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Are Facebook ads Right for me? Pros, Cons, and Alternatives

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If you’ve ever asked, “Are Facebook ads right for me?”, then you’re in the right place. We have an honest guide that shows you all about Facebook Ads and whether they are right for you.

We will be looking at what Facebook Ads are, how they work, and who they work best for.

And in the end, you can finally find out if it’s worth it for your business.

Let’s get right to it.

What are Facebook Ads?

Facebook Ads are the paid content that you can post on your Facebook business page.

This has been Facebook’s way of making it possible for businesses to get in front of their audiences. Through Facebook Ads, your content is seen by more than just the people who follow your page.

And you can tell an ad on Facebook because of three key factors: 

  • Facebook Ads have the word ‘Sponsored’ right under the page’s name
  • They also have a ‘Like Page’ icon on the top right side
  • They include a Call to Action at the bottom left corner with messages like ‘Sign Up’ or ‘Shop Now’ 

You’ve probably seen those ads before while scrolling through Facebook’s feed. They are different from other posts you find on your feed from friends and family.

Facebook Ads are used by marketers a lot of times. And they have some benefits that keep businesses adding them to their marketing strategies.

Why do FB ads Matter?

You can always create content for free and post it to your Facebook business page.

So why should you consider the paid option? Let’s see a few reasons why they are helpful.

1. Great for Targeting a Specific Audience

Facebook enables users to target specific audiences.

You can target users based on their geographical location, their interests and likes, and demographics like age and gender. 

And to go even further, you can target users even based on things happening in their lives, their similarities to others who have purchased from you, and more. For example, you can target those who got engaged recently or those who are single.

When you have your target audience defined, you can benefit from Facebook’s capabilities. Show your ads only to people who are most likely to be interested in your products or services.

2. High Engagement

We may not like to admit to this, but most of us probably spend too much time on social media sites like Facebook.

All of that scrolling we do translates to engagement. 

People who land on an ad on Facebook are super engaged with the platform already. 

If they land on your ad, they are more likely to interact with it than if they were only casually passing through for a few seconds. 

3. High Number of Users

Current data shows that there are over 2.85 billion Facebook users across the world. 

And in the US, 69% of the population is on Facebook. That’s a lot of people that you could be targeting on Facebook. 

And it makes the channel that much more attractive to businesses trying to get in front of potential clients.

4. Diverse User Base

While other social media sites are used by specific demographics, like Snapchat used mainly by the younger generation, Facebook cuts across age, gender and location. 

So, if we look at age, for instance, research shows that there are Facebook users from 18 years to 64 years old. The study did not include those below 18 years old.

And the numbers are also high for both men and women. 66% of men have used Facebook before, while 78% of women have.

People from different income levels also use Facebook in large numbers. That includes people earning less than $30,000/year, people earning $75,000/year, and those who earn much more.

These numbers show that your audience is most likely on Facebook.

And it explains why many marketers opt to use Facebook Ads. 

How Do Facebook Ads Work?

We have already seen what Facebook ads look like, and why they are used so much. But how do they work? Where would you even start if you wanted to set them up?

It Starts with a Facebook Page

The first step to using Facebook Ads is to create your business page. 

This part is pretty easy, and chances are, you probably already have it set up. 

If not, you can head on over to Facebook, and if you are on a desktop, click on the ‘+’ sign at the top right corner, next to the Messenger icon. 

And, you will see the ‘Page’ option. Click on that, and you are already on your way to creating a page for your business.

Setting Up The Ads

There are two ways you can set up your ads. You can use Facebook Ads Manager or Facebook Business Suite.

Ads Manager is a great point to start for your ads. 

Creating an Ad with Facebook Ads Manager

  1. Go to the Business Facebook Page.
  2. Click on the ‘+’ (Plus) sign at the top right corner of the page.
  3. Click on ‘Ad’ from the drop-down menu that appears.
  4. Pick on an objective that best suits your needs
  5. Upload your content and review it 
  6. Publish the Ad

That’s it! The Ads Manager allows you to create a new brand campaign without much of a hustle. 

If you are just starting, you can stick to the Ads Manager to post your ads and see their performance over time on the same platform.

Creating an Ad with Facebook Business Suite

Facebook Business Suite is found on the left side of your Facebook page.

Once you click on it, it takes you to a new interface that may look different from the Facebook interface.

You can create posts and ads from it.

You can click on ‘Ad’ on the left side menu and follow the prompts to post an ad. The steps are pretty similar to the Ads Manager.

Who Do We Recommend Facebook Business Suite For?

Facebook Business Suite is more suitable for people who manage several social media accounts.

You can use it to post both free content and paid ads and manage your ads across Facebook and Instagram. 

