Growing your business using Facebook & Instagram advertising
We hope this article proves useful to many of the independent retailers in the local area
Getting your business online and visible has become a priority for many over the last 6 months. People have got used to doing their shopping online, and buying services over the internet too, such as Zoom yoga classes or music lessons. Facebook & Instagram ads are an effective way to get your online business in front of your ideal customer, in a place where they are already engaged.
If you are thinking of advertising in the run-up to Christmas then the sooner you start the better. This time of year brings high competition so be prepared for your ads to cost more, but also potentially give you better returns.
If you are selling a product that is giftable then you could consider advertising bundles of products by doing gift boxes/sets. And if these gifts can be delivered straight to the recipient (and possibly with a gift wrapping option) this will be a very tempting offer at this busy time.
Types of adverts
There are many different formats you can use in your adverts but single image adverts can do very well, and these are simple to put together. Video ads are also a great one to try as they can be really engaging. Using video testimonials from your customers can be highly effective, with a clear ‘call to action’ at the end of the video.
To get the best from your ads:
- As with any marketing you want to build in stories into your adverts. Try not to focus too much on your business or the features of your product/service. What you really need to be shouting about is how your product or service can help solve your customer’s problem and how this will make people feel once their problem is solved.
- It’s worth checking that your website works well on ‘mobile’ and that the user experience is good. When your website is optimised and your ads are well set up – this is when you’ll see the results you want.
- Consistently posting valuable content to your business Facebook page and trying to start conversations on your posts should result in an engaged audience for your brand and a great foundation for starting to use Facebook ads.
- Don’t expect too much from your ads straight away. This is probably the biggest mistake people make. Sales are often not instant and at the beginning of any campaign, Facebook needs to learn how best to optimise your ads.
What If you don’t have a huge budget to spend on ads?
If you have budget and patience then Facebook ads can be a great way to drive traffic to your website and increase sales. However, even if you are a small business with limited budget, you can still use ads strategically to help grow your business. Advertising blog posts is a good way to grow your mailing list, by driving people to a blog on your website with a ‘sign-up’ option (as long as you are GDPR compliant).
Competitions can also help grow your fans of your business pages, as once they have commented on the advertised post, you can then go and invite these people to like your page.
There are lots of elements to think about when creating the perfect Facebook and Instagram ads and when you are running your own business this may just seem like another thing to add to your already long ‘to do’ list. This is why some people prefer to outsource their ads – to get support and ensure this is looked after month after month.
Thank you to Louise Harper who supplied this article. Louise is a Facebook and Instagram ad strategist who helps ecommerce companies boost their online sales and drive traffic to their websites. You can email her at: louise@harperadvertising.co.uk.