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Facebook Ads can be a great way to drive traffic to your website and increase sales conversions, but they can also be expensive and difficult to manage if you’re unfamiliar with the platform. By understanding how Facebook Ads work and what options are available to you, you can create a cost-effective ad campaign that meets your business’s needs.
In this article, discover the top 12 questions and answers entrepreneurs and small business owners need to know about running Facebook ads for their companies.
As an online entrepreneur and marketing coach who teaches business owners how to DIY their digital branding and marketing (while saving time, money and energy), Facebook advertising is one of my favorite subjects to consult on. It’s been one of the most cost-effective ways for my companies to reach a large audience of targeted customers while helping my businesses grow brand awareness faster and easier.
That said, here are 12 common questions I hear from entrepreneurs.
Related: The Complete Guide to Getting Started With Facebook Ads
How do I promote my small business on Facebook?
An effective way to promote your small business on Facebook is through targeted ad campaigns. With targeted campaigns, you can reach the right people with your message and increase the chances of garnering attention for your business. To start, take advantage of Facebook’s Audience Insights feature to gain insight into the demographics of your ideal customers.
Related: The Complete Guide to Facebook Advertising
Are Facebook Ads worth it in 2023?
Facebook Ads can be a great way to promote your business over the next year. While there are all types of online advertising tools (such as Google ads, YouTube ads and more), the bottom line is that Facebook advertising is still one of the most cost-effective advertising methods on the internet.
Unlike other platforms or systems, Facebook advertising allows you to create specific audiences that help narrow down who you are trying to reach. This information will help you create a targeted ad campaign that is more likely to be successful.
How much does a Facebook ad cost?
The cost of the ads varies, depending on how many people you want to see the ad, the period you plan to run it for and even other factors like the location and audience type you want to reach. In addition, since it’s a social network where your ads generate organic engagement (such as shares, likes and comments), it enables your content to go viral faster, expanding your ad’s reach without spending more budget toward impressions. You can get started running ads for a small amount, like just $5 per day, which is a great way to test creative content.
How do I start a Facebook ad?
A small business owner can start a Facebook ad campaign on the platform by first creating a business page and ad account. Start by defining the campaign objectives (such as brand awareness, traffic, etc.) and select an audience most likely to convert. After that, create an engaging ad with high-quality visuals and compelling copy. Make sure to include a call to action that encourages viewers to take the desired action.
Related: Your 7-Step Guide to Getting Started With Facebook Ads
How do Facebook Ads work?
Facebook Ads target users based on their behaviors, interests and other demographic information. When a user clicks on an ad or interacts with it in any way (such as liking, commenting or sharing), they are adding to the ad’s reach — and driving more conversions. Once an ad is created, it will be displayed in various sections on Facebook, Instagram and affiliated platforms.
How do Google Ads compare to Facebook Ads?
Google and Facebook ads are two different ways to advertise your business online.
With Google ads, you can target people actively searching on Google for keywords related to your business. By contrast, Facebook ads let you target people based on their interests and other demographic information, so visual ads are served to them while they’re spending time on social media.
The benefit of Facebook (in comparison to Google) is that it enables you to be more selective about the type of person you are trying to reach with your ad. Whereas, with Google ads, it’s all based on the keywords people are searching for, so you might end up paying for clicks from people who aren’t your ideal customer.
Do Facebook Ads work for small businesses?
As an entrepreneur starting a business, you must be mindful of how you spend your financial resources. That’s why testing ads online can be a cost-effective way to see how people engage with your content while driving brand awareness for your startup.
Tap into the power of targeted Facebook Ads to reach your ideal customers faster and easier. You can tailor your ads with precise segmentation to get the right people with relevant messages, helping them make more impactful connections and increase engagement rates! By paying attention to detail when setting up an ad campaign on Facebook, small businesses can maximize their efforts for maximum success.
How long should I run a Facebook ad?
You should run a Facebook ad for as long as it is effective. That means you should track how many people click on it, like it or share it. If it is ineffective, you should stop running the ad and try something else.
In the social media marketing course I created for Inspiring Brands Academy, within a few short hours, I teach my students (who are small business owners and entrepreneurs) step-by-step strategies to create successful ads that drive results. Analyzing the data on which type of creative content is performing best helps you decide how long to run each ad.
How do I find my target audience through Facebook ads?
Using the platform’s powerful targeting capabilities, you can find your target audience through Facebook Ads. With the ability to target users based on their behaviors, interests, demographics, location, and more, small business owners can create highly tailored campaigns that reach the right people (which means you’ll spend less advertising budget to reach the customers who’d naturally be interested in your product or service). This allows for more effective engagement and conversion rates since the audience your ad is being delivered to is already interested in what you are offering.
For example, if you run a beauty ecommerce business that sells anti-aging skincare, then most likely you’d want to target people over age 40, whose interests include beauty and skincare, and who follow pages like Allure and NewBeauty magazine, retailers (such as Sephora and Ulta) and popular skincare brands.
How do I measure the success of my Facebook Ads?
The success of your Facebook Ads depends on a variety of factors, including the quality of the creative content and how well they target your desired audience. However, the best way to measure the success of an ad campaign is by tracking its performance with analytics. Through Facebook’s Ads Manager, you can measure metrics such as impressions, clicks, conversions and more to determine which ads perform best and generate the most ROI.
What is a good budget for running Facebook Ads?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question since it largely depends on the size of your business and the goals you want to achieve with your ad campaigns.
Generally speaking, I recommend that entrepreneurs set aside a budget for testing their ads before allocating more money to successful campaigns generating results. But the good news is that you can start by testing ad content for just $5 per day over seven days to see results. I recommend trying various ad types (video, photos, different copy and CTAs) to see which performs best.
Related: How to Increase Your Marketing Return On Investment Through Customization and Multiple Personas
What is the average return on ad spend for a Facebook campaign?
The average return on ad spend (ROAS) for a Facebook campaign can vary depending on your target audience and how well your ads perform. Generally, you should aim to get a ROAS of at least 1-5x — meaning that you’re earning back the amount you spent to run the campaigns.
To calculate your ROAS, divide your total profit by the amount you spent on running the ad. For example, if your total profit is $100 and you spent $50 to run the ad, divide 100/50 = 2x ROAS. The higher the ROAS, the better it is for your business.
As you can see, small business owners and entrepreneurs can benefit from running Facebook ad campaigns because they allow for highly targeted advertising that reaches people who are already interested in what you have to offer. Additionally, through analytics, businesses can measure the success of their ad campaigns and make necessary adjustments to ensure they are getting the most out of their investment. With a good budget and an understanding of targeting your audience, you can see a high return on investment from Facebook ad campaigns.
