What is Facebook Ads?
Facebook advertising, also known as Facebook Ads, is a paid display format on the Facebook (Meta) platform. Through these ads, businesses/organizations can easily reach their target customers.
Typically, the purpose of running Facebook Ads is to increase brand visibility, expand market reach, and boost customer purchase conversion rates, among others.
To run Facebook Ads effectively, businesses must have the knowledge and plans aligned with market realities and accurately target their product/service’s audience.
When scrolling through Facebook daily, you’ll easily notice Facebook Ads content. Specifically, posts containing the phrase “Sponsored” are the ones running Facebook Ads.
How Facebook Ads Works
Facebook Ad Example on Desktop Platform
Through the information that Facebook collects from users, Facebook can understand user characteristics such as interests, gender, needs, age, location, etc. With intelligent algorithms, Facebook helps businesses reach the right target customers. The business’s job is to understand and choose the advertising form by setting appropriate ad campaign goals.
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, when creating an ad, you must fill in important information such as:
- Location
- Age – Gender
- Interests
- Broad Categories
Based on the information you provide, Facebook Ads will use it to help businesses find potential customers and display ads.
Strengths and Advantages of Facebook Ads
Diverse Advertising Combined with Highly Customizable Targeting
The ease of adjusting/changing target audiences is considered one of the standout features of Facebook Advertising. During the ad run, you can fully customize the target based on age, location, interests, concerns, etc., to match your business target.
This excellent diversity and flexibility greatly aid in customer reach. Besides, Facebook ads also appear on Instagram and Facebook’s display network, giving you more scope and flexibility in creating your business’s media advertisements.
At the same time, you can easily test different ad formats and placements, allowing you to find the most effective combinations that suit the product/service’s target audience.
Billions of Users Worldwide
According to a recent report, Facebook has 1.96 billion daily active users, making it one of the largest social media networks, significantly changing how modern businesses advertise.
Some statistics indicate that in the U.S. alone, 51% of total advertising spending has been used for digital advertising (including Facebook, among others).
Moreover, since Facebook acquired Instagram in 2012, strengthening the platform’s power, users can reach a different demographic.
Particularly with Instagram’s latest updates focusing on the Instagram shopping tabs, the combination of the two platforms allows countless users to see your brand.
So, if you’re wondering whether to invest in Facebook advertising, trust that marketers are continuing to invest in Facebook Ads.
Refer to Custom Criteria in Facebook Ads Campaigns
Campaign
- Campaign Objective (Traffic, Engagement, Brand Awareness, Conversion, etc.)
- Budget Optimization (allow Facebook to optimize your campaign budget)
- Optimization Strategy (Impressions, Clicks, Reach, Website Visits, etc.)
Customers
- Location (Country, City, Region)
- Age
- Gender
- Language
- Interests
Creativity
- Ad Placements (Facebook, Instagram, Display Network, and other placement options)
- Ad Formats (Single Image Ad, Video Ad, Carousel Ad, Collection Ad)
- Ad Media (Different variations of your images and videos)
- Ad Copy, Headline, and Call to Action
- Landing Page
Easy Setup and High Effectiveness
In addition to the easy setup, the large reach of active users and the flexibility of the ads yield quick results. In one study, it was found that 57% of consumers said social media influences their shopping. Of that 57%, 44% stated that Facebook is one of the most influential social media platforms.
In fact, Wordstream published a study showing that the average conversion rate for Facebook ads across all industries is 9.21%.
Save Budget for Businesses
Compared to traditional advertising channels, advertising on Facebook is significantly cheaper. Imagine advertising on the radio, billboards, newsletters, or even TV – you would have to spend thousands of dollars with the hope of reaching any potential customers.
The problem is that you don’t control who sees your ad and whether they are potential customers (not to mention that 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 you launch your campaign. Particularly, you can specify the exact audience you want to reach.
So even if you have a small business, with Facebook ad campaigns, you can reach your potential customers immediately.
Customize Appropriate Calls to Action
According to 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) gives direct instructions and encourages your potential customers to take the action you want them to, whether it’s signing up, booking, purchasing, or watching a video.
Because a clear and visible call to action can make a big difference in ad performance.
Easily Track and Measure
The fundamental question for any marketer is how much value am I getting for the money I spend? One of the biggest advantages of advertising on Facebook is that it makes it easy to 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 impacts the number of followers on your business’s Facebook page.
The more followers you have on Facebook, the more likely you are to get visibility for your organic posts. Besides paid campaigns, you can use organic marketing on Facebook to your advantage.
Guide to Self-Learning Facebook Ads for Beginners from A to Z
Before starting, it is important to think about why you are advertising and what goals you want to achieve. By defining your personal success metrics before putting your ads into action, you will be able to decide which ad objective best suits your needs.
Here are the steps to learning how to run Facebook ads for beginners, which you can refer to:
Step 1: Create an Ad Account
When you sign up for Facebook, you are automatically provided with a personal ad account ID by default. You can see this ID by going to Ads Manager and looking in the top left corner.
