makes complete sense, since the more relevant an ad is to someone specifically, the more likely he/she will notice and act on it.
Moreover, Facebook fans are existing customers or potential customers of a particular business. This implies that any ad that is targeted at existing customers or facebook users already familiar with the business will automatically see a higher success rate.
Not targeting your ads by location: Unlike other forms of online advertising, Facebook allows you to target your ads to people in specific locations. Take for example, you live in Ireland, but you get these ads from Sidney, Victoria, Blue Mountains and Brisbane. To be frank, these ads aren’t going to get a good click-through rate outside their local area. In simple words, displaying location-specific ads outside the intended location is, in most cases, a total waste of money.
2. Budgeting:
Putting all your eggs in one basket: Especially if it’s your first time to advertise on facebook, it’s advisable to start small. Do not commit your entire advertising budget to it (unless your budget is miniscule), but a tiny budget is also another mistake, though one that’s really unavoidable for a good number of new marketers.
Setting up very low daily budget: Facebook usually gives advertisers an opportunity to bid on the amount of money they will pay per click i.e. cost per click (CPC) or per thousand impressions (CPM) ad plans. This suggested bid amount will help you make sure that your ad is seen by as many targeted users as possible. Get it right; if you bid too low, your ad will never be seen. So ensure that you dedicate enough funds to the ad campaign otherwise your results will be limited.
You haven’t figured out how much you want to spend. There you are! You’re ready to jump into Facebook advertising and test out the waters yet you have no slight clue as to how much you want to spend. In addition, you may not even be aware of the most effective way to optimize your ads. Before you begin to evaluate the amount you are willing to spend on Facebook ads, start by determining the value of a new lead.
The lead could be in the form of an email address, a Facebook fan or a new customer. Whatever you settle for, you are not going to spend all your money without any idea of how much value the ads will be generating.
3. Creativity:
Lack of information: if your ad doesn’t provide any information, don’t be surprised if no one clicks through to the page, or “Likes” the ad. For instance, ask yourself why a Facebook user would like an ad for a conveyance. So, when creating a Facebook ad, try to position yourself as the user and ask yourself why you would click on that ad.
Your ads are too broad and boring. Instead of one or two large and generic ads that target a very wide audience, go with multiple, smaller-range ads with a specific audience, such as those confined within a given city. Remember you only have a split second to make an impression, so make sure that your ads instantly communicate to your targeted audience that they are relevant to each viewer specifically.
Your ads are too text-heavy or bland: Make the most of your ad with, if possible, a striking image plus a few impossible-to-resist words. Make every word count. Calls to action are particularly potent. Also, ensure that your spelling and grammar are absolutely perfect.
Not realizing you need to link your ad to an event, a fan page, or a group on Facebook. As far as Facebook is concerned, the purpose of the ads is to promote and publicize. So even if it’s your own website that you want to promote, ensure that your ad directs people to your event, Facebook page or group for your website.
