The Most Bang For Your Buck: Maximizing Your Facebook Ad Potential

Almost no one can deny that in 2018, having your store represented on social media is essential. And with the ever-changing algorithms on Facebook, regular posts just don’t get the same traction that sponsored posts do. Ryan N. Sargent of Make Music, Inc. and Tech Music Ed (TI:ME) hosted a NAMM U session last January on how to make the most out of your precious dollars when it comes to making sure that your Facebook ads are doing what they’re supposed to.

From keywords to the right imagery (and videos), here are a few tips we gleaned from Sargent’s informative chat that you can put into action at your own store ASAP.

Build a custom audience: Much like there’s no sense in running a TV ad for your store in a state across the country, make sure that your Facebook ad is focused on the area near your store specifically. Similarly, filter out people who aren’t your ideal “audience” on the settings to make sure that you aren’t spending money for the wrong demographics to see your posts. Without narrowing down your audience, a good portion of the people who do see your ad might not even be in your industry or general area.

Use 20 to 30 keywords per ad: Make sure to hit the length sweet spot for what you choose to write in your post. No one wants to read anything that’s overbearingly long, but only a handful of words might not grab anyone’s attention. Balance attention span and substance with 20 to 30 keywords to make sure that your post is the optimal size.

Re-use images (within reason): Here’s some unexpected advice – it’s perfectly okay to recycle some images in your ads. The repeated photos will help to build your brand with Facebook users who are exposed to your ads over time and will associate that image with your company. That being said, don’t overuse any one piece of your content.

Don’t boost a post that’s doing well: This one is fairly easy to follow. If you have a post on your Facebook page that’s already getting a fair amount of attention on its own, don’t pour more dough into it – it probably won’t help matters much. Save your ad budget for other things that might need a boost.

Put a question in your post: Having customers comment on your posts will help to boost how many people see it, and putting a question in your ad encourages readers to comment. Make sure it’s not something that can be answered with “yes” or “no” – pose a question like “Why do you support Small Business Saturday?” and watch the comments pile on. Since social media was made for sharing opinions, capitalize on how much people love giving input.

Use the CTA button to your advantage: The CTA button, which you might recognize as the “shop now” or “learn more” buttons on posts will help improve the click-through and engagement rates of your post. Make sure you enable one for your ad so interested viewers can be taken directly to your site.

Post videos: With the way that Facebook’s algorithms work, videos in general gain more traction and are more likely to get placed higher up on reader’s timelines, meaning there’s a better chance of people seeing it. In this way, a store walkthrough or product demo can gain a lot more traction than a standard text post or image.

Kill ads that are getting bad results: Even Facebook ads don’t come with guarantees. If you’ve pumped money into an ad that still isn’t getting traction after a few days, pull the plug and use the money elsewhere. They can’t all be winners.

Use the Facebook ads manager app: Yes, there’s an app for that. Available for both iOS and Android, this mobile app allows users to track ad performance, edit existing ads, edit ad budgets and schedules, receive push notifications, and, of course, create ads, all from your phone.

Find a graphic designer to work with: Again, hone in on branding and your company’s image. If photography isn’t your bag, get a graphic designer on board to help with logos and other fonts and illustrations for your business. It doesn’t have to be anything over the top – colorful and simple images draw attention without being overbearing. Craft an aesthetic that will set you apart from other area stores and make your business easily recognizable.