If you’ve decided to start using Facebook Ads, congratulations! You’re about to tap into an incredibly active community with more than a billion users worldwide. It’s important to keep in mind, though, that there’s a science to using this platform. Let’s break it out with 10 crucial tips to optimize your Facebook Ads.
1. Identify your goal(s). Right out of the gate, you’ll want to figure out why you’re working with Facebook Ads and what it is you wish to achieve. Facebook will actually ask you this question before you start creating your ad, so it serves you well to understand what you want to do beforehand.
Know what you want to do before Facebook asks.
2. Separate mobile and desktop ads. Proper ad optimization means using separate ad sets for these types of calls to action so that you can make each as appropriate as possible for a given device (mobile, for example, being on the phone, while desktop being on your computer).
Facebook mobile ads and Facebook desktop ads should be separately optimized.
3. Divide your audience into more manageable segments. Identifying your correct target audience is key to reaching the right people. Break up potential audiences into smaller groups, then run simultaneous campaigns to see which one gains the most traction.
In order to hit that target, break up your Facebook audience into manageable chunks.
4. Select the right call to action. Facebook will ask you to do this while you’re setting up your ads. Go to the Ad Setup menu to choose your call to action and keep in mind that these will have a major impact on your conversion and click-through rates – so choose carefully. This goes along with Tip Number One: set your goal before getting started.
Your chosen call to action makes a huge difference in your results.
5. Keep track of the right performance metrics. A vital one here is the average value-per-customer minus the cost-per-customer. Also, if you’re looking to get more Likes through your Facebook Ads campaign, focus on cost-per-like.
If you’re working with Facebook Ads, you’d better get used to looking at metrics.
6. Specify your conversion code. This is another option that Facebook allows you to select when designing your ads. To do this, choose Power Editor, click on Use a Conversion Tracking Pixel and then choose whether you’ll use an existing code or create a new one.
Facebook will prompt you to specify a conversion code.
7. Keep it short, sweet and simple. The fewer the characters in the Facebook Ad, the higher the possibility for engagement. This closely follows typical metrics in Facebook’s News Feed.
The fewer the words, the stronger the engagement.
8. Experiment with different images. This is the most important part of your Facebook Ad – and it will determine whether or not your audience clicks through to read your content. Play around to identify what works best for you.
Strong, iconic images such as these leave an impression.
9. Split your audience into Facebook Ad sets. By grouping targets into topic areas and creating an ad per topic, you’ll be more properly going after the right people. This also allows you to better optimize to suit different interests.
Targeted ad sets help you reach the right audiences.
10. Schedule and rotate ads. Keep the boredom factor in mind here. In order to not only reach the maximum audience but to keep that audience from tuning out, you’re going to want to change it up. In addition, it’s important to schedule ads so that you have a predictable way of knowing who you’re reaching and when you’re reaching them.
Scheduling your ads ensures that your target audience is seeing them at the times that you specify.
For more resources, check out What Grabs Facebook Users’ Attention and The 4 Pillars of Digital Marketing Strategy for Pros and Amateurs. Also, if you haven’t already signed up to receive my Content Strategy Grid – click here to download!
