I should probably preface this post with my core philosophy about being a business owner: I don’t have to know everything about my business, but I have to know enough to understand how something will affect my business, and if we are doing it well.
Facebook Ads is one of those areas of my business that I don’t personally run. I don’t study and keep up on the algorithm changes. I direct strategy, watch performance, and watch conversions. But other than that, I don’t know what to tell you about making your ads perform better.
So this article is not about how to do ads better, it’s about how they can and can’t help your business.
Don’t make this mistake
I’m a member of several FB groups for business owners. Some are industry specific. Some are more general. Recently I saw a woman post that she is trying to fill an upcoming event and hasn’t had any registrations. She asked the group what should she do, and just as I predicted, someone jumped in with the idea of Facebook Ads.
I wanted to scream, “NOOOOOOO! Run! Run from the ads!”
Why? You may ask.
Because, Facebook ads are not a magical fix. And the lady in the conversation clearly had no clue about running Facebook ads.
I am pro Facebook ads in the right situation! But in the wrong situations, Facebook ads will just be a waste of money.
When Facebook Ads won’t help your business
You have a really quick timeline. It’s going to take you some time to nail your audience and figure out who is responding to your ads. It’s going to take you some time to dial in on the right ad spend. We usually spend 1-2 weeks nailing the ad strategy before we really start putting money behind it. Also, once you get the leads, it may take some time to convert them. You’ll need to nurture them, retarget them, and get them into a sales experience. So if you are looking for a quick fix to fill an event in 2 weeks, this is clearly NOT the way to go.- When you have no Facebook ads education. Someone recently told me they were running Facebook ads for their business and when I asked them about it, it turns out they were just boosting posts. If you don’t know the difference, you need some Facebook ad education first! Take a course or hire someone that knows what they are doing! (And no, I can’t teach you. Because it would be that whole blind leading the blind situation.)
- When you don’t have a strategy for how you will convert. Likes do not equal sales. Fans do not add up to dollars in your bank account. And if you don’t have a funnel in place and a sales plan, you’re probably not going to recoup what you spent. Get those done first, then go to town with your ads.
- When your target client isn’t on Facebook. I know it’s hard to imagine that the entire world isn’t on Facebook. But Facebook has a demographic. If you are trying to reach teenagers, don’t do FB ads. The teenagers are not there. Some professions are less likely to be on Facebook. Make sure you do your homework and know who you are trying to find and if Facebook is truly the best platform to use!
When Facebook Ads will rock your business:
Let’s keep it really simple. As long as you’ve got the 4 issues I just mentioned out of the way, Facebook ads should be a good source of leads for your business! So go find a great course. Or hire someone good. And then start testing and tweaking until you settle in on your ideal Facebook ads strategy!