The truth…
There are more ways to LOSE money with FB ads than there are to make money.
The constant change and the never-ending process of testing leaves room for lots of mistakes.
So, how do you avoid those mistakes?
It all starts with awareness. Here are some of the most common FB Ad fails that can cost you some big bucks!
Fail #1: Not Having Clear Value in Your Headline or Content
Creating an ad headline seems like it should be the easiest part of the puzzle, as you are simply stating your offer. But, there’s much more to it than that. Your headline is a deal-breaker when it comes to writing your ad’s performance.
Want to write better headlines? Ask yourself…
What direct benefit will the reader get by clicking?
Highlighting the “how” their life will be changed in your headline will entice your audience to click on your ad and grab your offer. Instead of saying “5 Steps to More Leads” say, “Get More Leads with 5 Easy Steps”.
Fail #2: Not Effectively Targeting Your Audience
This seems simple enough, if you want to reach the right people, you have to target the right FB audience… But so many actually miss the mark when it comes to their ads.
The biggest reason this seems to happen is that they are actually just guessing when it comes to targeting. Sometimes that works, but more often than not, it doesn’t. You need to make sure you’re using real data to make your audience selection.
Start by conducting a client survey. Take your current clients (the ones you like working with) and get clear on not only their demographics, but the people they follow, the places they shop, what their deepest desires are, and what keeps them up at night. This gives you a clear strategy to target your people.
And don’t forget to take advantage of the audience insights tool Facebook offers. Include interests you believe attract your target audience and see what other kinds of demographics come up that they have in common. The more you know about your audience, the more you can zero in and start sectioning off different niches within that group, increasing success, lowering your costs, and giving you the ability to create look-a-like audiences. Getting hyper-focused will bring you the data you need to keep improving and expanding your results.
Fail #3: Forgetting to Use Facebook Pixels
Implementing any successful marketing strategy starts with tracking and reporting. You HAVE to be able to see what’s working and what’s not.
This is where the power of the pixel comes to play.
With pixels you can not only track all interactions to your ad but you can also track those interactions back to your website, all using analytics.
In short, pixels are the way you track behavior that can be used to make decisions For example, you can …
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Customize audiences based on those who’ve visited your site, giving you the power to re-target them with ads.
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Track conversions to your site so you know where your conversions are coming from.
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Maximize your ads for more conversions
If you haven’t installed pixels in the right place, then you are basically throwing your money into an unknown abyss. You have no real data to guide future decisions, and to maximize your marketing efforts.
Fail #4: Not Using Video
We live in a visual world and the use of video continues to grow across all digital platforms. This is especially true with Facebook. In fact a recent study from Promo shows that 71% of customers find Facebook Video ads to be relevant or highly relevant. That’s a pretty high percentage. If you aren’t leveraging video in your ads, then it’s time to start.
There are plenty of tools out there to help you simplify that process. Some of my favorites are loom and Biteable.
Also, always remember if you want to capture EVEN MORE attention you’ll need to add captions and disable sounds. Facebook recently found that 80% of people react negatively if a video automatically creates sound and CTA clicks fell by 26% on videos without captions.
Once your video has run its course, manage your metrics to get insight on average watch time, cost per play, and more. In the end, Facebook analytics show that the use of video always encourages higher interaction versus any other format, so find the time to add in the extras, and your audience will engage.
Fail #5: Forgetting to Leave Out Those Who Have Already Converted
If a customer has already converted, signed up, filled out your form, or completed that purchase they might find it annoying to continue
So skip out on wasting your money or wasting their time. An easy way to exclude those who have already converted is to use FB’s custom audience tool to be certain you don’t include these individuals and are only targeting new leads. Your budget will thank you and you’ll provide a better customer experience!
If you aren’t seeing the results you’d like to see, make sure you do a quick inventory when it comes to all of the above, and make any adjustments necessary.