And if you have some extra help, like from a social media manager, you can collaborate with them through the business suite. 

It is more suitable for people who manage several social media accounts for more than one business as it gives an all-in-one setup.

Now what kind of ads can you post on Facebook?

Facebook Ad Types

There’s a couple of different ad types.

  • Video ads. You can post a video showing your product or service. You may also share a video you already have on your page as an ad to show more people. 
  • Image Ads let you quickly create an image to share with potential clients. They are a great way to advertise without much effort like you would need to create a video.
  • Carousels. These are a bunch of different images that a user can scroll through and click on. These are great to showcase different products or processes, such as showing people how to use a product you sell.
  • Collections. These show up as several images all on one screen. The user can scroll through them and click on one to see it in a larger format.

Now that you know some of the ad types you could have on your Facebook page let’s see who Facebook Ads work for. 

And whether this form of marketing will work for you.

Is Facebook Ads for You?

Who do Facebook ads work for?

Let’s look at some scenarios where Facebook ads would be great for your business.

You have an Easy Call To Action

Your Call To Action needs to be something that doesn’t take much thought for the audience. 

Let’s think through it for a minute. 

People who land on your ad did not intentionally go looking for your brand or your product at that time. They were probably not even interested in purchasing anything at that moment.

They were simply scrolling through, maybe watching some entertaining cat videos.

So you have a better chance if your call to action is smaller than a purchase. 

If all you are asking is for them to sign up or take a tour of your website, it would be easier for them to do. 

It can’t be compared to making an actual purchase.

And you will most likely have better results with it.

You can then move on to email marketing and convert the audience to a sale after building a little trust later on. 

Your Revenue Model is Spread Out

How do you make your money? Do clients make a one-off purchase from you, or do they need to keep coming back for subscription renewal for instance?

If clients purchased from you once and then landed on your Ad later, they may make another purchase. They already know you. 

And if they signed up for an offer you had, you can remain in their memory through strategic ads. They may buy from you a few months down the line.

If your business depends on a one-off purchase from clients, however, Facebook ads may not have as much value for you. Them seeing your ad would not prompt another purchase.

But if it does, you can take advantage of the chance to build a relationship with them, and lead them to make a purchase.

You Have the Expertise 

You need some expertise when it comes to creating Facebook ads that convert. 

Some of the skills you need include creating sales copy, designing content and editing videos. 

You also need the ability to make data-based decisions.

If you have the means, you may hire an expert who has these skills or choose to learn as you go.

But it would need a lot of patience, as you try out different ideas and content forms.

Pro Tip: You can learn from other established companies by going through their ads to see what kind of ads they’re using. 
Go to a business page you are interested in and click on ‘Page Transparency’. 
You will be taken to their ads which you can study and pick some ideas from.

As part of the expertise you need, you also need to zone in on your target audience. The more specific you are, the less it would cost you and the better Return on Investment you would get. 

You need to do some research to find out the interests of your target audience and use them as parameters for showing your ads.

Facebook Ads Costs

Finally, one pretty important factor is the cost of Facebook Ads.

The first thing you need to know is that you can set a budget for your ad spend. 

Add a spending limit for your account so that all your campaigns don’t pass the limit you set. This lets you remain within your budget.

And the budget may vary, with you spending as little as $5 per ad or as much as $10,000 per ad.

What Determines your Ad Costs?

Here are a few things that determine how much you spend on ads.

  1. Your chosen target audience. When you choose a large target group, your ad costs will be higher. Choose a more specific target group with higher chances of clicking through for a better budget and return on Investment.
  2. Ad Timing. Some time slots cost more than others, especially peak times of Facebook use.
  3. How you bid. You can go with the lowest price or choose to have a price cap. Picking a price cap lets you ensure your ad doesn’t go above a specific amount of money.
  4. Audience interaction with your ad. If your ad scores low in engagement, then your costs will increase.
Pro Tip: Get rid of ads that rank lower in engagement. And to keep engagement high over time, change the look of the ads, such as by tweaking the design or changing the copy to make them look newer. 

Final Thoughts

Facebook Ads needs you to put in the work.

You will also need to monitor performance constantly through the data on Ads Manager. 

It requires patience and hard work, constant improvement and tweaking to remain relevant. 

However, once mastered, Facebook Ads can help raise your conversion rates.

Now over to you, does your business fit the description we gave? Or would you be better off with another marketing channel?

For more specialized help, you can book a FREE consultation with us here.

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Hey there! I'm Leah Ngari.

Hey there! I'm Leah Ngari.

I am a Copywriter/Blogger that's very passionate about helping others. I joined the How to Entrepreneur team in 2021 and my goal is to help entrepreneurs and business people grow by informing and educating them through written content.
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