Business 101: Facebook Adverting – How to Advertise your Business using Facebook

Advertisers are predicted to spend $4 billion on Facebook ad campaigns this year, which is twice as much as last year. How about you? Are you in the market for a Facebook ad? If so, make sure you read these tips to keep your costs low and your ad effective.

A word of caution, I have noticed the price of Facebook ads going up lately and that was backed up by a recent Webtrends study. Does that mean it’s not worthwhile? Not necessarily. If you are using your Facebook Page effectively and connecting to your new “Likers” then it can be a good idea to spend some of your marketing budget acquiring new Fans (I just can’t stop calling them that).

Getting Started Advertising on Facebook: How to Set up your Facebook Ad Campaign

Step 1: Decide what you are advertising – I recommend advertising your Facebook Page. Do not send people to your website unless you have a very clear call to action on your website (like your newsletter sign-up). If they go to your website and don’t see what they are looking for, then you won’t see them again. If you can get them to Like your Facebook Page, you get the opportunity to connect with them over and over.

Step 2: Set up your campaign plan – Design 4-6 ads to split test. When you split test ads, you change one thing at a time. For example, create two ads with exactly the same headline and picture but just different ad copy and see which one does better (gets more clicks, better pricing, better results). Make sure you have a clear call to action in each ad (i.e. Click Like if you love photography).

Step 3: Enter your ad into Facebook and take advantage of the Targeting – The Likes and Interests area is where you can enter keywords that appear in Facebook user’s profiles. So if you know that your ideal client is between 25-35, a female, lives in Chicago and likes yoga and Dancing with the Stars, then you can only show your ad to those targeted Facebook users.

Step 4: Set your bid and your budget – You can set your daily budget to be anything from $1 and up. Your ad will automatically shut off when you reach your daily budget. You can also have it turn off after a certain number of days so you won’t forget. As for the bid, I recommend going with their recommended bid or higher. You generally won’t pay what you bid; you will pay less. And if you bid less, your ad most likely won’t get shown.

Step 5: Click Place Order – As soon as you do, your ad will be reviewed by the Facebook to make sure it meets all their guidelines. If they approve your ad, it will begin running immediately.

Hot Tips for Making the Most out of Facebook Ads

• The more clicks your ad gets, the lower the click price will be. So you are rewarded for writing a compelling ad. This is why you want to bid at the suggested price or higher when your ad starts. If you have a lot of clicks when you start running your ad, your click price will go down.
• If your ad isn’t getting any views, you may have bid too low. Try upping the bid or just starting fresh and creating a new ad. Don’t try to tweak an existing ad that isn’t performing well (other than changing the bid). If you need to change the copy, the target demographics or the photo, create a brand new ad.
• Rotate your ads every couple days – keep them fresh with new copy, maybe a new picture. See which one performs best.
• Make sure you make use of all the Facebook reports provided to watch your conversions.

Even with the recent increase in ad prices, Facebook ads are an effective use of your marketing budget. Running an ad doesn’t have to be expensive – just give it a try!

Want to learn more about marketing your business with social media? Take a look at Grandma Mary’s online Facebook tutorials and if you need more help, buy her How to Use Facebook to Grow your Business e-book!