Social media marketing is supposed to give you access to your target audiences. It is supposed to increase brand awareness. It is supposed to result in more leads and conversions. But, your Facebook ads aren't returning the results you need. Maybe you are even losing money. What gives?
When a Facebook ad isn't delivering the desired results, it isn't usually Facebook's fault. Instead, figuring out what is going on will require you to look carefully at your audience, your ads, and your website.
Your Audience
Facebook ads are a great part of digital marketing because they can be very specifically targeted to the people you want to reach. Problems can occur, however, when you either fail to take advantage of that targeting or target your Facebook ads incorrectly.
For example, you may know that you want to reach women ages 18-36 with a promo about a makeup workshop you are putting on at your store. Registration numbers may fail to reach your goals, however, if you don't add other, more specific details to your targeting.
Perhaps you need to more specifically target new mothers who may be looking for a quick makeup routine, or women in new relationships looking for makeup ideas for date night.
You may even find that you are targeting the wrong audience. Maybe instead of trying to target women who want a new look, you should be targeting women who want to use their beloved makeup staples in more effective ways.
The key to solving this targeting problem is to know your target audience and to create specific targeting parameters based on this knowledge. If you think your Facebook ads lack conversions because you are reaching the wrong audiences, revisit your research. Are there more data points you can find and add? Are there clues to your customers you have overlooked? Do you need to do more research? (Or start researching if you are only guessing at your target audience).
Once you get the targeting right, your ads should start performing better because they will be appearing in front of people who need and want what you are offering.
Your Ads
If you are getting the targeting right for your Facebook ads and are still struggling to get conversions, you may want to look at the ad itself. There are a number of problems a Facebook ad can have that will negatively impact its performance.
Too Much Copy
Did you know that Facebook will dramatically decrease the impressions that text-heavy ads receive? If your ad has too much copy, it might not be seen by as many people as you want. Those who do see it will also be less likely to read and respond to your ad. Focus on ads that are image-rich, and choose your words carefully.
Wrong Visuals
Even image-rich Facebook ads can lose out on conversions, however, if the images are not compelling enough. Focus on beautiful, original, relevant, high quality images for your ads. Those images are going to catch people's attention before your text does. If they see and like your ad images, they will be more likely to read, and respond to, your ad's message.
Ad/Landing Page Mismatch
People might fail to convert if your ad promises something that the landing page fails to deliver. For example, if your ad promises a 25 percent off deal for your makeup workshop, your landing page had better deliver that deal. Always make sure your ad and your landing page match up, in both design and messaging.
Your Landing Pages
Speaking of landing pages, they can be an obstacle on the road to conversions, too. Usually, a landing page prevents a Facebook ad from converting because of the ad/landing page mismatch mentioned above. However, it can have other issues as well.
Distracting
Your landing page should do only one thing: Encourage visitors to take action. If your landing page offers access to other pages, other actions, or other ideas, you may lose out on conversions. For example, if your landing page offers to let customers browse your makeup stock, you are going to distract them from signing up for your workshop.
Cluttered
A cluttered web page is hard to understand and navigate. Let visitors immediately find what they came to your landing page for. Anything else, including excess images, needs to be eliminated.
Unbranded
Make sure people know the landing page is part of your company. Use the same fonts, colors, and tone as your Facebook ad and the rest of your website. Otherwise, they may not trust your landing page, or you, enough to convert.
Facebook ads can be profitable. If yours are not, reach out to Distinct Web Design. We can help you to identify and rectify the problem so you enjoy all the advantages a Facebook ad campaign can offer.
