Facebook marketing helps businesses expand their reach, establish their brand identity, find loyal followers, and promote their content. But did you know you can use the social media platform to generate leads?
If Facebook isn’t a cornerstone of your digital marketing strategy, then you need to reconsider your approach. Here’s why you should take advantage of Facebook Ads and what you can do to get the most mileage out of your account.
Easy Pick or Epic Showdown? Facebook Ads Versus Google AdWords
Some businesses believe they have to choose between Google AdWords and Facebook Ads. That’s not necessarily true, but you should know which service will give you the most impact for your money, based on your unique marketing strategy.
According to Facebook, roughly 1.32 billion people log onto its platform every day and over 2 billion visit every month. That’s a huge pool of potential customers. Of course, Google registers over 1.2 trillion searches every year. If success comes down to raw user numbers, Google takes the cake.
But bigger doesn’t always mean better. Digital marketing is all about engagement, and when it comes to audience targeting, nothing beats Facebook.
Facebook Offers More Targeted Advertising than Google AdWords
The greatest difference between Facebook and Google is the way each platform matches ads with people. Rather than finding target audiences by keyword, as AdWords does, Facebook targets potential buyers based on interest and behavior. That allows new customers to find you, rather than forcing you to find them.
It’s incredible how specific Facebook targeting can get. Say you sell children’s books. You can easily show your ad to parents who have children between the ages of four and six, while excluding parents with older or younger kids. Let’s say you sell luxury jewelry. Maybe you only want people who make over $400,000 per year to see your ad.
Facebook already collects a wealth of information about the billions of people who use its platform. That makes it easy to find potential customers who fit nearly every conceivable characteristic—age, relationship status, interests, profession, location, etc. At the end of the day, better targeting means higher conversions, and that means a more cost-effective way to advertise online.
5 Ways to Improve Conversion on Facebook
Of course, you still have to know how to use Facebook Ads in a way that brings in leads and maximizes conversion. Need help coming up with a strategy? Here’s how to generate leads through social media:
#1: Create video ads. Between the beginning and middle of 2017, brands and publishers saw a 20 percent drop in engagement on Facebook. Posts that included images and links experienced the lion’s share of loss. Videos, on the other hand, fared better. In fact, they’ve changed how people consume content online.
Videos not only hold their own in the competitive world of social media marketing, they’ve outpaced the competition. On average, videos now garner twice the level of engagement as their static media counterparts. As time marches on, they’ll only become more important, and wise businesses will put them at the center of their online marketing strategy.
#2: Target your ads to lookalike audiences. If you really want to increase conversions, look for people who look a lot like your existing customers. It’s called, aptly enough, lookalike targeting.
It works like this: You import your list of previous customers into Facebook Ads, and the platform generates a list of users who display similar interests and demographics. Since Facebook charges you by how many people see your ads, lookalike targeting is critical, helping you narrow down the viewing public as much as possible.
#3: Offer a freebie. If you want to generate direct leads (and you do), then link back to landing pages that ask visitors to provide information in exchange for some sort of offer. You could, for example, offer an eBook in exchange for an email address.
Some of the best freebies help people solve problems. As long as you know your target audience and the most pressing problems they face, you can easily come up with a gift that creates value for current or prospective customers.
One thing to remember: Your call-to-action should be clear, not vague or misleading. If you want people to download an eBook, then say “Download an eBook,” not “Find Out How to Do Such-and-Such.” You lose goodwill every time users think they’re clicking on an informative blog post and instead come face-to-face with a form.
#4: Encourage feedback. Engagement skyrockets every time you ask for feedback. Invite followers to comment on a new product or tool and include a link to a landing page where they can sign up for a trial or download a sample. If it’s free, be sure to tell them in big, bold letters. People have a tendency to take notice whenever they see the word FREE.
Finally, since you’re asking Facebook users to provide honest appraisal, be sure it’s a product or service that you’re really proud of—something that’s sure to generate positive buzz. After all, every time you ask for feedback, you’re opening the door to negative criticism.
#5: Hold a contest or giveaway. Everybody loves a good contest. They’re fun. They give people a chance to win free stuff. Businesses love contests as well. They’re a great way to increase engagement and gather information about your followers.
When creating a contest, include a stunning image, write simple content that’s to the point, and link to a landing page where visitors can input their information in exchange for a shot at winning. And finally, be sure to follow the rules. Liability issues have prompted Facebook to crack down on contests, so be sure to read through their new guidelines.
Devise an Effective Facebook Advertising Strategy
Social media marketing is one of the most effective ways to reach a target audience and generate conversions. The trick is knowing how to harness the full power of each platform. With so many possibilities (and so many pitfalls), hitting the nail on the head isn’t always easy.
Need help generating and executing a killer social media strategy? Looking for more Facebook marketing tips? Contact our digital growth agency to learn how to reach your full potential.