With so many companies competing for consumers’ attention on social media, creating compelling, unique advertising campaigns is a great way to stand out. On Facebook in particular, there are a few key strategies that can help you target your audience effectively.
As successful business leaders, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council have extensive experience developing and executing successful Facebook ad campaigns. Below, nine of them each share what they believe is the most important element of a great Facebook ad campaign and why it’s so effective at capturing users’ attention.
Young Entrepreneur Council members suggest these elements make up a great Facebook ad campaign.
Photos courtesy of the individual members.
1. Visual Appeal
Science says that first impressions count a lot in personal and professional relationships. That’s why I prioritize creating ads that are visually appealing and relevant and that appear organically in my audience’s news feed. The first thing anyone will see before they click on your headline is your image, so prioritize high-quality photography or video for ads. – Ron Lieback, ContentMender
2. A Valuable Freebie
With advertising on Facebook and many other places getting so saturated, it’s a challenge to get people to pay attention. People are getting resistant to hype and hard sells. It’s more effective to offer them something of real value, such as a white paper or free consultation. The main goal of an ad is to get people to move to the next stage of your sales funnel. – Kalin Kassabov, ProTexting
3. A Single Goal
I have seen many Facebook ads with multiple goals. This is not standard practice. Marketers should set a single clear goal for a particular type of Facebook ad like brand awareness, brand reach, lead generation, driving traffic to a page or website or more app downloads. Any single Facebook ad that has multiple goals ends up failing to achieve every goal tied to it. – Kelly Richardson, Infobrandz
4. A Sense Of Scarcity
One important element of a successful Facebook ad campaign is scarcity. Scarcity creates a sense of urgency and compels people to take action. When people see that an opportunity is limited, they are more likely to act quickly before it’s too late. Including a sense of urgency in your ads can be a great way to increase conversions and get people to take action. – Pratik Chaskar, Spectra
5. Effective Targeting
I believe that one important element of a successful Facebook ad campaign is effective targeting. You need to make sure that your ads are being seen by the people who are most likely to be interested in what you’re selling, and this requires carefully choosing your target audience. If you can get your targeting right, it will make all the difference in the success of your campaign. – Adam Preiser, WPCrafter
6. Short Video Content
Creating short videos can be a very good way of creating successful Facebook campaigns. Make your videos short, simple and powerful. It’s an effective way of capturing people’s attention and encouraging them to stop scrolling. – Thomas Griffin, OptinMonster
7. An Audience Connection
So many companies want to place a product in front of the consumer, thinking that’s what will excite them to purchase. It’s just a product to them. You want to connect with the audience and show them why their lives will improve with your product. Help them understand how valuable your product can be to them and why they are missing out if they don’t purchase. – Mary Harcourt, CosmoGlo
8. A Clear Call To Action
Your call to action can significantly impact the performance of your Facebook ads. You have to carefully direct users to take the next step after they see your message. If your call to action is unclear or blends with the rest of your message, you could miss out on countless engagement opportunities. – John Turner, SeedProd LLC
9. Relatability
A big part of Facebook’s appeal is that it’s a platform for people to connect with each other. As such, your ads should be relatable to the general audience. Businesses need to focus on creating friendly video content that focuses on real people and drives engagement. By doing this, businesses will be able to improve their ad campaigns and reach a wider audience. – Syed Balkhi, WPBeginner