In my last post, you learned about writing a blog. After you have started to create content and post it to your website and share on your social media channels (we are focusing on Facebook for this series), it is time to start growing your audience.
This is where you will run your first Facebook ad. In the early days of Facebook, businesses 'bought likes' to raise thier numbers. That practice has been proven to be a horrible idea. You want to attract people to your page who want to be there. The more active your followers are on your page (likes, comments, shares), the more people will see your content for FREE! So, you need to run an ad directly to those who will be most likely to love you. Lucky for you, Facebook makes it super easy to dial in on your super customer!
Why do "Like Ads" work?
They work for many reasons. But mainly it's because:
they have great social proof -- ie. they show pages your friends have Liked.
they're the easiest ads to set up -- and tend to be the least expensive
they get your page instant exposure to new fans
I suggest that you use 10% of Facebook Ads Budget to run a 'Like' campaign. It will be a constant, low cost ad just like you may be using for your local newspaper.
How To Create A 'Like' Ad
Step 1: Go to Your page
The easiest step of all! Just head to the page you want to run a "Like Ad" for.
Step 2: Look at the bottom of your left column
At the very bottom of the left column, you will see a blue promote button like this:
Once you click, you will choose Promote Your Page
Step 3: Choose Text and Image
The Text and Image will be automatically filled in for you based on your cover photo and the text in the About section of your page. Click on the pencil icon to edit this part.
HINT: Keep the cover image the same. You want the ad and the cover image to match! Change the text or description to tell what your customers can expect from your page.
Step 4: Choose Your Audience
Remember your Super Customer? This is where they come in for the promotion part.
Select Audience criteria PLUS Details.
Criteria:
Gender, Age, Location
Detailed Targeting:
Products they use, TV Shows they watch, Activities, People they follow, Places they shop
HINT: You can also exclude people who do not fit into your super customer profile.
Step 5: Budget & Duration
Depending on your page size, you will see different amounts to spend per day to promote your page. Decide what amount is best for your budget and how long you would like to run the ad.
I'd recommend starting with a smaller amount and 7 days first to test the ad -- and then you can increase it later. Also, if you have not ever run an ad before, you will need to input payment information.
Step 6: Click "Promote"
Once you're satisfied with the ad setup, hit the "Promote" button.
What will the Ads Look Like?
Once you start an ad like this, Facebook actually creates 3 sample ads for you:
Sample ad for laptop/desktop users -- to appear in the right column for users on laptop/desktop computers
Sample ad for mobile device users -- these first 2 ads will look similar to the image below
Sample "Sponsored Story" ad -- shown in the News Feed. This could show up on desktops or on mobile devices.
I used my page for the examples above, and if you need a visual here is a video of me navigating from start to finish.