What are the 3 “must haves” when running Facebook Ads

The wonderful world of Facebook Ads. Some say scary and overwhelming, we say - we got you! 

Any paid advertising doesn't have to be as terrifying as you think for your small business. 

We can tell you once you have consistent content and have an offering that is working, Facebook Ads are a beautiful way to be seen by MORE people (who doesn't love that). 

Whether you think it is in your plans NOW or in the future, this is a must-listen to episode to help you strengthen your Facebook Ads!

How do I know my business is ready for ads?

So to start your journey towards starting Facebook Ads, you need to first look at where you’re at in your business right now.

There is a very big stigma and expectation that Facebook Ads will be the saving grace in their business, but this just doesn't happen. This is why it is so important to have a solid strategy in your content and marketing and validate what you are offering before even thinking of starting paid advertising.

Ads do an amazing job at boosting your content and helping your business grow if your brand is already doing well. BUT first things first, you need to have the foundation of brand awareness and a good understanding of your target audience, this will give you an indication of what people will actually pay for your offering and if they’ll be interested in it at all. 

Another thing to take note of is your tone and messaging throughout your content. With this, make sure you are working on your brand story and building up the trust that people have in not just you but your business as well. Talk to people and do some market research so that your ads are pointed toward the right demographic and you know the people you want to reach.

Once you have all of this covered, do the market research and ask around. This will help you make sure your ads are headed toward the right demographic! After this, look at where you want to be in the near future and see if Facebook ads are the best thing to get you there.

What do I need to know about Facebook Ads? 

Facebook Ads can seem a bit daunting when you first look into them, but that’s okay! We have put together some quick tips to remember when you are considering Facebook Ads for your business.

Utilise Facebook Analytics (specifically Pixel). The Facebook pixel is a tool that allows you to measure your analytics, and in this, the effectiveness of your advertising. It monitors the actions that people take on your website and makes conclusions and stats based on this. You can use this tool to make sure that your ads are shown to the right people. 

Don’t forget that ads shouldn't stop you from creating organic content. Look to do ads to generate leads to your email list, something for YOUR benefit! If you run a campaign for more followers, you are paying Instagram and Facebook to boost their platform, not yours. Remember that we are running ads for your business’ benefit. All of these things should work together to boost your content rather than substitute or take over your organic marketing.

Facebook Ads are only ONE element of your marketing strategy, it shouldn't be your only strategy. It is here to work with the other elements of your strategy to build relationships and expand your brand awareness, so we still need to make sure we’re focusing on all of these together.

What do I need to build on Facebook Ads?  

Once all of this has been sorted, we need to think about the logistics of Facebook Ads. There are a couple of aspects that go into the make-up of an ad, these then work together to bring in your target audience and increase your brand awareness:

  1. Audience: This is all about knowing and understanding your audience and how to find them on Facebook. This is your Ideal customer. Ask yourself: What are their hobbies? Where do they show up? Where do they hang out? Dive into this! Research these interests because they can be used within the ads. The options that Facebook provides have millions of interested people. We’re talking like 5-10 million (10 types of detailed interests). Business owners, for example, can be in different niches. For example, detailed interests work at the moment. Our tip is to have a document open so you can list and test which one world for you.

  2. The offer: Validate your offer or product organically, and have that strategy in place before anything else. You won’t run a $400 course to a cold audience, you first need to have a plan and build. Start by advertising a free offer or smaller paid offers. 

  3. Messages or copy: This can be a bit of a challenge but it is something you change and alter. You can use Copy.ai to help with the copy if you’re feeling stuck with what direction to take it in, you can also have a listen to our Content Queen Podcast episode with Elane Connolly to get some inspiration. Overall, target the pain points that relate to what your audience is feeling and make sure you give them a call to action to prompt action. Align the messaging aligned to your brand, keep it simple and break it down to the basics, take a step back as if someone has ZERO idea who you are. 

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Final thoughts

No matter if it’s before, during, or after you start Facebook Ads, you want to make sure you’re creating consistency and learning! Continue to look at the metrics, build ad spend over time, test, trial, and measure and don’t forget about the audience you are trying to target. With this, 

But don’t forget that strong Facebook Ads are built from strong content marketing! So, if you need to build on your content marketing before you invest in Facebook ads, then it’s time to join the Content Queen Membership, better known as the DIY Content Marketing Club.

This membership is here to give you guidance, clarity, and confidence in your content marketing. We have templates and guides for all of your content endeavours and now you can get your first month for just $1! To check it out, click here!