Let’s dive right into it!

Facebook has 2.23 billion monthly active users, so the benefits of using this platform are clear. Still, with such a large market, organic tactics on Facebook have steadily declined. As a result, many businesses have turned to paid advertising.

In fact, today it’s more common for small businesses to have a social media account than a website! This can make for a healthy dose of social rivalry. However, finding a niche will drastically reduce the competition.

Much like the climate of social media marketing in Cape Cod, most companies only face a handful of competitors. And generally, their SMM game isn’t all that great.

Considering all this information; what can you do to run a strong Facebook ad campaign? Take in this essential information:

1. Why You Need Paid Facebook Advertising

You might have heard that organic reach on Facebook is dead, and paid advertising is the only way to find success in 2018. But do you know why that is?

Well, the Facebook newsfeed algorithm is heavily focused on showing users what interests them, which likely isn’t a company page. So, with only 4 out of 10 users following their favorite brands on Facebook, you know that 60% of users won’t see an organic post.

While Facebook’s objective is to engage users for longer, business pages are put on the back burner. In turn, the state of organic reach has been steadily declining every year, and with it, post engagement has also suffered.

That’s not to say that organic efforts are totally futile. Rather, they need to be paired with paid advertising to help build any real success. A few successful ads can do a lot for your organic marketing efforts. So, you need to get familiar with your options.

2. Know Your Ad Options

If you’ve ever ran a social media campaign, you probably know about boosting posts, promoting your website and event advertising. While these kinds of ads certainly can increase reach, they start to seem stale and limited after a while.

To take your marketing game to the next level, check out some of the other opportunities that the channel provides. They have tools to help you create engaging ad posts and other options for where to place them.

Enhance your strategy with these ads:

Instant experience: These expanding ads are 15 times faster than any website. They present modern ways to connect with your target market. They come in different formats like lifestyle photos, videos and images, which are used to help give context, sell products, tell stories and more. They also have convenient features, such as popup contact forms that make it easy for users to get in touch.

Facebook story: 68% of users engage with Stories at least three times a day. This equates to millions of people who could see your ads through this channel. This platform is not only great for marketing products and services, but also for strong branding strategies too.

Videos: Compared to a year ago, views have increased by 258% for branded videos. So, if there was ever a time to hop on board, it’s now. 59% of people would rather watch a video about a subject than read about it.
In fact, videos have become so significant to internet marketing that they deserve their own section.

3. Use the Power of Videos

45% of people watch over an hour of videos on Facebook daily. Herein lies a golden opportunity. In-video ads are much like a standard television commercial, but online. These ads interrupt longer videos about halfway through – which may explain why 70% of them are viewed to completion.

Still, for video ads to be effective, they need to instantly capture the viewer’s attention. People watch Facebook videos on mute 85% of the time. With this in mind, one should prepare to engage consumers in different ways with and without sound. Subtitles are proven to be ultra-effective in this regard. But of course, keeping their attention is just as important as capturing it in the first place.

For this reason, you should keep your video content 5 – 15 seconds in length. Though Facebook allows videos up to 31 seconds long, you run the risk of losing your viewers. Instead, go for a direct and entertaining 6 second video, as they seem to get the best feedback. Of course, the best approach video marketing is to know your audience well.

4. Target the Right Audience

Have you ever heard of life event targeting? This is exactly what it sounds like, marketing towards people who are experiencing significant changes in life. This could be a new relationship, buying a home, a funeral, a graduation or almost anything else.

Here’s how it works: in the detailed targeting section choose the life event, then in the next section, select an additional interest. You can even set a time limit for 3, 6, or 12 months from the date of the event.

So, for example, if you started college six months ago and have an interest in traveling, you may get targeted by study abroad programs. These can get super specific, which is helpful when your business is very niche. In the same way, you can direct your ads to exactly the kind of person you are hoping to snag as a lead.

Just make sure to remain open about who you are targeting towards. The inbound marketing approach suggests creating a few different personas toward whom you can market. Think about the common details of their life such as age, gender, location, career, likes and dislikes.

Get Help

Never forget, if social marketing is too time consuming or simply not your cup of tea, you can always get help. A talented digital advertising group will help you gain the business exposure you deserve. Remember, marketing on social media for most small businesses is a necessity these days. So, don’t miss out!