Facebook Advertising

There are several ad formats, including images, videos, carousel (multiple images), instant impressions, and collections.

Facebook ads target users based on their location, demographics, and profile information.

Many of these options are only available on Facebook. After creating your ad, you set a budget and bid for each click or thousand impressions your ad will receive. 

Users then see your ad in the Facebook sidebar or in their news feed.

Facebook's other advertising options are great for increasing engagement and brand awareness, but ads that take users off-site are still the best option for direct response advertisers looking to make a sale.

Who should advertise on Facebook? 

In the past, Facebook advertising was more like display than search, although new versions of advertising, such as Product Ads, allow advertisers to sell products directly to users.

How to target Facebook ads?

The number one mistake most marketers make with Facebook ads is targeting them incorrectly.

Facebook's ad targeting capabilities are unmatched. You can target by demographics and create custom or lookalike audiences to target users similar to your best customers. You can also use retargeting ads to target users who have interacted with your page or visited your site.

On Facebook, you can target users directly: 

• Location
• Age
• Floor
• Interests
• Connections
• Family status
• Languages
• Education
• Workplaces

Each option may be useful depending on your audience. Most marketers should focus on location, age, and interests.

Location allows you to target users in the country, region, city, or zip code that you serve.

Targeting by age and gender should be based on your existing customers. If the majority of your customers are women 25-44, start by targeting them. If they prove profitable, you can expand your targeting.

Interest targeting is the most powerful yet misused feature of Facebook advertising. When creating an ad, you have two options: broad categories or detailed interests. 

Broad category targeting

Broad categories include topics such as gardening, horror movies and consumer electronics. Broad interests may seem like an effective way to reach a large audience. However, these users often cost more and spend less. You will also need to install the Facebook Pixel.

Previously, this was an ineffective way to reach audiences; however, adding the Facebook pixel and dynamic ads makes it much more effective. 

Worth testing; but detailed interest targeting is often more effective.

Detailed targeting by interests

Detailed interest targeting allows you to target users based on information in their profiles, including “listed preferences and interests, pages they like, apps they use, and other profiles.”

When targeting detailed interests, Facebook provides audience size and other inferred preferences and interests. You will not have data about your competitors. Once you select interests for your ad, Facebook will show you the total bid bid. 

Many marketers target as many groups as possible.

This is mistake. These groups are more expensive and less targeted. 

Instead of using generic terms for your niche like “yoga” or “digital photography,” focus on specific interests. Find out what magazines and blogs your customers read, who they follow on Twitter, and what related products they buy.