With more than 1.2 billion users, it's difficult to find people who are not on Facebook. But the fact that Facebook has so many users is one reason why the idea of advertising on Facebook can seem imposing. How do you reach your market?
The goal here is to get a new customer, then use your up-sell, cross-sell and recurring revenue models to generate your profits
For guidance we interviewed Keith Kranc, the co-author of the just-published book The Ultimate Guide to Facebook Advertising.
Part 1 of our two-part interview covered understanding the mindset people bring when they visit Facebook, the latest enhancements to the site that advertisers should know about and more. Here, Kranc discusses Facebook business pages, the importance of mobile, and creating targeted and enticing offers.
The 'easiest way' to reach users
Schepp: You recommend a "post boost" as the easiest way to get started promoting your content. Tell us about that.
Kranc: The great thing about boosting a post is that you can quickly amplify any post and make sure it displays in front of your exact, ideal target audience. You can do this without having to go inside the Ads Manager or the Power Editor, which both have learning curves and many features.
When you boost a post, Facebook gives you limited targeting and placement options, however, you still have a fairly large number of potential target audiences to choose from. The boost post interface is very simple and easy to implement. You can choose to target just your fans and friends of fans, or target based on "interests."
You can choose among countries, select an age range, gender and select a maximum budget. You can choose to boost the post between one to seven days and Facebook will spread out your total budget among the number of days you selected.
The best offers to use
Schepp: In a nutshell, how do you create offers that, as you stated, "make customers pine for more"?
Kranc: Offers that work on Facebook are either low-priced, impulse-buy physical products or using a "lead magnet" that solves a very specific problem. If you are using Facebook to go right for the sale, this must be a very low-priced, high-value, impulse-buy type of product. The goal here is to get a new customer, then use your up-sell, cross-sell and recurring revenue models to generate your profits.
Remember, people are not searching for your product, they are hanging out on Facebook. The goal on this initial offer is to break even on the sale or generate a lead, then make the money on the back end.
When it comes to using Facebook to generate leads, we love using very specific lead magnet solutions, like tool kits, resource guides, or a "one tip" approach. [Here's an] example: "Download this Free Resource Guide on the 5 Pieces of Equipment Every Hollywood Photographer Uses— (And 2 of these are under $50…)"
70 percent of Facebook users are logging in with their mobile devices, and in most cases clicks are cheaper on mobile
Maybe one of your products is on this list, and you educate people on why they need a product like yours to take things to the next level. But the key here is that it is a tool kit. People want more tools and templates—much more than just education and how to advice.
It's something they can quickly consume and add to their arsenal. Your job is to really educate them, earn their trust and move them to your next desired action after they opt-in for this resource guide.
Other offers or lead magnets that work with Facebook are coupons, contests, webinars, free trials, free demos, free video instruction and live events.
Attract mobile users
Schepp: How can merchants maximize their mobile campaigns on Facebook?
Kranc: First, merchants must realize that around 70 percent of Facebook users are logging in with their mobile devices, and in most cases clicks are cheaper on mobile. With many of our campaigns focused on lead generation, we also have lower lead acquisition costs in mobile, if we are using a mobile optimized landing page.
By "mobile optimized" I am referring to two main things:
- A mobile responsive landing page
- A mobile-friendly landing page, which, in most cases, means a simple landing page, with few distractions and shorter copy than you may be using on a desktop landing page
If your current sales funnel, product pages, checkout process and so on is not optimized for mobile, or if mobile traffic just doesn't convert into sales (which is the case with most companies), then figure out a different way to capitalize on this cheap mobile traffic.
Create a lead generation campaign or a content amplification strategy, where you can initially reach new people on their mobile devices, then use Website Custom Audiences to re-target users on their desktop device with a more promotional type of offer that drives them into your shopping experience.
Facebook has true cross-device targeting that is not cookie based, like other retargeting platforms. When a visitor hits one of your landing pages and gets added to your website custom audience, it is connected to their Facebook logins, so you can now essentially follow that user around on any device they are using, as long as they are logged on to Facebook.
Facebook users have repeatedly told Facebook they want stories from friends or stories from brands that are helpful and non-promotional
The importance of 'non-promotional'
Schepp: What tips do you have for creating effective business pages?
Kranc: My biggest tip here is to get committed to developing a content amplification strategy, where you are using Facebook ads to amplify your content and place it in front of your exact, ideal target audience.
When it comes to organic posting on Facebook, realize that it is going to be very difficult to get significant impressions on posts focused on any type of promotion or selling. Facebook users have repeatedly told Facebook (via surveys and feedback) that they want stories from friends or stories from brands that are helpful and non-promotional.
Focus on providing value and high-value content, then use promoted posts to drive warmed-up users or fans into your sales funnel. A great resource to find hot topics and create content around is http://buzzsumo.com.
Schepp: What else should readers know about your book?
Kranc: Our book is meant to be for business owners and entrepreneurs at all levels of Facebook advertising capabilities. It is written in a textbook style and includes over 300 printed pages. It is not meant to be read from cover to cover. You can jump around to whichever chapter you feel will help you the most at any particular time.
The other great thing about the book is that we realize the ever-changing environment of Facebook, so we have some great free online video trainings, checklists and guides that we give away free to all buyers of the book.
Schepp: Thanks again, Keith. I'm sure readers have learned some strategies now for effective Facebook advertising. If not, your book is sure to help!