Funnel-hackers are always bragging about how much action they get through Facebook ads; however, how can you make sure you’re getting in on more clicks and better conversions via the social network?
Thankfully, we’ve uncovered the four steps you can take today to supercharge your future Facebook campaigns.
Describing Facebook’s dominance in the social sphere would be like saying “the sky is blue” or “water is wet.”
In other words, you’ve heard it all before, right?
However, many marketers are still sleeping on Facebook’s robust ad platform, either due to their own negligence or fear of getting involved with paid social traffic.
Here’s the thing: Facebook’s ad platform eliminates many of the “what-if’s” that normally hold us back when it comes to paid ads.
How so?
- Your users are already on Facebook: third only to Google and YouTube regarding traffic according to Alexa, there’s little doubt that your audience is already active and has engaged with paid ads in the past
- Facebook absolutely dominates referral traffic: if users are landing on your site or sales funnel, chances are they’re coming from Zuckerberg’s platform
- Facebook is smart about the way they treat ads: to combat ad-blockers, Facebook boasts fewer, non-interruptive ads which mean more targeting for publishers and less irritation on behalf of users
While sometimes it may feel like paid advertising can be akin to flushing money down the toilet, Facebook does everything it can for publishers to customize and tailor their ads to a hyper-specific audience.
For example, features such as re-targeting and Facebook’s Ad pixel are perfect for funnel-builders looking to get the most bang for their buck through social ads.
Likewise, the numbers done lie regarding Facebook’s advertising potential, including:
- Over $12 billion in annual ad revenue (2014)
- 92% of businesses already marketing on Facebook as means of driving traffic (in other words, if you aren’t hopping on the bandwagon of paid social traffic, chances are your neighbors already have)
- Facebook ads are resulting in an insane ROI; therefore, the platform’s CPM and CPCs are the rises as the result of increased CTR
The writing is on the wall. Sleeping on Facebook ads simply isn’t an option for those of us looking to take our funnels to the next level now.
Here’s the issue: what are we to do if we’re stuck with an underperforming campaign or are simply overwhelmed by what Facebook has to offer?
Fear not.
If you aren’t seeing the numbers you want, either clicks, conversions or both, chance are there are some relatively simple tweaks you can make ASAP to get back in the black.
Consider our four-pronged approach to increasing your Facebook campaign results sooner rather than later.
Customize Your Audiences
When it comes to Facebook ads, the name of the game is customization.
Just as you might segment your email lists, Facebook is prime for customizing your audience lists based on some factors, including whether or not you’ve interacted with your users before.
As Facebook notes themselves: “it’s easier to sell to current customers than look for new ones.”
The custom audience feature is incredibly useful for targeting warm leads, previous customers and current subscribers such as those who have opted-in to your newsletter or email list.
Facebook allows you to tailor ads specifically to these users who are familiar with your brand but perhaps need a specific “push” to seal the deal.
The benefits of a custom audience for opt-ins is three-fold:
- The trust barrier has already been broken down as users are familiar with your brand and marketing message (for example, the classic “rule of seven” notes that you need to make seven meaningful interactions with a user before they buy)
- Users respond well to personalization: a blanket ad campaign for first-time users won’t resonate as much as a specific deal for a previous opt-in
- You have a built-in audience for split-testing different ads; by working with a warm list, you can get a better idea of what design, deals, and copy speaks to your base
The question remains: what types of ads should you specifically run to such users?
Consider running ads that accomplish a combination of the following:
- Encourage new “likes” to your Facebook page, as opt-ins may not necessarily follow you on social media; however, such users are much, much more likely to buy from you
- Incentive to visit a certain page or call-to-action on your site, such as a killer case study or blog post, which will ultimately bring them back into your sales funnel
- Provide value in the form of a deal or discount exclusive to email subscribers (a prime example of exclusivity marketing), such as slashing a fee or a 20% subscriber discount
Custom audiences can be a powerful tool for marketing to warm leads versus those who’ve never interacted with you before.
By customizing your ads for specific audiences, you can ensure that your message and deals resonate with the right crowd.
Once you’ve set-up your ads, you can add your ad pixels to your website or your sales funnel. Adding your ad pixels to your sales funnel is a straightforward process in ClickFunnels.
Build a Lookalike Audience
Take a moment and think about who your most qualified leads are.
The ones are commenting on your blog, day after day.
