What is Facebook Ads?
Facebook Ads refer to paid advertisements that allow images to be displayed to users. Through this type of advertising, businesses can more easily reach their target customers.
To effectively run Facebook Ads, businesses need to invest in a budget and accurately target customers who have a need and interest in the product/service that the business is offering in the market. The purpose of running Facebook Ads is to increase brand visibility, expand the business market, and boost the conversion rate of customers making purchases.
As you scroll through Facebook daily, you’ll easily spot content that is a Facebook Ad. Specifically, posts that include the phrase “Sponsored” are the content being promoted through Facebook Ads.
How Do Facebook Ads Work?
Businesses use Facebook Ads with the goal of finding their target customers through age, location, personal information, and demographics. The target audience is selected based on ad settings.
Once you’ve created your ad, you can easily set bids, and budgets for customer clicks or impressions. The key factor in Facebook Ads is targeting. Therefore, during the ad creation process, you need to fill in important information such as:
- Location
- Age and Gender
- Interests
- Broad Categories
Based on the information you provide, Facebook Ads will use it to help businesses find potential customers and display the ads.
Read more: What is Facebook Marketing? How to Do Facebook Marketing Effectively
What are the Advantages of Using Facebook Ads?
Highly Customizable Ads & Audiences
These targeting options are easily customizable, meaning you can reach a custom audience based on their age, location, interests, etc. This makes it easier to reach your potential buyers.
The features of Facebook Ads offer great flexibility for the different types of ads you can create. Since Facebook Ads are also displayed on Instagram and Facebook’s display network, you have greater reach and flexibility in creating your business’s media ads.
The customization ability of Facebook Ads allows you to easily test different ad formats and placements. This helps you identify the most effective combinations for your product/service’s target audience.
Attracting User Traffic
In the first quarter of 2022, Facebook reported 1.96 billion daily active users. As one of the largest social media networks, it has transformed the way businesses advertise. In fact, in the U.S. alone, 51% of total ad spending was used for digital ads (including Facebook, among others).
Additionally, since acquiring Instagram in 2012, Facebook ads will be displayed to a broader user base, making it easier to reach different demographics.
Especially with Instagram’s latest updates focusing on the shopping tabs, the combination of these two platforms allows your brand to be seen by countless users.
So, if you’re on the fence about whether to invest in Facebook advertising, trust that marketers continue to invest in Facebook Ads.
Easily Customizable Criteria in Facebook Ads Campaigns
Campaign
- Campaign Objective (Traffic, Engagement, Brand Awareness, Conversion, etc.)
- Budget Optimization (let Facebook optimize your campaign budget)
- Optimization Strategy (Impressions, Clicks, Reach, Website Visits, etc.)
Audience
- Location (Country, City, Region)
- Age Group
- Gender
- Language
- Interests
Creative
- Ad Placement (Facebook, Instagram, Display Network, and other placement options)
- Ad Format (Single Image Ads, Video Ads, Carousel Ads, Collection Ads)
- Media Options (Different variations of your images and videos)
- Ad Text, Headline, and Call-to-Action
- Landing Page
Easy Setup with High Efficiency
Although Facebook’s business manager tool requires a bit of practice to set up, run, and maximize its potential, this makes setting up and posting your first ad easier.
Beyond the easy setup, the large reach of active users and flexible advertising brings quick results. In one study, it was found that 57% of consumers said that social media influences their shopping. Of that 57%, 44% said Facebook was one of the most influential social media platforms.
In fact, Wordstream published a study showing the average conversion rate for Facebook ads across all industries is 9.21%.
Budget-Friendly for Businesses
Compared to traditional advertising channels, Facebook ads are significantly cheaper. Imagine advertising on radio, billboards, newsletters, or even TV – you’d spend thousands of dollars hoping to reach any potential customers.
The problem is you have no control over who will see your ads and whether they are potential customers (not to mention you can’t measure the results of your campaigns).
On the other hand, with Facebook, you can work with a budget of $10 and reach 1,000 people on the same day your campaign launches. Especially since you can specify the exact audience you want to reach.