To use Facebook Ads Manager, you need a payment method that has been verified:
- Facebook Page
- Be an admin, editor, or advertiser on someone else’s page
If you don’t have a page for your business, you can follow Facebook’s steps to set up a Page. Any Page you create will automatically be granted an ad account.
If there is a Page that you want to advertise for that was created by someone else, you need to ask the Page admin to assign 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 account, you need to have a Business Manager account. After signing up for Business Manager, 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 are for using it on a desktop or laptop.
The easiest way to find Facebook Ads Manager is by clicking on this direct link. You will be taken directly to Facebook Ads Manager for your personal ad account. If you manage multiple ad accounts, use the account drop-down menu to select the correct account.
Ads Manager (image: Buffer)
To navigate to Ads Manager directly from your business page, go to the left sidebar and click on the “Ad Center” drop-down arrow of any Facebook page, then select “All Ads” from the drop-down menu. At the bottom of that page, there is an option to click on “Ads Manager”.
Manage Page (image: Buffer)
You will be taken to the Facebook Ads Account page, where there will be 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 to use a mobile device, there is a Facebook Ads Manager app available for both Apple and Android.
Step 3: Choose a Goal
To get started with your first ad, click the green ‘Create Ad’ button.
Creating a Campaign (Image: Buffer)
Facebook will take you to a page where you will be asked to choose your campaign objective.
Choose the Campaign Objective (Image: Buffer)
There are various ways to approach an advertising campaign depending 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 a budget that this is the maximum amount you are willing to pay for your ad. You can set a daily budget or a total campaign budget.
- Daily: A 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 place and time to display your ad to your target audience. Once your budget is reached, the ad will stop running for the day. The cycle will restart 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 the money based on ad performance. When your budget is reached, the campaign will end.
Step 5: Adjust the Target Audience
Because 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 all 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 also further customize your targeting using Custom Audiences to retarget those who have already interacted with your business.
Step 6: Choose Facebook Ad Placements
Ad placements determine where your ad will appear for your target audience. Based on your objectives, you can choose to display your ad on Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, or Audience Network.
Step 7: Create a New Facebook Ad or Use an Existing Post
Now it’s time to create your Facebook ad. You can use an existing post or start from scratch.
- Use an Existing Post
For certain types of ads, such as promoted posts, you can create an ad using a post that is already 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 choose the format. You may have seen various 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 Facebook Ads and Await Approval
To submit your ad, click the ‘Publish’ button in the bottom right corner of the page. After your ad is submitted, Facebook will hold your post for review to ensure it meets their specifications and does not violate their community guidelines. Expect it to be reviewed within 24 hours. You will receive a confirmation email from Facebook once the ad is live.
Following the steps above, you can teach yourself Facebook marketing by creating your own ad campaign to explore and learn.
Tips Tips for Successfully Learning Facebook Ads as a Beginner
1. Use Facebook Targeting to Narrow Down Your Audience
When it comes to online sales, it’s tempting to write as if you’re speaking on stage at a conference. But if you want to be effective, you need to write as if you’re addressing just one person.
This person is your target, the one you need to persuade. Just like when you’re a salesperson, you need to focus all your attention on this person and their needs.
On your website, you must write content that speaks to all your potential customers, and you may have a few different personas. However, on Facebook, you can narrow down your audience.
2. Create Different Facebook Ads for Each Audience Segment
This goes hand in hand with the idea that businesses develop to achieve their goals. Your customers come to you for various reasons. So why would you use a one-size-fits-all ad? The strength of Facebook lies in its targeting ability, so don’t treat your ads like a billboard.
3. Ensure Consistency Between Copywriting and Imagery
There are many ads from various sources, and there will be a scramble to ensure the attached images are relevant.
This can lead to images that do not match the copy, creating a jarring experience for Facebook users. If the content and imagery do not align, they will wonder what the ad is really promoting. This hinders clicks and wastes the ad’s potential.
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 own visuals.
4. Focus on a Single Call-to-Action (CTA)
Call To Action (CTA)
The best Facebook ads have a clear goal. Whether it’s brand awareness or driving sales, your ad must have a clear call to action.
Without it, Facebook users will simply see your ad without knowing where to click or what to do.
5. Copywriting Should Be Concise, Clear, and Valuable
Don’t cram too much content into your ad. To truly compete in Facebook advertising, you need to keep it short and lead with value.
What benefit does your ad offer to users? Convey the message clearly and concisely.
6. Use Numbers to Grab Attention
Writing ads isn’t high literature. You might have been a poet in college, but flowery language will only muddy your message. It’s time to cut the verbosity.
Your top priority is to write a Facebook ad that’s easily understood by anyone, even a fifth-grader. Grab attention so that the following information immediately pops into the viewer’s mind:
- What you’re offering
- How it benefits them
- What to do next
7. Remember to Test
If you’re selling a physical product, people will want to know its price. If you’re running a sale, people want to know how much they’ll save. An effective copywriting strategy? Lead with the numbers.
Conclusion
The above article from Glints has shared how beginners can self-learn Facebook Ads. We hope our insights will help you gain valuable knowledge in your exploration of Facebook Ads.
Learn More:
Thông tin tác giả
