Creating Facebook Campaigns that Work.
Facebook is an advertising medium like no other. It is complex and involved and is increasingly becoming more involved. I became involved in Facebook advertising back in 2007 – when it really was an advertising medium only, and people who connected with your page actually saw your posts.
As time went on and increasing numbers of people and pages were added, the platform went through significant changes (and continues to evolve at a very fast pace). The one thing that is constant with Facebook is that it is not constant. If you want your social media campaigns to deliver on a strategic and tactical level, you need a comprehensive campaign.
Too many brand owners think that Facebook is about ‘placing an ad’. It’s about getting your customers connected to you.
Small budgets are enough to succeed on Facebook. The skill is in developing campaign layers that progressively draw your target audience closer and closer, then to keep them connected – either with direct communications, or with very targeted communications.
Below are just a few of the core types of communication that can be developed in the context of a Facebook campaign: visible ONLY to those who are positively predisposed to your product or service.
Create Relevance
The first thing you have to do with a Facebook audience is to create relevance.
There are a few ways to do this.
Once people understand who you are and what you stand for, they are much more likely to respond to your offers.
Re-Engage Rotation
This is where you can send an ad to a group of people who you know have viewed a specific page on your site, but have not viewed another specific page – it is literally exposing the audience to the pages in the sequence you would have them do it.
Evergreen Campaign
You can keep your message fresh with what is known as an Evergreen Campaign – targeting the audience you want to have follow your campaign, while excluding all people who have already seen your landing page. Those people who have seen your landing page will receive the ad for the next stage of your campaign.
Custom Audiences
Any offline customer list can be uploaded and targeted as a custom audience on Facebook – as can all visitors to a specific page on your website, PLUS, another list of potential customers with similar profiles and browsing habits can be established for targeting NEW customers. It’s like fishing in the net.
Dynamic Product Ads
This is where you connect your Facebook remarketing tool to your online product list – there’s a little bit of setup work involved, but you are literally showing your products to those who have viewed products, or placed products in their cart but no purcahse has been made – or showing companion products. It’s a powerful way of closing sales.
Target by Job Title
We have used this successfully for recruitment ads. Targeting people based on their professional qualifications is a very tidy way of reaching your target market. Audiences can be so tiny that less than $2 per day is required to reach them.
Not wasting advertising money is a basic requirement for Facebook ads.
Target by Generation
Targeting Millenials and Generation X by behaviours is a fantastic way of addressing multiple audiences but reducing or eliminating overlaps.
Running multiple campaigns and splitting them based on generational differences gives you a far better degree of connection with your target audience.
Target by Behaviour
Target purchasers by their behaviours – for example, targeting people who are frequent overseas travellers is a great option for hotel operators or travel agents or insurance sales people. Targeting people who travel overseas frequently and who are also interested in Adventure Travel is perfect for Africa Safari Tour operators.