The ones who’ve already “liked” your Facebook page and give every post a “thumbs up.”
The ones driving the needle in the “traffic” column of Google Analytics
And of course, the ones who’ve purchased from you in the past.
Now, how do you keep them coming back? How do you turn them into lifelong evangelists of your business?
Much like custom audiences, lookalike audiences on Facebook allow you take your targeting a step further by getting insanely specific when it comes to the demographics of your ads (including previous customers).
What sort of demographics are we talking about?
For starters, you can build your lookalike audience based on the following:
- Location (which can be incredibly useful if you’re targeting local customers or have an international reach)
- Age (for example, an affiliate for a weight loss product can run two ad campaigns targeting older men or younger women simultaneously)
- Users who have previously liked your page (which again, provides opportunities to market exclusive deals)
- Email opt-ins (as noted earlier; however, if you’ve already segmented your email list, you can segment your ads to hyper-target the same users)
- Previous visitors, including users who are similar to your current customer base
Crazy, right?
The amount of audience segmentation allowed by Facebook represents endless opportunities to hone our calls-to-action and boost conversions accordingly.
Vary Your Visuals
With Facebook, you have a world of customization at your fingertips; however, you are still tasked with reaching users and grabbing their attention.
The elements of design are easy to overlook, but can easily make or break our ads.
Therefore, with a talented designer on deck, consider crafting ten (yes, ten) completely different visual variations of your ads to split test with multiple audiences.
The benefits of split testing are well-documented, but what elements of your ads should you switch up to ensure the most mileage out of your tests?
Start with the following:
- Your message and call-to-action (think: urgency vs. scarcity vs. exclusivity)
- Imagery that establishes trust and encourages users to click (while still remaining congruent with your previous marketing efforts)
- Color schemes that don’t signal your ad as spam (think: the psychology of color)
- Crystal clear copy that makes sense and doesn’t mislead the reader
You can use previous on-site ads for inspiration, taking into consideration what’s worked in the past.
Although split-tests may seem like a lot of initial legwork, such research has the potential to transform your future marketing efforts.
Create landing page variations and do a split-test with ClickFunnels. Designing your landing page is simplified whether you choose to make use of the available templates or design your landing pages from scratch!
Divvy Up Your Deals
Once you’ve sorted out your list and have decided on which ads to implement, consider testing different offers on the same list on a weekly basis to nail down what converts best.
In short, you’re trying to find the best of the best when it comes to your ads and offers.
Keep in mind that different messages and offers will impact your CTR and conversions, even if used on the same list of loyal buyers.
Therefore, don’t be afraid to experiment with different marketing messages including:
- Time-sensitive offers and deals that about to expire (using language such as “hurry”)
- Products that have a limited quantity driving users to act “now” versus later
- Flash sales (combining the points above, including 24-hour sales and “ends at midnight” deals)
- An offer that includes a free item or eliminates a subscription fee
- A steep discount, such as 50% off for a limited time, to catch the eyes of readers
Whatever you decide, make sure that your deals are short, sweet and to the point.
Remember, you have a relatively limited real estate to work with on Facebook and must fight tooth and nail to grab your readers’ attention in today’s crowded news feeds.
If you’re looking to create effective marketing messages, Funnel Scripts is your best bet. Create email marketing copy, ad copy and everything you need for that killer content.
ClickFunnels Action Steps
Adding your Facebook Re-targeting pixels into your sales funnels is easy with ClickFunnels! To show you just how easy it is to do, check out this walkthrough:
Step 1: Prepare your Facebook Ad pixel
Step 2: Log in to your ClickFunnels account
Step 3: Head on over to your funnel you want to market on Facebook
Step 4: Click “Edit Page” on your page
Step 5: Click Settings > Tracking Codes
Step 6: Enter your Facebook Ad pixels and click Save.
How Do You Feel About Facebook Ads?
Facebook provides marketers with plenty of breathing room with advertising, which ultimately results in highly-targeted messages for extremely specific users.
Those looking to bring more users into their funnel should consider Facebook as the prime place to find new leads, re-ignite old ones and test the effectiveness of their current marketing efforts.
If you haven’t seen the numbers, you’re looking for or are perhaps new to the platform, start with segmentation and then get onto testing.
How’s your experience been with Facebook ads and your sales funnel?
Is it your favorite source of paid traffic today?