Social Media is a great touch point for potential customers and loyal users. Having said that, I need to stress one thing before you read any further. Not all industries are the same. This means a method that works for a retailer targeting Gen Now for a consumer product will not have the same results as using that same approach for a medical device supplier. Each audience is distinct, and each media channel has advantages and disadvantages for that audience.
If you ask yourself, how do you get the most engagement out of posts that lead to conversions? How do you create a sales funnel from the Facebook Advertising? Incorporating Facebook advertising into your strategy will undoubtedly help you reach your conversion goals faster, and there is an added advantage in that you can track and compare your ads to see their performance. Keep in mind, tracking your ROI is key to deciphering which ad type will work for your company.
Now, let’s dive a little deeper into the Facebook Ad. Yes, it’s easy to boost a post, but meeting your goals may be a different matter. There are three basic categories of advertising on Facebook: awareness, consideration (engagement), and conversion. Each of these three types is geared towards specific outcomes and goals is why you need to set specific goals for what you want to get from social media advertising before you start.
Facebook Awareness Ads:
Why would you need this? Do you have a new business, product or service that you want people to find? This is a great tool to gain the necessary awareness of your business and brand.
What are the specific types of awareness ads?
- Brand awareness: Target people more likely to pay attention to your ads and increase awareness for your brand. Many times local businesses use this ad type to drive traffic to your store.
- Reach: Show your ad to more people. Often called, “Boosting,” this method is great if you want more people to see your page’s posts. Using this will get traffic to your Facebook Page and also create awareness of your brand.
Facebook Consideration Ads:
Why would you need this? Do you want warm leads? Do you want to get people to start thinking about your business and look for more information about it? For example, do you have a big-ticket product or service that required more research and dwell time before conversion? This is a great avenue to pursue on Facebook. You can post on both Instagram and Facebook using this method, as long as your Instagram account is connected to your Facebook account.
What are the specific types of consideration ads?
- Traffic: Send more people to a destination on or off Facebook.
- Engagement: Get more people to see and engage with your Post or Page. Engagement can include comments, shares, likes, event responses and offer claims.
- App installs: Send people to the store where they can purchase your app.
- Video views: Promote videos that show behind-the-scenes footage, product launches or customer stories to raise awareness about your brand.
- Lead generation: Collect lead information from people interested in your business. Looking to get more leads for your sales staff? A lead generation ad is a great option for this. Create an ad that encourages your preferred audience to fill out a form that can either be added to your direct sales funnel or your newsletter lists. What is nifty about Facebook’s integration is that you can sync your CRM automatically with your Facebook lead generator. Automating this task helps ensure that you do not lose leads.
Facebook Conversion Ads:
Why would you need these Ads? Simply put: you want ACTION. You want people on Facebook to convert by making a purchase of your product or service. This option is a little trickier to use. First, you will need to install your Facebook Pixel from your Ad Manager profile onto your website. You cannot use the Conversion Objectives without a Facebook Pixel on your site. You can send out ads on Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and the Audience Network.
What are the specific types of conversions ads?
- Conversions: This method is ideal for businesses that have products or services that tend to be one-click purchases. Use this ad to get people to convert on your website or app, such as adding payment info or making a purchase. Another option with the conversions ad, you can create coupons for people to save on their profile for a later date. Facebook reminds the user of the unused coupon until the set expiration date. Facebook requires that you have the Facebook pixel or app events installed to track and measure conversions.
- Product catalog sales: Just like on Google Merchant, you can connect your product feed from your website shopping cart to Facebook so that visitors to your Facebook page can make purchases. You can create ads that automatically show products from your product catalog based on your target audience.
- Store visits: Promote multiple business locations to people who are nearby. To use this type of ad, you will need to verify your business’s location with Facebook. Most people have Facebook installed on their smartphones and have their locations option enabled. Facebook will then use your coordinates and compare it to anyone who clicks on your ad and then comes into your business.
As you can see, Facebook has expanded the options for businesses interested in advertising on their social network. Just like Bing, Google and YouTube, you need to set your objectives/ goals for your ads before you start. Knowing your goals provides a clear direction and type of ad required for you and your business. Of course, if you have any questions, please contact someone on our Boomtown Team, we will help you leverage your social network for a real ROI.