Do you own or manage a small business? Are you wondering about the benefits of Facebook advertising?
These days, there are several popular social media platforms and other ways to market your products and services online. What's different about advertising on Facebook, and how can you make it work for you?
Here's what you need to know about the benefits of Facebook ads.
1. They're Affordable
Compared to other options, Facebook ads are some of the most cost-effective options out there. In fact, they run anywhere from $.50 to $2.00 per click. By contrast, other ad mediums, such as television, radio, and billboards, can become quite costly.
Factors influencing the exact costs of your ads include your target audience, the time of year, and where you want your ads to be placed. For example, you'll pay more to have ads placed during holidays or situated more prominently on the page.
Facebook advertising will involve some trial-and-error at the beginning as you look to find your most effective strategy. You'll want to figure this into your budget. However, the overall cost is quite sensible when you consider how many leads you'll be generating.
2. You Can Target Your Exact Audience
One of the best parts about advertising on Facebook is that you can get really specific about your target audience. You can narrow them down by location, ages, and interests. It's also possible to specify income, education level, and recent purchases.
So, if you want to sell your services to 18-to-34-year-olds in New York who play hockey, your ad won't be shown to those who have no interest in athletics. You won't be pitching your services to an audience that can't convert into leads. It's even possible to target those who like your competitors!
3. Analytics
Facebook can provide you with thorough reports about the performance of your ads. You'll get information about your conversion rates clearly laid out in your Ads Manager. There will also be information about your reach, post engagement, and page likes.
This type of analysis gives you the opportunity to adjust your ads based on what you're seeing. You can decide which ads are working and how you can tweak your strategy. Many find the analysis is critical to their business's marketing success.
4. Your Customers Use Facebook
Most of those on the Internet are using Facebook. In fact, there are more than nineteen million people who use Facebook in Canada, and more than fourteen million of them check their Facebook news feeds each day. Many are scrolling through them multiple times.
One of the most unique things about Facebook is that your customers use it daily. You aren't taking the chance that those in your target audience won't see your ad.
5. It's Easy to Find New Leads
There's usually a "testing period" when you begin placing Facebook ads. During this time, you'll be able to find out which ads are getting more ads, and which ones are converting into leads.
Your Ads Manager will make it easy to determine which kinds of leads will convert the fastest. You can then find people like them through a feature called "lookalike audiences." You can build lookalike audiences from your fans and those who install their data through apps.
6. Improve Your SEO Rankings
The number of comments, likes, and shares on your posts will signal activity on your social media content. This can help you rank higher with search engines. Improved Search Engine Optimization (SEO) rankings will further improve the exposure of your website.
7. Remarketing Tools
Facebook provides you with excellent remarketing tools. These allow you to reach those who have seen your products in the past. Remarketing helps bring them closer to making a purchase.
If someone looks at your product and doesn't make a purchase, remarketing can help you show it to them in the future in an effective way. A good price or discount could result in lead conversion.
You can remarket your product to folks when they're on their downtime and more available. You can also integrate the Facebook Pixel to show your ads to those who visited your website for a certain amount of time.
8. Customized Calls to Action
Facebook offers a number of customized calls to action (CTA.) These give visitors clear instructions on what to do. You can invite them to watch a video, sign up for something, or use an app.
CTA's can increase your conversion rates. Facebook currently uses CTA's such as Sign Up, Download, or Play Game. It gives prospective customers a chance to get more information about your products before they make a decision.
Pay-per-click ads are also easy to set up through Facebook. They can be created through an Ads Creation page or an Ads Manager mobile app. You can also get folks to click on the business page itself.
9. Going Mobile
More than half of all online users utilize their cell phones to access the Internet. And most Facebook users are getting it through their phones.
Many of today's workers are getting their social media fixes while they're out and about. They may be jumping on during their lunch break or checking out their newsfeed while they're on the train.
If you want to reach your target audience when they aren't sitting at a home or work computer, you'll want to have lots of mobile exposure. Facebook is one of the top ways to do this.
10. Helpful Tools
If you don't have a background in marketing or design, it can be tricky to create attractive, up-to-date ads. Fortunately, Facebook offers lots of tools to help.
You can use free tools to create images easily, as well as drag and drop them. There are also plenty of premade templates. Overlay checkers help to make sure your ads are seen by as many people as possible.
11. Foster Customer Loyalty
Many customers enjoy following Facebook businesses they believe in. This also gives businesses a chance to interact regularly with their most loyal customers.
When prospective customers follow your business, you'll get more growth and a higher retention rate. As you let loyal followers know what products you're selling and which promotions you're running, you'll get more and more sales.
12. Building a Contact List
Facebook's "Lead Ad" feature allows you to find email contacts with Facebook ads. You can also use an external form on your business's website to build your email list.
Email lists are still a popular way to let prospective customers know what's new. These could be special promotions, events, or product news. If email is an important part of your social media strategy, Facebook ads can help you reach a larger audience of potential customers.
13. Variety of Ad Types
Facebook offers a wide variety of ad types. These templates can be especially helpful if you're new to Internet advertising.
You can use short videos that appear in user newsfeeds or conversations that appear in Messenger. You can choose a carousel of images or a playable game.
Ad types can help with marketing and branding. You aren't limited simply to plain text. If you want to draw prospective customers in with a unique type of visual, Facebook can help you create it.
14. Business Goals
When you begin to advertise on Facebook, you can choose from a number of objectives. For example, you may want more site traffic or lead generation.
Facebook can help you set up ads with the purpose of improving engagement. Or they can help you get more website referral traffic.
Ad objectives can include things like lead conversions, brand awareness, or information collection. Your marketing team likely has a strategy that will be easy to implement through Facebook advertising. You will simply need to communicate your needs and allow the right ad types to do the work.
15. Improve Content Marketing
Content marketing uses blogging, social media, and website content to drive more traffic to your site. Facebook creates a great platform for improving the visibility of your website content. You can target greater site traffic and even more Click-Through Rates (CTR.)
Engagement on your website will lead to more interactions with your business. These include likes, shares, and comments. You'll also get more people to view your products and services.
The Benefits of Facebook Ads
When you're running a business, the right strategy for ad placement is critical to long-term growth. The benefits of Facebook ads are numerous. With low costs, unparalleled targeting, and excellent engagement, your business will be blossoming in no time.
Don't stop getting smart about digital marketing now. For professional help getting started, contact us today.