Running a campaign on Facebook has been a proven way to rapidly increase traffic to a site and convert more customers online. With Facebook being one of the world’s top social media channels, its user base of millions allows you to cast a wide net and target a diverse set of audiences anytime. 

However, if you’re a marketer who has explored working with Facebook to achieve your business goals, you’re likely to be aware of how much time and money it takes to advertise on the platform, especially in highly competitive markets. 

It seems difficult, but it is possible to get ahead of your competitors – even with a minimal budget! The key is to go the extra mile in setting up processes and organizing your campaigns. Read on for three (3) rules you can follow when setting up a Facebook Ads campaign, so you can win more with less. 

1. Identify your Campaign Goals 

Small to medium businesses often find themselves in a creek without a paddle when they try to do a Facebook Ads campaign that has no proper bidding strategy and budgeting plan. And oftentimes, they might not even know they're making huge mistakes. This usually happens when companies decide to DIY instead of hiring an expert. Facebook Ads can be very effective, but only if used correctly.  

It’s impossible to manage what you don’t measure. Hence, our first tip is to identify your campaign goals before anything else, so you know you’re spending your money right. 

An advertiser’s goals can be any of the following, but we recommend sticking to one, as focus is one of the factors that can help maximize a limited advertising budget. 

• Brand awareness: Get more visitors on your website or Facebook page; 
• Collecting leads: Acquire information on targeted customers; 
• Increasing sales: Get your audience to make purchases on your site for things such as products, paid subscriptions, digital assets, etc. 

How fast you burn your budget will be largely dependent on the goal you choose. How well you spend it is up to your processes. 

To illustrate, a brand awareness campaign could benefit a business running a seasonal promotion targeted to a large audience. This might work best only for businesses who have developed a strong brand and have made loyal customers. The only goal is to get the word out there.  

What Can You Do: 

For those who want to do their own campaign without professional help, you’re in luck. Facebook has a tool called Optimised CPM that basically helps you get the most bang out of your budget. They’ve created this tool because they know that explaining the finer points on budgeting, audience targeting, CPC (Cost Per Click), and CPM (Cost Per Impression) can be like explaining scientific facts to a climate change denier – nigh impossible. But just a caveat: big campaigns should not be done without the guidance of a professional. Optimised CPM can only do so much. 

2. Create a Landing Page for your Ad 

There are only a few campaigns that link their Facebook ads directly to their site without a landing page. And there’s a good reason why. Landing pages are vital for user education, thus creating a higher conversion rate. 

If your audience clicks on your ad and gets to your page without knowing exactly what to do, they won’t sign up, buy your stuff, or whatever it is you need them to do. It’s just common sense. Also, landing pages can be the best tool to capture data that would help your campaign be better. 

One thing to remember, however, is to prioritize essential information on landing pages you create. When we crowd information into a single page, we forgo readability and risk overwhelming a potential customer with too much information.  

Remember to highlight only the information your prospects need at the top of your landing page and leave further details that can help them decide in the lower part. This way, you’re giving them enough information to reassure them they’ve come to the right place without bombarding them with too many things at once. 

3. Know Your Audience 

Of course, this same rule applies even to traditional marketing. But with Facebook Ads, you have access to a very powerful tool called Audience Insights. With this tool, you can find out so much about the demographics you are targeting even before you blow your budget on your first ads set. 

Instead of fumbling around unknown territory, you can now find out what your market is like through data taken from your page’s current audience. This will also help you create several targeted ads for different demographics or sets of audiences. You will also be able to further optimise (using test ads) in the future, making your campaign even more powerful.  

Need Professional Help with Facebook Ads? 

Facebook is a great avenue for growing your customer base, being packed with powerful tools that can help you get to specific demographics and make engaging ads.  

By implementing best practices in crafting your campaigns, you can run low-budget campaigns that drive big results. Speak to one of our specialists today if you’re in the market for marketers with strong experience in building effective Facebook Ads campaigns.