Why Your Facebook Ads Don’t Work

Veronica Garcia   •   April 5, 2018

There are currently about 65 million small businesses on Facebook, with over 5 million spending advertising dollars on the platform each month. Deploying an expertly planned social media strategy is vital to staying ahead of the competition. If your business is struggling to reach customers and see results from your Facebook ad campaigns, take a minute to consider the following questions to pinpoint where your campaign needs help:

Are you targeting the right people?

At a glance, Facebook ads seem relatively straight-forward. Choose an image, add some text, target people within your area, and you’re all set. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. Facebook’s targeting options are actually quite complex and offer much more than just location-based targeting, so it might take some trial and error to determine which type of ads generate the best return for your business.

Facebook allows you to target people based on demographics, behaviors, and interests, allowing you to create a profile of your ideal customer. What do they enjoy doing? Where do they live? How old are they? What is their income range? The combinations and possibilities are endless, but if you select an audience that is either too specific or too broad, your ad will not perform as well as it could. Focus on creating an audience size with a potential reach of about 130,000 people, and be sure to target users who have interacted with your page or visited your website.

Are you using captivating images and attention-grabbing videos?

Facebook is all about visual content, and studies show that if your post doesn’t catch the user’s attention within the first three seconds, they’ll keep scrolling. Facebook ads face the additional challenge of consumer awareness?users know they are being targeted with sponsored content. To capture their discerning attention with photos, images MUST be high quality (amateur iPhone photos will not cut it). They should also be bright, clear and incorporate vivid colors, ensuring your ad is properly displayed on any screen size. If you add text to the image, keep it minimal, using words like “free” in a small callout or simple logos.

Posting videos can stop a user mid-scroll if they’re done right. Videos might take more time and effort to plan and execute, but video ads are known to perform better and attract more views than still shots. Keep in mind that 85% of videos on Facebook are viewed with no sound, so be sure to include captions.

Are you utilizing effective calls-to-action?

The call-to-action button is what ultimately drives users to visit your website, get directions, call for more information, or take other essential actions. In addition to using this important tool, you’ll also want to include urgency in your ad’s copy. For example, if you want to promote an upcoming event and use the “Buy” button for your ad, you should include “Time is running out!” or “Tickets will go fast!” at the end of the copy. If you link your ad’s “Shop Now” button to your store’s website, include words such as “Shop our sale today!” or “Free shipping with purchases over $50.” Explaining how the action will benefit the user increases the odds they will click on the button, and choosing the right words is crucial.

Are you selecting the right type of ads?

There are several different Facebook advertising formats to choose from depending on your end goal, and by testing different types, you can narrow down those that attract the most interest from your targeted audience.

Page Promotion

The main objective of this ad type is to get more page likes. If your primary goal is to get your business’ page in front of more people who would be interested in the services or products you offer, a page promotion is the way to go. Still, you’ll need to switch it up on a monthly basis to always have fresh content on display. Users tend to “hide” ads they see over and over again, which affects your relevance score and lowers the chance of your ad gaining more momentum.

Boosted Post

Boosted posts are simply regular posts that you pay to expand to a larger audience. They’re not as complex or precise as the other ad types, but they’re great for businesses that are new to Facebook’s Ads Manager.

Local Business Promotion

This ad type is perfect for bringing customers through your door, as it targets people that live within a 20-mile vicinity. The carousel layout is interactive and less static than other ad types. In the first window, you can upload an image that best represents your business, and a map to your address on the second window will populate along with a “Get Directions” button.

Get Messages

The “Get Messages” ad is great for opening an easy line of communication with potential customers, giving your business the impression of openness and transparency. It also shows a devotion to excellent customer service, and being responsive is what ultimately leads to social media marketing success.

Reader Digital Can Fix Your Facebook Ad Strategy

If your Facebook ads aren’t leveraging the results you want, implement these simple strategies or contact Reader Digital’s social media team today. We’ve helped numerous small businesses in San Diego target their niche market and increase brand awareness through Facebook advertising, so give us a call at 619-483-4600 to get started.