302.382.0410
302.382.0410
A ton of small business marketers place social media on a pedestal.
They preach about the importance of showing your face on as many social forums as possible, and staying engaged with customers on all of them…24/7, 365!
As small business owners, we know that`s next to impossible!
There is absolutely no time in our busy schedule to sit huddled up around a computer commenting on every post, responding to every follow, engaging with every +1, or interacting every person that “Checks-in.”
Don’t get me wrong, I do agree that staying active on social media, and creating a presence is a smart move these days. But I also believe that if you fail to update just one of those many social media accounts, more than likely, that will be the page one of your prospects lands on!
So the first thing someone sees is a small business offer that was valid about six months ago?
Not cool!
Stick with what you like best. If you like Facebook, then use Facebook. If you like Twitter then use Twitter. Stick with one that has worked the best for you, and is easy to maintain constant engagement with your customers and future prospects.
Okay, I’m done with my tangent.
The real reason I wanted to blog today was to discuss the use of Facebook’s ad platform.
I’ve been using Facebook ads for about a year now, and I must say it’s been one of the cheapest & easiest ways for me to split test ads.
It always feels good when you can leave out “Big G!”
With Facebook ads you can target more quality leads, and generate more sales and profits.
Facebook offers five different types of ads:
– Sponsored Stories
– Like Statements
– Promoted Posts
– Ads in the marketplace
– Mobile ready ads
Sponsored Stories tend to be the easiest to set up, but Like Statement ads are pretty cool too!
Like Satements are neat because when someone clicks “Like” on your ad, they automatically become a fan of your page.
This is a great way to build interaction quickly without having to direct somebody out of Facebook
Directing somebody out of Facebook to an off-site landing page tends to cost a little bit more than keeping the viewer inside of Facebook’s platform.
Sponsored Stories however, are pretty cool because they will be shown to friends of your existing fans. The thought process being that friends of your fans are probably pretty like-minded, and might also be interested in your page.
One of the best ways to increase effective engagement within Facebook is to take the viewer back to a page of a custom app you created.
I use Lujure to create my custom apps.
When it comes to advertising, Facebook can be one of the cheapest ways out there.
I usually spend about $50 per ad and I test about four at a time. That’s 200 bucks total investment to get an accurate reading on my advertisement`s effectiveness.
Setting up an ad on Facebook is way easy!
Just go to the build audience tab at the top of your page, click on create ad, and then continue as the user you’re logged in with if you’re trying to create an ad for a business page.
At this point you can set up your ad or Sponsored Story.
What I like to do, is create a post on my page that I think would also be an effective ad, and then I will promote that post using Sponsored Stories.
When it comes to bidding for cost per click, you can actually go back into the ads dashboard, select the drop-down at the cost per click, and it will give you a new estimated bid price. I always bid about three cents higher than the lowest estimated bid price.
Check the drop down CPC everyday, and if your ad is performing well, the price will continue to drop.
Be sure not to offer something that you can’t back up when you create your Facebook ad.
100% guaranteed, is not a good way to start out a Facebook ad.
Review Facebook’s ad policy on their site if you have any doubts that your ad will go through.
When your ad is up and running, you’ll see a little block for CTR or click through rate. If your CTR falls under 0.04, then you’ll probably need to revamp the ad because people are not clicking on it enough to make it worth the cost.
I’m going a little out of order here, when you’re setting up your ad be sure to concentrate on the precise interest part.
This is where you dial it in like a sniper, using the exact hobbies or interests a potential customer might like on Facebook.
For instance, if I was targeting small business owners around my zip code, I wouldn’t want to advertise to somebody who loves Snuggies and lives in Washington state. I would advertise within a 50 mile radius around my servicing area, and I would look for individuals that like small business, small business administration, entrepreneur magazine, or the Chamber of Commerce.
You need to really put yourself in your customer’s shoes, and imagine them sitting behind a computer surfing Facebook.
That’s why engaging with them verbally when they come into your store is so important.
It’s like your special ops interrogator trying to suck out the details behind the latest government plot!
Getting curious about your customers could really pay off.
So next time you want to cough up a couple thousand bucks for that magazine ad, invest a couple hundred and try advertising on Facebook.
I don’t “100% guarantee” success, but you may be surprised by the response you get!
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photo credit: MATEUS_27:24&25 via photo pin cc