So, even if you have a small business, with Facebook ads, you can immediately reach your potential customers.
Customized Call-to-Action Options
According to a report by Ad Roll, adding a CTA to your Facebook page and ads can increase your click-through rate by up to 28%. The CTA button (Call-to-Action) provides direct guidance and encourages your potential customers to take the action you want them to take, whether it’s signing up, booking, purchasing, or watching a video.
Since a clear and visible CTA can make a significant difference in ad performance.
Easy Tracking and Measurement
The fundamental question for any marketer is how much value am I getting for the money I spent? One of the biggest advantages of Facebook ads is that it allows you to easily track and measure results. Tracking your Facebook Ads performance is done by installing a Facebook pixel on your website.
Increase the Number of Followers on Your Fan Page
Running Facebook ad campaigns not only increases website traffic and lead generation efforts but also indirectly influences the number of followers on a business’s Facebook page.
The more followers you have on Facebook, the greater your chances of having your organic posts seen. In addition to paid campaigns, you can leverage organic marketing on Facebook to your advantage.
Guide to Creating Facebook Ads from A to Z for Beginners
Before starting, it’s important to think about why you’re advertising and what goals you want to achieve. By defining your personal success metrics before launching your ads, you’ll be able to decide which advertising objective best suits your needs.
Below are the steps to learn how to run Facebook ads for beginners that you can refer to:
Step 1: Create an Ad Account
When you sign up for Facebook, you’re automatically given a personal ad account ID by default. You can find this ID by going to the Ads Manager and looking in the top left corner.
To use Facebook Ads Manager, you need to have a verified payment method:
- Facebook Page
- Be an admin, editor, or advertiser on someone else’s page
If you don’t yet have a page for your business, you can follow Facebook’s steps to set one up. Any page you create will automatically be given an ad account.
If there’s a page you’d like to advertise that was created by someone else, you’ll need to request that the page admin assigns you the role of admin, editor, or advertiser on the page.
If you already have an ad account for your page but want to create a new one, you’ll need a business manager account. After registering for a business manager account, you can create a new ad account.
Step 2: Get Familiar with Ads Manager
All Facebook ad campaigns are created and managed through Facebook Ads Manager. These steps apply to using it on a desktop or laptop.
The easiest way to find Facebook Ads Manager is to click this direct link. You’ll be taken straight to Facebook Ads Manager for your personal ad account. If you manage multiple ad accounts, use the account dropdown menu to select the correct account.
To navigate to Ads Manager directly from your business page, go to the left sidebar and click the dropdown arrow on the “Ad Center” of any Facebook page, then select “All Ads” from the dropdown menu. At the bottom of that page, there is an option to click “Ads Manager”.
You’ll be taken to the Facebook Ad Account page, where you’ll get a quick overview of your ad account(s). If you have access to multiple ad accounts, select the account you want to run ads from.
If you prefer using a mobile device, there’s a Facebook Ads Manager app available for both Apple and Android.
Step 3: Choose Your Objective
To start with your first ad, click the green ‘Create Ad’ button.
Facebook will take you to a page where you’ll be prompted to choose a campaign objective.
Select Objective for the campaign (image: Buffer)
You have various ways to approach an ad campaign based on what you want to achieve.
Step 4: Set the Campaign Budget
Next, determine how much you can spend on your ad. It’s important to remember when setting your budget that this is the maximum amount you can spend on your ad. You can set either a daily budget or a total amount for the campaign.
- Daily: The daily budget sets a limit on how much you spend each day on your ad. Facebook will use the criteria you set to find the right places and times to show your ad to your target audience. Once your budget is reached, the ad will stop running for the day. The cycle resets the next day.
- Lifetime: A lifetime budget is the maximum amount you will spend over the entire duration of your ad campaign. You provide Facebook with a number and an end date, and it will spend based on ad performance. Once your budget is reached, the campaign will end.
Step 5: Define Your Target Audience
Since it determines who Facebook will show your ad to, strategically defining your audience is crucial for the success of your Facebook Ad campaigns.
