You Know Youโre Ready for Ads If...
Have you wondered if your business is at a place to run ads? I’m a planner and I want to think about things in advance. I don’t like to be surprised with hidden fees or feel unprepared to take the next step in my business or life. If you can relate to any of this then this blog is for you. I am going to share three factors to consider in order to run the most successful ad campaigns for your business. These suggestions are made with an eye for getting the most out of your Facebook and Instagram ads. As you read through this article, take note of where you are in your business and if you have specific questions about ads then please send me a message on Instagram or Facebook. I’d love to chat more!
You know you are ready to start using Facebook and Instagram ads in your business if...
You Can Organically Sell
The number one way you know you are ready to start using Facebook and Instagram ads is if you have organically sold your product or service before. If you have validated that people want and are willing to pay for your offer, then using Facebook ads will help you grow and scale your business. You will see more demand for your offers so you will likely be able to raise your prices. This brings in more sales while at the same time building up your audience.
If your organic marketing is going well and you are selling your offer and building up your audience, by using Facebooking and Instagram ads you accelerate your growth. To be honest they really do go hand in hand. When you use Facebook and Instagram ads you still want to be posting regularly and showing up in stories. I wrote an entire blog about the relationship between organic posts and paid ads and I will link it below.
You Have A Dedicated Audience Built-Up
You know you are ready to start using ads if you built up a dedicated and active audience. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have a large audience but it does mean that you have an engaged audience. The more sources you have for an audience the better the ads will run. Not only having an engaged audience on social media but also having an email list is very helpful as we set you up for ads.
A powerful feature of social media ads is look-a-like audiences. This means we can take your email list subscribers and create a look-a-like audience based off your email list. Facebook will look through all the people on your email list and find commonalities and trends amongst them. Then, Facebook will build an audience of new people that have similar interests, likes, and behaviors to your current email list. The catch is you have to have an audience size of at least 100 people to create a look-a-like audience. We can then do the same thing with your Instagram engagers or Facebook fans. This helps your ads land in front of new people that are most likely to be interested in your offers.
You Have Been In Business For At Least One Year
How long have you been in business? Is a question I ask potential clients. Usually, (but not always) companies that have been in business for over a year have worked through some of the kinks in their business. They also usually have more money to invest back into their business. It matters more here, that you have an offer that has sold before and money to invest in ads. Advertising is not cheap but it does keep your business growing and thriving. You are likely to see the most success with ads if you have been in business for a while and you have confidence in your offers.
I recommend businesses spend $1,000 a month on Facebook and Instagram ads. That may sound like a high budget, but if you want to play you have to pay. Meaning that if you are determined to see a return on your investment then you have to be willing to make an investment. There’s that old saying that you have to spend money to make money and that is true with Facebook and Instagram ads.
I do have a mini-training teaching two strategies on how to maximize a small budget and I will link that video below for any interest in exploring ads on a small budget.
Ready or Not?
Whether you feel you are ready or not to run ads, one thing you should do to start building up an audience is to install a Facebook Pixel on your website. A Facebook pixel is a small piece of web code that collects information on people who visit your website. With the Facebook pixel, you can create audiences and look-a-like audiences based on people who visit your website and the action they take on your website.
For example, you can serve specific ads to people who visit your Work With Me page. The people visiting this page on your website are the most interested in your service so capitalizing on that interest with ads will help you seal the deal.
I have a free mini-course for you all about setting up your Facebook Pixel. It’s called the Remarketing Lab: Facebook Pixel 101. Take this mini-course and start building up your audience for Facebook and Instagram ads today!
FREE COURSE- THE REMARKETING LAB: Facebook Pixel 101
Other Resources:
Blog Post: Why Use Facebook Ads in Addition to Organic Posts?