3 Keys to Creating an Effective Facebook Ad

People are using Facebook more often than some believe. People are always scrolling through their news feed, which makes it one of the best places to advertise your business or services. Just like all your other marketing techniques, you will want to put just as much thought and consideration into your Facebook advertising. Your Facebook audience may be different than other social media audiences, but your marketing goal for each should be audience engagement.  

So how do you know your Facebook advertising will be effective in creating audience engagement?

It is easier to gauge the engagement level than you might think. Here are things to think about in order for your Facebook ad to grab attention.

1. Keep Your Facebook Ad Relevant

Before you create the ad, you will have chosen your target audience. Now all you have to do is create an ad that relates to that audience. If you put something out there for your business that has nothing to do with the audience you are trying to reach, you will be wasting a lot of money because no one will end up seeing it. The return on investment from your ad depends on the clicks it generates, so you will want to be sure your target audience is going to see your ad.

Facebook now has a new Relevancy Score feature, helping advertisers test their ads to see how well they are doing among their target audience. Below is an example of the relevance score results.

The relevancy score is measured on a scale of 1-10. In this example, this advertisement received a score of 7, meaning the ad’s relevance is very good. You can see on the right side, Facebook also tells you whether you are to receive positive or negative feedback on your advertisement.

2. Make Your Facebook Ad Visually Appealing

This may be a given, but the visual appeal of an ad on Facebook is the first thing people are going to notice. You will want to make sure your ad is going to attract at first glance, while not being overwhelming. Your ad should be easy to read and comprehend. Following the Facebook guidelines for the size and quality of your advertisement can help you achieve that.

For example, for photos, you are given a few options for how and where you display an image. This means you will want to create an ad that’s not only relevant to your audience but also that it is placed optimally on the page.  If you are creating an ad that will display on the far right side of the screen, you should create an ad that is simple, conveying the message with minimal text. People are less likely to click on an advertisement that is on the right side of the screen, so you will want to have a good call to action.

Above is an example of right side ads from an actual Facebook page. The top one has a sufficient amount of white space so the text and image are not overcrowding the entire advertisement. Note also how the image tells you about a deal for Father’s Day, and the link underneath is the call to action. It is relevant to an upcoming holiday also giving people an incentive to click faster with the “limited time offer” underneath the link.

Now let’s talk about the news feed ads (Hello Molly). These advertisements are the ones that display as the reader is scrolling down their feed. Because they appear without reader intervention, it’s a good idea to make these engaging and visual.

One way to increase the engagement factor is through the Carousel option. This allows you to add more than one image to provide a sneak peek into what your website has to offer. With the Carousel ad, make sure to keep your photos consistent; or example, this clothing store’s advertisement features pictures of their dresses in stock. This advertisement also has many different Calls to Action. There is a call to action in the advertisement description, each image also has a “shop now” button, and at the top right corner of the ad, there is a “like now” button which will create engagement on their Facebook page.

3. Ensure Your Facebook Ad Text Is Brief and to the Point

Your ad should speak volumes with the image it presents, but it should also include some brief text to give your image some context. You do not have to say a lot but choose your words wisely. If you are struggling with what you want your ad to say, just think about your call to action. What do you want your audience to do? Go to your website? Click on your profile? Well, give them a reason why and a clear way to do it. Use strong action words, or maybe even a small testimonial.

Your ad should not have a lot of text actually on the image, and Facebook makes sure of that. Facebook has a rule that there should be no more than 20% of text on your image. They have been more lenient with this rule since the feature’s first release, but Facebook does a good job of making sure there isn’t too much text overlapping the image, creating an overwhelming effect. You can upload your image here to make sure it complies with Facebook’s text rule.

These are some basic tips to help you get started with your Facebook ad. What is cool about social media marketing is that it encourages your audience to engage with your profile. You could learn from your audience if they comment on your advertisement, and Facebook gives you so many tools to track how much traffic and conversion your ad is creating.

Ready to Get Started, or Need Help with Your Facebook Ads?

St. Louis SEO for Growth can provide the guidance, creativity, and management to help you effectively use Facebook ads for your business. Schedule a free consultation to learn more.