3 Important Elements for Achieving Success with Facebook Advertising in 2018

Facebook has spent the better part of the last decade making its advertising feature one of the most powerful social media tools for businesses. Even with a few cons, it’s still a vital marketing tool because of just how many active users exist on Facebook.

There’s a massive pool from which to draw. Not only are there more people on Facebook, but Facebook is also more versatile than any other social media platform.

The opportunities to reach people across the world are virtually unlimited.

Of course, every few months – and more frequently – Facebook tweaks its advertising tool; and this usually requires that businesses make subtle adjustments to their advertising strategies. But with each new year, businesses and marketers should regroup and reassess what has worked well, wasn’t hasn’t worked well, and what has the potential to work well in the upcoming year.

But, as you build your game plan for 2018, there are a few points of emphasis that will maximize the effectiveness of your advertising on Facebook. Let’s look at 3 of the most essential elements of Facebook advertising.

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Know Your Ads

If this is your first time using Facebook for marketing purposes, you’re probably unaware of the different ad types that are available to you. And if you are familiar with the different ad types, perhaps you haven’t tried them out yet.

Depending on your business and what it is you’re looking to achieve, you have an array of ad options from which to choose.

If you already have existing content that you’re simply want to promote and get out to more people who might be interested in your brand, then you can boost that post and reach the right people.

If you’re looking to draw prospects in the form of an ad, you also have a few options . . .

With lead ads, you can build your email list and following in the same way that you do via other methods of lead generation. The difference is that Facebook provides you with an attractive ad template that could almost market itself. Complete with an image, link to a lead page, and even a direct download button, you can enter your ad copy, your target audience, and let Facebook do the rest!

With the rise of video content and video marketing, Facebook has created a video ad option that will help you reach your target audience in a trendy and appealing way. Similarly, you can create a non-video ad or offer to entice your target audience.

Finally, Facebook offers marketers the option of a carousel ad. This method is particularly effective when used by a retailer or brand that has multiple products. The carousel ad consists of a series of slides that allows viewers to toggle back and forth between the products on display.  

And if you’re not sure which ad will perform best, trial a few of them (even all of them!) to determine which might be the best long-term options for your company.

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Narrow Your Target Audience

A novice marketer might make the mistake of trying to reach the largest number of people possible. But a seasoned marketer knows that the more you narrow your audience, the more successful you’ll be.

And in order to narrow your target audience, you first need to learn more about the people to whom your business appeals most.

How old are they? Where are they live? What are their interests?

You might already have an idea from data you’ve collected elsewhere – whether it is from your website, social media platforms, or other mediums. But if you don’t, you can start by accessing the demographics that are already available to you on Facebook.

Then, use that information to take full advantage of the platform’s ad targeting parameters. Facebook will assist in narrowing your target audience, letting you know your ad’s potential reach, daily reach, and how it compares to ad campaigns from other businesses.

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Focus on Conversion

The goal of any marketing strategy is to attract prospects and turn them into paying customers, which is much easier said than done.

Marketers know that there are various reasons why people show initial interest but don’t end up becoming customers. Facebook realizes this too, so the platform has developed methods of picking up prospects wherever they left off in the conversion process.

You can reconnect with these people once again by running an ad that targets a custom audience. Facebook allows you build these bridges again by setting parameters that help your ad reach people who are on your email list, have visited your site, or have made a purchase previously.

This method gives businesses and marketers the power to increase their conversion rates and spend more time turning prospects into customers, rather than mainly turning people into prospects.

In 2018, Facebook will tweak its advertising feature even further, so it’s important that you stay current on its changes in order to maximize your marketing effectiveness. But if you emphasize these three elements as foundational components of your strategy, you can tailor an advertising plan that helps you attract and convert more prospects than ever before.