Whether thou art a seasoned Facebook marketer or a novice, mastering the art of advertising on Facebook is a skill that shall always serve thee well.
Facebook doth reign as a behemoth in the realm of social media, boasting near three billion monthly active users as of January 2023. Over time, Facebook advertising hath evolved to cater to its vast user base, thereby challenging marketers to continually expand their knowledge of how to advertise on Facebook to achieve desired outcomes.
This blog hereby doth guide thee through the latest tips, tricks, and techniques for advertising on Facebook in the year 2024.
Whether thou art an experienced marketer or beginning anew, this guide shall reveal unto thee:
- How to create Facebook ads,
- How to fashion a Facebook ad,
- How to execute Facebook ads, and
- All the fundamental knowledge of Facebook advertising 101.
What manner of creature are Facebook ads, thou may inquire? These ads are paid posts by businesses to showcase their products or services unto the denizens of Facebook. They doth manifest in various forms such as images, videos, or carousels. Similar to Instagram, Facebook ads doth grace the app in various locations including feeds, Stories, Messenger, Marketplace, and more.
In general, Facebook ads are targeted at users based on their:
- Demographics,
- Location,
- Interests,
- Profile information, and
- Online activities.
Businesses doth set forth an ad budget and bid for each click or thousand impressions that their ad doth receive. These ads doth often resemble regular posts, yet they dost include a "sponsored" label to distinguish their nature. They do so boast additional features compared to standard posts, such as CTA buttons, links, and product catalogs.
Should thou seek to present thy brand unto a wider audience, incorporating ads into thy Facebook marketing strategy is essential. Additional insights on Facebook marketing can be procured herein.
What might the cost be to advertise on Facebook, thou may ponder? Verily, there is no fixed rule concerning Facebook ad budgets. The expense of Facebook ads hinges upon various factors including audience targeting, ad placement, campaign duration, competitiveness within thine industry, time of year, time of day, and location.
In the realm of Facebook ads, knowing the available types becometh the foundation of a successful advertising escapade. The various Facebook ad types and formats can align with thine campaign goals, be they:
- Image,
- Video,
- Stories,
- Messenger,
- Carousel,
- Slideshow,
- Collection, or
- Playables.
The expanse of Facebook ad formats grants thee the ability to choose the most suitable one to match thine business objectives. Each format doth offer a distinct set of CTAs to guide users towards their next steps. It be wise to heed the specifications and sizes of Facebook ads when creating them.
Now, let us delve into the explanation of each of Facebook’s ad formats:
Image ads:
Image ads stand as the most fundamental ad format on Facebook. They doth enable businesses to promote their wares using single images. These ads can be utilized across various ad types, placements, and ratios. Image ads serve well in campaigns that feature captivating visual content. These images may be comprised of illustrations, designs, or photographs. One can construct them with ease by boosting an existing post with an image from one’s Facebook Page. Image ads are straightforward to craft and can effectively exhibit thy offerings with high-quality imagery. They do suit any stage of the sales funnel, whether aiming to enhance brand awareness or launch a new product for increased sales. Yet, these ads can be restricting as they only allow a single image to convey thine message, thus veering towards other formats when displaying multiple products or intricate processes.
Video ads:
Video ads on Facebook, akin to image ads, enable businesses to employ a singular video to exhibit their products, services, or brand. These ads prove beneficial for product demonstrations, tutorials, and showcasing dynamic elements. Videos can extend up to 240 minutes in duration, though shorter videos are more engaging, with Facebook advising a duration under 15 seconds. Video ads do add movement to one’s feed, yet the creation process can be time-consuming and costly. For simpler messages or products that do not necessitate demonstrations, a carousel or image ad may prove more suitable.
Stories ads:
Given the vertical nature of mobile phones, Stories ads take advantage of mobile-exclusive, full-screen vertical video format, maximizing screen real estate without necessitating screen rotation. Remarkably, 62% of individuals in the US anticipate an increased usage of Stories. It is no wonder that four million advertisers seize the opportunity of Stories ads monthly. Stories offer enhanced creative freedom compared to traditional image or video ads. Entities may experiment with emojis, stickers, filters, video effects, and even augmented reality.
Messenger ads:
Messenger ads manifest within Facebook Messenger, a space where individuals engage in chats with friends and family. Messenger ads deliver a more personal touch compared to scrolling through image or video ads. Users encounter Messenger ads amidst their conversations and can tap to initiate a conversation with the brand. These ads prove efficacious in encouraging individuals to interact with the brand, especially for smaller businesses promoting local products or services.
Carousel ads:
Carousel ads present up to ten images or videos that users can navigate through by clicking. Each image bears its headline, description, or link. Carousels prove excellent for displaying diverse products in a series. Each image within the carousel may possess its unique landing page crafted specifically for the product or service. This ad format guides users through a process or unveils a series of related products by dividing each segment across distinct sections of the carousel.
Slideshow ads:
Slideshow ads comprise 3-10 images or a single video displayed in a slideshow format. These ads serve as a practical alternative to video ads, utilizing up to five times less data than videos. Slideshow ads prove ideal for regions where individuals contend with slower internet connections. Additionally, they offer an accessible starting point for individuals lacking video production experience.
