How do Facebook ads work?

Put very simply, the Facebook algorithm is extremely clever; it knows a lot about our buying behaviour both on and off the platform. This means it can find the exact people who it deems most likely to want to buy from you or engage with your brand. Have you ever wondered how you are served an ad for shoes when you were just browsing a website selling shoes?

The magic of Facebook ads comes from the clever targeting possibilities using existing client data, such as email lists, website visitors and Facebook fans. We are also able to build other audiences (lookalike and interest based), inside business manager. Relevant audiences, powerful copy and eye catching emotive creative are the three most important components of ads. The correct ingredients need to be included in ad campaigns in order for them to be successful. Gathering GDPR compliant email addresses is a great way to build audiences especially since the IOS 14 opt out.

Facebook wants its users to have an enjoyable and relevant experience on the platform, therefore your ads must resonate with those you are trying to engage. Additionally, the landing page or website to which you are sending your potential customers must also offer a great customer experience. There are many moving parts in Facebook ads to build a great successful campaign.

The start of any campaign is all about testing, we need to see what works and yields the best return on ad spend, for you the client. During this phase we closely monitor the data to see what is working and then we tweak the ads methodically to find the optimal ad structure.

How much do Facebook ads cost?

I generally suggest a minimum spend of around £600 per calendar month, this works out at around £20 per day. This budget would be for a low ticket item or service (under £50).

If you have a high ticket item the spend would need to be more as a sales funnel would be required. People don’t generally spend a lot of money on an item or service unless they are familiar with it and trust the brand. Using ads we take potential customers on a nurture journey where they are introduced to your brand, shown the value you offer and hopefully led to the point where they convert to a customer.

What results can you guarantee?

When initially discussing a Facebook ad campaign with any client, I am extremely transparent. A first time campaign is always an unknown as we have no previous results to work from.

I can guarantee that your money will be carefully spent and the ad campaign will be monitored closely and optimised to yield the best results possible.

We will look at the buyer journey from Facebook ad through to sale to check that the buyer journey is seamless and as slick as possible.

I am always available by email or on the phone to discuss any requirements and amendments with my clients, frequent communication is important to a good working relationship.

How do they work?

Google Ads are search marketing; your potential customers have high intent already by virtue of the fact that they are searching for your services/products already. This is different to interruption marketing of Facebook Ads.

You pay per click for Google Ads so you are only really spending when people click through to your site. Choosing niche keywords and monitoring them regularly to ensure you are only bidding on relevant keywords and that they are leading to conversions is important.

I can offer a complete done-for-you service from set up, conversions tracking, ads set up, ads monitoring and tweaking through to reporting.

What kind of budget do you need?

As Google Ads are pay per click you will not necessarily spend your daily budget each day. Setting a really low budget will scupper ads as you will not be paying enough to enter the bidding auction. I would recommend an absolute minimum of £10 a day, niche and keywords dependent.

What results can you guarantee?

There are never guarantees! Google Ads need a few months to really get off the group and for the account to be optimised, keywords added and culled and costs to be established.

Your website is so important here, the same as with Facebook Ads, because driving potential customers there is the job of the ads but the conversion is really down to whether your services or goods are compelling enough to buy.

Consider how much a conversion is worth to you. If a new client has a life time value of £300, are you prepared to pay £20 to get them? It is important to look at this when factoring in the budgets and the acceptable costs of conversion.

Bespoke Sessions for You

Power hours are brilliant for delivering specific training and addressing a client’s pain point. Sometimes businesses just need a little training in order that they can deliver their own social media or run their own Facebook ads.

During lockdown I have been delivering power hours over Zoom. This works really well and you get the recording so you are able to refer back.

It is possible to block book power hours to take place over a period of time. I am always happy to discuss requirements and see how I can help.

Why should I book an audit?

If you have social media channels which are not performing well or contributing to the success of your business, there is a chance they are not giving value and reaching the correct audience.

The information gleaned from an audit will help you to make recommended changes to improve your channels. By looking at different aspects of your channels such as your content, imagery, tone of voice, engagement rates and your posting insights, it is possible to determine what is and isn’t working successfully.

After the audit you will receive a document with suggested changes to improve your channels. I will be happy to guide you through these changes on a call.

Why do I need a strategy?

If you are posting blindly and do not know what outcomes you are seeking, then you are probably wasting both time and money. To achieve desired outcomes you need a strategy.

A strategy package will look at what you want to achieve through your social media channels and then give you information on how to achieve it.

Working on a strategy is an in depth project which involves building customer personas, researching competitors and their channels, looking at metrics for engagement, deciding which channels your ideal audience are active on, and much more.

When you receive your strategy you will have a clear idea on how to use the channels appropriate to you business, what kind of content you should be posting, influencers to engage as well as a lot more clarity.