How To Get More Customer Leads Using Facebook Ads

June 15, 2020

|In Supplier Resources, Distributor Resources, Guides

There is no better time than now to push your products. With a 47% increase in broadband usage, everyone is online and eager to open their wallets.

However, finding ways to market creatively and effectively can feel like an uphill battle. With thousands of options, how can you stand out and find the right people ready to buy?

The answer is a Facebook Ad Campaign.

Quick, simple, and effective, Facebook Ad campaigns help businesses thrust their content into the massive network that is Facebook. Once running, you can specifically tailor your ad content to audiences that fit your target market.

If you’ve never used Facebook Ads before, we’re here to help. Here are the basics for setting up and running a successful Facebook Ad campaign.

1. Establish Your Goals.

No campaign can be successful without an end goal. It’s like starting a business without knowing what you’re going to sell. Before you jump into the world of Facebook Ads, figure out what you want from your ad campaign.

Is it to grow awareness of business? Increase website traffic? Generate potential leads? Once you’ve established the purpose of the campaign, you can identify a market and set of products that will be the heart of your campaign. That brings us to the key step in the process…

2. Find The Perfect Digital Catalog To Customize

This catalog is the most important part of running a successful ad campaign. You’re going to need it to wow potential customers and seal the deal on your next sale.

How do you do that?

Breakout Catalogs. If you’ve never heard the term, allow us to explain. Breakout Catalogs highlight a collection of specific products that will speak to the target market for this campaign. These catalogs can fall under a variety of categories including seasonal products, vertical markets, events, and even price points. The important part is that these catalogs are hyper-focused on a specific set of products, not every promotional item in your arsenal, making them more relevant to your chosen audience.

Head over to ZOOMcatalog where we have a comprehensive collection of supplier catalogs for a wealth of categories and themes. Search for the right catalog to customize with your logo and contact information. Once customized, you will get a unique url to use in your Facebook campaign. Your campaign can include a call to action that relates to the theme of the catalog and catches your intended audience’s attention.

Now let’s talk about the specifics of launching that Facebook campaign.

3. Log Into Facebook Ads Manager and Pick Your Ad Style.

There are plenty of ways to get to the Facebook Ad Manager page, but the easiest is to click this link right here. Once you’re logged into your business Facebook page, you will be prompted to select one of three types of ads—Awareness, Consideration, and Conversion.

Each one of these styles has a specific purpose and function differently from one another:

Awareness Ads are used to create buzz around a business or their products, with the sole purpose of bringing more interested audiences further into the fold of that operation.

Consideration Ads are used to encourage audiences to dive deeper into your business and look at what you offer. These ads specifically target those who aren’t quite ready to make a purchase but are interested in gaining more knowledge of your business and the products you have. (Note: These kinds of ads are best for businesses using catalogs.)

Conversion Ads are used to do exactly that—convert. This style ad takes those who were in the consideration bucket and moves them closer toward inking that check for your products. These ads are intended to help increase conversions on your website or drive a specific action.

Once selected, you’ll be prompted to name your campaign and set up an ad account. Simply click the button that says “Set Up Ad Account” and you’ll be off to the races.

4. Define Your Audience

A critical part of running your Facebook Ad campaign is defining your audience. The more specific you can be with your audience, the better the engagement and conversions will be. Think about the catalog you chose to be at the heart of your campaign in step 2 as you work through your Facebook targeting. Make sure you target people who will be interested in that specific catalog.

Here are the audience demographics you can customize for your ad campaign:

Location
Age
Gender
Language
Interests—likes, page activity, interests, related topics.
Behaviors—device usage, purchases, and purchasing intent.
Connections—who you’re connected with on your Facebook page (or who you’re not)

As you’re selecting these items you’ll see a performance indicator that rises and falls based on your selections. It looks like this:

Be aware that these are estimates and predictions—there is no guarantee that your ad will rack up thousands of likes and have massive reach. If you’ve run ad campaigns before, these numbers will be more accurate as Facebook can pull previous campaign data to inform new ones.

5. Establish A Budget and Select Ad Placement.

With a target audience in your sights, it’s time to determine your ad spend. Ad spend is how much you’re willing to fork over to Facebook to run your ad across the platform. Remember that this figure represents the maximum amount of money you want to spend either daily or over a set period of time.

Once you’ve pulled together your budget, you will be asked where you want to place your Facebook Ads. There are a variety of options when it comes to ad placement, so here’s a simple breakdown of what you’re working with:

Device Type – mobile, desktop, or both.
Device Operating Systems – iOS or Android.
Platform – Facebook, Instagram, Audience Network, or Messenger
Placements – Feed, Stories, Messages, In-Article, Apps and Sites (outside Facebook)

6. Create Your Ad

This is the part you’ve been waiting for. Now you’re ready to create your Facebook Ad, which can come in one of two ways—using a previous post or crafting a new one. We recommend creating a fresh ad that nobody has seen before. After you’ve established a cadence for running Facebook Ads, you can use previous posts to drive more traffic.

Facebook Ads take 5 different forms, all of which operate differently and drive different results.

Carousel – 2 or more scrolling images or videos.
Single image – 6 variations of your ad using 1 image.
Single video – one video.
Slideshow – looping video with up to 10 images
Canvas – Combining images and videos.

Here’s what that prompt looks for you visual learners:

We like to recommend the Carousel option for businesses as it allows you to use multiple photos, or videos to advertise your products. It’s great for showing a full-line of products, or different variations of the same product. It’s by far the best bang for your buck when it comes to ads.

Note: Facebook has very strict guidelines for creating ads. If you don’t follow them closely, you will run into trouble with getting your ad to go live. That being said, Facebook has great documentation that will walk you through every requirement needed to craft an effective ad.

7. Place Your Order

That’s it! Once you’ve created your ad and chosen the form, you’ll be asked to “Place Order”. Just click that little button and your campaign is off for review. The review can take 24-48 hours (usually much faster) and if your ad has any issues, Facebook will notify you. Once approved your ad will be live and ready for eager customers to click it.

Get out there and execute.

The time to kick off a successful Facebook Ad campaign is now. The steps are in front of you, now it’s just a matter of execution. Remember, you are the solution to your customer’s needs. As we start to return to a more normal way of operating, they are going to need someone who can deliver for every occasion. Make sure you’re the person they call.

If you’re ready to get started, head over to ZOOMcatalog, where you can find the perfect catalog and brand it for your next sales pitch.