Get the Most From Your Budget
As the internet becomes increasingly cluttered, it gets harder and harder to cut through the noise. Algorithms are always changing, and it can be hard to determine the best way to reach your audience.
Growing your audience organically can take a lot of time. But several social media platforms have an option for paid ads. Think of the last time you were scrolling through Facebook or Instagram, and saw something you had to have. Social scheduling app HootSuite found that 27% of users find new products and brands through paid social ads.
Are paid social media ads part of your marketing budget? If they are, you want the best ROI on your marketing investment. If they aren’t – it’s time to consider paid ads on Facebook and Instagram.
Engaging Users
Digital marketing moves fast, and something considered best practice one day might not be the best practice the next. It’s important to stay up-to-date on what’s new with Instagram and Facebook ads.
Instagram has come a long way since its beginnings in 2010. What used to be an app for sharing photos with friends is now a fully-formed eCommerce channel. Later.com says Instagram users tend to be the most engaged compared to other social platforms, so Instagram ads are a good way to go.
Creating Your Paid Instagram Ad
There are four easy steps for creating your Instagram ad in the app:
- Convert your profile to a business account
- You can easily do this by going to Settings.
- Choose a photo or video for your ad
- This can be something you’ve already shared or something new.
- Set up your promotion
- You can use Instagram’s options to get started or determine your budget, audience, duration, and destination for the ad.
- Publish your ad
- You’ll get a notification once your ad has been approved and is ready to go.
You can also create ads through the Ads Manager (Which uses the same tools as Facebook) or through an Instagram Partner.
For more details on Instagram advertising, visit the Meta Business Help Center.
Creating Your Paid Facebook Ad
Facebook, too, has come a long, long way since its inception in 2004. Some of us might remember classic apps such as Food Fight or Graffiti Wall, but Facebook has now become a huge source of revenue for many businesses.
Like an Instagram ad, a Facebook ad will have better reach than a normal post from your business.
There are two options for Facebook ads: you can boost an existing post on your page or select “Promote” from the top of the page to create something new.
For boosting a post within the app:
- Set your goal.
- Facebook can determine this for you, or you can select whether you want more engagement or more messages from potential customers.
- Add your action button.
- This can be “Learn more, book now,” etc.
- Define your audience.
- Reach them by location, age, gender, or whatever suits your business needs.
- Set your budget and duration.
- Decide how much you want to spend per day and how many days the ad will run.
- Determine your ad placement.
- If you’re using the Facebook app, you can also decide if you want to run the ad on Instagram.
- For creating a new ad:
- You have two options here. You can set up automated Facebook ads, where Facebook will recommend a plan that is best for your business. But if you want more control over your ad campaigns, you’ll need to set everything up manually. Creating your own Facebook ad is very similar to boosting one.
- Choose your goal.
- The options are similar to boosting your page, but you’ll have a few more choices.
- Add media.
- Select your photos or videos, and add a headline and a description.
- Define your audience.
- Decide where you want the ad to appear
- Set budget and duration
Tips for Your Ads to Stand Out
Eye-catching visuals and short, punchy copy are key to reaching potential customers. Here are some tips from Meta on creating a high-performing ad:
- Keep your description to two or three short sentences, and lead with the most important information.
- Don’t narrow down your target audience too much. Cast a wide net, and you can always narrow it down later.
- Make sure your image is high-res and complements your text. Use bright, contrasting colors and bold backgrounds.
- Keep headlines short and clear
- Always add a call-to-action when possible
Avoiding Rejections
Once you submit your ad, it goes into Meta’s review queue, which will usually be completed within 24 hours. If the ad is rejected, you can still access it from the Ads Manager or Meta’s Account Quality dashboard. Here you can look for reasons the ad was rejected.
Some obvious reasons an ad might be rejected, such as bad grammar, misleading claims, or profanity. But there are some trickier guidelines, such as how you discuss certain topics. For example, mentioning religion is perfectly fine, but it can’t be too personal. The ad cannot imply that the reader belongs to another religion. Social Media Examiner has a list of topics that could result in rejection of your Instagram and Facebook ads.