Collection ads:
Collection ads stand akin to immersive carousels, elevating the user experience. These ads function as mobile window-shopping experiences wherein users can peruse through the product lineup. More customizable than Carousels, they are presented in a full-screen format. Users possess the capacity to procure products directly from the Collection ad. Businesses can also opt for Facebook algorithms to select products from the catalog, tailoring the experience for each user. Collection ads suit large businesses vending a plethora of products and services, while smaller enterprises with a more limited product line may find other ad types like Carousels more fitting.
Playables:
Playables offer the audience a taste of the game ere downloading. This free, playable preview grants individuals the chance to test-drive the game within Facebook’s ad format. Presenting a game demo augments the number of quality leads downloading the game, enhancing engagement.
Bonus: Instant Experience:
Instant Experience ads, erstwhile recognized as Canvas Ads, stand as mobile-exclusive interactive ads allowing users to engage with promoted content on Facebook. One can integrate an Instant Experience into most ad formats, enabling users to swipe through a carousel display of images, alter the screen in varying directions, and zoom in or out of the content. Facebook advises employing five to seven images and videos in each Instant Experience ad to optimize engagement. Premade templates afford the opportunity to save time and perpetuate the key theme across the ad.
The saga of how to set up Facebook ads unfolds with Meta Ads Manager. Herein lie eight steps to fashion thine Facebook ad campaign:
1. Start Creating an Ad:
Upon entering Ads Manager, the dashboard shall greet thee. To embark on a new campaign, ad set, or ad, doth click the Create button.
2. Choose Your Campaign Objective:
Facebook shall solicit thy campaign objective from six options. Each objective aligns with distinct business goals from awareness and traffic to engagement, leads, app promotion, and sales. Select a campaign objective befitting thy intended ad.
3. Define Your Campaign Settings:
Name thy campaign, attend to any Special Ad Categories, and complete the campaign details. Should thou wish to conduct an A/B split test, toggle the Create A/B test button and choose different versions to run against the ad post-publishing.
4. Set Your Budget:
Enter the Ad set options and determine the performance goal thou aim to achieve and the budget thou art willing to expend. Decide between a daily budget or a lifetime budget to ascertain the duration and extent of ad exposure. Schedule the budget in advance to augment spend during peak traffic times.
5. Target Your Audience:
When refining the ad targeting, opt to sketch out basic details for Meta’s Advantage+ technology to auto-discover the audience or revert to Facebook’s original audience targeting options to create and refine the audience manually. Placing effective targeting is crucial for maximizing ROI.
6. Choose Your Facebook Ad Placements:
Select the placement for thy ad, either allowing Facebook to choose through Advantage+ placements or manually selecting placement options. Commence with Advantage+ and later transition to manual for refined optimization as thy experience grows.
7. Create Your Ad:
Enter the Ad options to select the ad format aligning with thy campaign objectives. Populate the ad with text and media components. The available formats shall vary based on the campaign objective selected at the onset. Heed the prompts and design suggestions provided by Facebook based on the chosen ad type. Utilize the preview tool to ensure the ad’s optimal appearance for all potential placements ere clicking the green Publish button to launch the ad.
8. Monitor Your Ad’s Performance Metrics:
Once thy ad is in motion, monitor its performance in Ads Manager whilst tracking metrics like results, reach, engagement, video views, website actions, and more. Compare performance, balance thy budget, and delve into the relative ROI of each campaign. For those employing digital marketing tools, integration with platforms like Mailchimp, Hubspot, or Salesforce can consolidate sales data for comprehensive insights.
In a parallel universe, the establishment of Facebook ads through Moyens I/O unfolds in five steps as follows:
1. Set Up Your Facebook Campaign:
Initiate the campaign setup process by selecting Set up an automated boost, designating the Facebook Page and ad account, and christening thy campaign.
2. Choose Your Campaign Objective and Settings:
Select an ad campaign objective from options like Traffic, Engagement, Awareness, Leads, or Sales. Attend to any Special Ad Categories, and complete the campaign details.
3. Choose Your Target Audience and Set Your Budget:
Refine the audience by demographics, interests, or behaviors, setting forth a budget and campaign duration. Select the automated ad placements offered by Meta or opt for manual placement selection.
4. Create Your Facebook Ad:
Conform to the creative requirements depending on thy campaign objective. When integrating images or videos, adhere to size and aspect ratio limitations for optimal impact.
5. Publish Your Facebook Ad Campaign:
Inspect thine ads, verifying the ad preview across platforms, and upon satisfaction with the appearance, cybernetically press the "Publish campaign" button to unleash thy ad unto the digital realm.
The realm of Facebook ads dost harbor myriad treasures that transmute into successful marketing ventures when unearthed and utilized judiciously.
In conclusion, cultivating an understanding of the art of advertising on Facebook shalt equate to wielding a potent tool capable of fostering success and visibility in the ever-evolving digital landscape.