As mentioned earlier, the audience for your ad can be customized based on various demographic information such as:
- Location
- Age
- Gender
- Language
- Interests
- Behaviors
Additionally, with the Connections setting, you can choose advanced targeting, allowing you to include or exclude people connected to certain pages, apps, or events. You can further customize your targeting by using custom audiences to retarget people who have already interacted with your business.
Step 6: Choose Ad Placements
Ad placements determine where your ad appears for your target audience. Based on your objective, you can choose to show your ad on Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, or the Audience Network.
Step 7: Create a New Facebook Ad or Promote an Existing Post
Now it’s time to create your Facebook ad. You can use an existing post or start from scratch.
- Using an existing post
For certain types of ads, such as promoted posts, you can create an ad using a post that already exists on your Facebook Page.
To do this, select the ‘Use Existing Post’ option. From here, you can choose your page from the linked accounts and select the post you want to use as your ad.
- Create a new ad
If you want to create your ad from scratch, the first task is to select the format. You may have seen many Facebook Ad formats in your personal feed, but your choices will vary based on the objective you set for your ad in Step 3.
Step 8: Submit the Ad and Await Facebook’s Approval
To submit your ad, click the ‘Publish’ button at the bottom right of the page. Once your ad is submitted, Facebook will hold your post so they can review it to ensure it meets their specifications and does not violate their community guidelines. Expect it to be reviewed within 24 hours. You’ll receive a confirmation email from Facebook once the ad is live.
By following these steps, you can self-learn Facebook marketing by creating your own ad campaign to explore and understand the process.
Tips for Successfully Self-Learning Facebook Ads for Beginners
1. Use Facebook Targeting to Narrow Down Your Audience
Facebook Targeting
When it comes to online sales, it’s tempting to write as if you’re speaking to a large audience at a conference. However, to be effective, you should write as if you’re addressing just one person.
This person is your target, the one you need to persuade. Just as a direct salesperson focuses all their attention on a single individual and their needs, you need to focus on your target audience’s specific requirements.
On your website, you might write content that addresses a broad range of potential customers with different profiles. However, on Facebook, you can narrow down your audience effectively.
2. Create Different Facebook Ads for Each Audience Segment
This aligns with the idea that businesses should tailor their efforts to meet their goals. Your customers come to you for various reasons, so why use a generic ad? Facebook’s strength lies in its targeting capabilities, so don’t treat your ads like billboards.
3. Ensure Consistency Between Copywriting and Imagery
There are many ads from various sources, leading to competition to ensure that the images attached are effective.
This can result in images not matching the copy, creating a frustrating experience for Facebook users. If the content and images are mismatched, users will question what the ad is actually promoting. This disrupts the ad’s effectiveness and wastes the opportunity.
If you’re struggling to create images for your Facebook ads, you can use image tools like Bannersnack, Canva, PicMonkey, and Pablo by Buffer to create your visuals.
4. Focus on a Single Call-to-Action (CTA)
Call To Action (CTA)
The best Facebook ads have a clear objective. Whether it’s to raise brand awareness or drive sales, your ad must include a clear call-to-action.
Without it, users will see your ad without knowing what to do next or what action to take.
5. Keep Copywriting Short, Clear, and Valuable
Don’t overload your ad with too much content. To stand out in Facebook ads, you need to be concise and lead with value.
Clearly communicate what benefits users will gain from your ad and keep your message straightforward.
6. Use Numbers to Grab Attention
Writing ads isn’t about elaborate language. If you’re a poet, flowery language can muddle your message. Focus on clarity.
Your primary goal is to write Facebook ads that are easily understood by anyone, even a fifth-grader. Highlight these key points immediately:
- What you’re offering
- How it benefits them
- What they need to do next
7. Remember to Test
If you’re selling a physical product, people will want to know the price. If you’re running a discount, they’ll want to know the percentage off. Effective ad copy often leads with numbers. Testing various ad elements helps you find what works best.
Conclusion
The article from Glints shares how beginners can self-learn Facebook Ads. We hope these insights will assist you in gaining valuable knowledge as you explore Facebook Ads.
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