Facebook has become one of the most accurate and effective digital marketing channels available to businesses and individuals. With roughly 2.5 billion active users and state-of-the-art algorithms, Facebook monitors behavioural patterns, interests, and intent, providing you with the ultimate opportunity to get your ads directly in front of the right customers.
But with many targeting options and a sometimes tricky user interface, making costly mistakes is easy. We’ve compiled a list of the five biggest mistakes to avoid to help you avoid these pitfalls and get the most out of your Facebook ads.
Targeting Too Broad Of An Audience
“Uber famously stated their targetted addressable market as ‘The Whole World”
Not everyone can be Uber! One of the most common mistakes is targeting an audience that is too large in hopes of hitting potential leads. This approach can quickly drain your budget with minimal effectiveness.
Instead of basing your advertising on guesswork, take the time to define your ideal customer. Besides location, consider your past clients’ interests, behaviours, and demographics. Facebook Ads allows you to narrow your audience based on these data points.
For example, if you own a local coffee shop, targeting “coffee lovers” nationwide might lead to wasted ad spend. Instead, narrow it down to “coffee lovers within a 10-kilometer radius of your shop.” This way, your ad reaches people more likely to visit your shop.
Using Facebook’s Audience Insights tool can help you better understand your target audience. This tool provides information about your audience’s age, gender, lifestyle, and interests, allowing you to create more precise targeting and avoid wasting your budget on uninterested users.
Where is the Facebook Pixel?
Tracking is crucial in digital marketing, and the Facebook pixel is essential for this purpose. A Facebook pixel lets you track interactions with people who engage with your ad and visit your website. The data collected from the pixel can be used to:
For instance, if you run an online watch store, you can use the Facebook pixel to retarget visitors who added items to their cart but didn’t complete the purchase. By showing them ads featuring the exact watches they were interested in, you can remind them to complete their purchase and increase conversion rates.
The Hard Sell
A common mistake is selling a product to a cold audience immediately. Remember, social advertising is about building a relationship before making a sales pitch.
Create an intermediate step where you provide value to your potential customer before asking for a lead or conversion. Facebook’s algorithms work on a “Know, Like, Trust” system, aligning with the Awareness, Engagement, and Conversion stages. Guide your audience through these stages for better results.
Instead of immediately asking for a sale, offer something of value first. For instance, if you run a Landscaping Business, you could offer a free eBook on “5 Pro Tips for Beautiful Roses” in exchange for an email address or mobile phone number. This approach will help build trust and credibility with your target audience, making them more likely to respond to an offer.
Ignore the Importance of Your Image
Did you know that 70%-90% of ad success and performance directly correlate to the images used? Even though Facebook offers various ad formats, most include the option to add an image. Here are four questions to ask yourself when choosing or creating an image:
- Is it visually pleasing with limited text?
- Is it relevant to your ad and content?
- Does it include an enticing offer?
- Does it portray value?
For example, if you’re advertising a Personal Training service, an image of a happy, fit person working out is more likely to grab attention than a generic stock photo. Tools like Canva offer a large library of free and paid images to help you create compelling Facebook posts and ads.
Poor Headlines
Many digital marketers use clever and witty headlines or sales jargon, which isn’t necessarily bad. However, focusing on how your audience will benefit from your product or service is essential. Ask yourself, “What’s in it for them? What solutions do you offer to their problem?”
When crafting your headline, aim to keep it as short as possible. Statistics show that headlines of 40 characters or fewer achieve 86% more engagement.
For example, instead of a headline like “Revolutionary Hair Tonic Now Available,” a more effective headline may be ” Thicker Hair in Just 7 Days.” The latter focuses clearly on the benefits to the customer and in fewer words.
Oli’s Take!
Avoiding these five key mistakes boils down to taking the time to plan your ads thoughtfully. Utilise the free tools and information available to improve your ad creatives and manage the data you collect from your audience. By doing so, you’ll be on your way to Facebook advertising success.
Effective Facebook advertising is about more than just setting up an ad and hoping for the best. It’s about strategic planning, continuous learning, and adapting to what works best for your business. If your skills are up to date, Great! Happy advertising!
But, your Facebook ads may fall short without years of experience and being across the constant algorithm changes. Choose our professional team at OliDigital to create, monitor, and optimize your ads. Contact us today to get started!