Paid Meta Ads: What Are They and How Can You Use Them?
Have you ever logged into Meta Business Suite and immediately panicked? Or maybe the term 'Paid Ads' is something you have willfully overlooked and hoped would fade into the online black hole.
Well, you're not alone…It’s a daunting topic for many businesses, but in an era where digital campaigns can make or break online success, understanding the power of these ads is crucial to your social media strategy. With billions of users on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, understanding the importance of paid ads is essential for maximising your business’s online presence and getting the highest reach and engagement possible.
So let's cut straight to it and give you the low down on Meta ads, how they work, and how you could benefit from them…
What Are Meta Ads?
So, what exactly are Meta Ads you might be wondering. Before we start talking about the importance of meta ads, we’ve first got to understand exactly what they are and how they work.
Meta Ads are posts that appear as “sponsored” on platforms like Facebook and Instagram and are seamlessly integrated into users' feeds. These ads come in various formats, ranging from static images to engaging videos, tailored to capture users' attention and drive a specific action. Previously known as Facebook ads, they're utilised by millions of businesses worldwide, contributing to Meta's staggering $131 billion in ad revenue in 2023…who said Facebook was dead?! Meta ads come under the wider umbrella of ‘Paid Social’ which, without getting too caught up in the confusing bits, is essentially any form of content on social media that the creator is paying the platform to display.
As mentioned, Meta ads can be anything from a single photo to a graphics-based post to a promotional video set up as adverts through the Meta Business Suite…don’t panic, we’ll get to this later! When getting started with using Meta Ads, it’s always best to use content that you already know works well with your audience. If you’ve been active on social media for a while, try starting by placing ads on content you’ve previously shared and seen success with. If you’re still figuring out what works and what doesn't, that's fine too, try promoting your business through high-quality dynamic/static content that showcases your product in the best way possible.
The Meta Business Suite
Told you we’d come back to this…Now that you have an idea of what Meta Ads are, let's get down to the details and introduce you to every digital marketer's dream: The Meta Business Suite - an online platform that allows you to set up, target and monitor advertising across your Facebook, Instagram and Messenger business profiles.
The Meta Business Suite is the command centre for any aspiring paid ads expert, so before you start creating ads, you'll need to set up your account. Simply head to the Meta Business website and follow their easy sign-up process…trust us it's worth the initial time. If you haven’t got the time, get in touch with us today to see how we can help.
Once you’ve logged in and connected your accounts you’ll reach your home. This is the centre of your business’s online presence; here you will be able to:
Craft posts, stories, or ads
Manage your to-do list, including comments and messages
Keep tabs on recent posts
Let’s get started with how to create your first Meta Ad…It’s a lot easier than it sounds and can be done in just a few steps.
Defining Your Goals
To start, click the "Create ad" button. You’ll then be hit with a pop-up display outlining various objectives. It’s here you’ll need to define your goals. It’s good to find a goal that aligns with your business objectives, whether it's driving website visits, boosting local visibility, or generating leads. Simply click on the goal that you want to aim for and Meta will do the work to get your ad ad to the right places.
Choosing Your Media
Next, you'll have to upload some media. These can be images or videos showcasing your products or services. Just remember that it’s always best to make sure the content is attention-grabbing so take a look at what has performed well on your socials previously and try following a similar look and/or feel for your ad! If you’re going to post a video, Meta recommends posting REELs that are no longer than 15 seconds and have the classic three-second rule (grab the user's attention in the first three seconds). A clear message is important for your ads as you’ll want the recipient to take the desired action you’ve outlined in your goals.
Finding Your Audience
Now this is the part that many people are afraid of…but don’t panic, you don’t have to be a sociologist to get your ad out there. Thankfully, Meta knows this and offers an automatic targeting tool that promotes your ad to relevant demographics based on your business. When starting with Meta Ads, we suggest choosing this option. Once you have defined your audience, or if you are trying to reach a brand new demographic, say for example opening a restaurant in a new city, feel free to update these to align with your desired audience.
Setting Your Budget
Finally, you’ll need to set your budget. Allocate a budget that aligns with your marketing goals. While it doesn't have to rival industry giants, aiming for 5-10% of your overall marketing budget can yield pretty good results. You then just need to set your daily budget and campaign duration, it’s recommended that you set your campaign to run for at least 7 days, that way Meta has time to optimise the audience targeting and continue to grow the reach of your ad.
Depending on the goal you have chosen for your ad you’ll be charged by either PPC (Pay per Click) or CPM (Cost per 1,000 views). So if you have chosen website visits as a goal, your advert will be charged each time a user clicks on the ‘view website’ button. If you’ve chosen impressions as a goal, your advert will accrue costs based on how many people view your ad.
Once you’ve done all of this, you can bask in the satisfaction of creating your first Meta ad…just make sure to click the ‘publish’ before doing so! See…it really isn’t too hard and it’s well worth the results!
Now, although it's easier than ever to create an ad thanks to increased automation from Meta, it can still be fairly time-consuming and involves a little bit of trial and error to begin with. If you're looking to develop a strategy to make the most out of your paid ads it’s always a good idea to speak with an expert beforehand!
Why Use Meta Ads?
So now you know how to create your first Meta ad, but you may be wondering how this can actually benefit your business. Well, there's a flood of reasons that paid ads can benefit your business so let's take a look at why you should be harnessing the power of this platform.
Reach
This is the big one…REACH. As in up to 2 billion people kind of reach! Meta’s audience is vast and this means that when you promote your business on the platform, your ads have the potential to soar in views in just a couple of days! Facebook and Instagram are used by pretty much every man and his dog, so next time you're deciding on where to place your billboards… it might be worth thinking beyond the bus stop.
Audience Targeting
Getting a huge audience is great, but what does that matter if no one is interested in your product? This is where Meta’s audience targeting system comes into play. Most businesses already know who they are selling to...think Gymshark selling to young fitness enthusiasts! So if you already know who your target audience is, it’s fairly simple to convert this in the audience targeting section of the Meta Business Suite.
Meta ads can be targeted by location, age, gender, interests, demographics, behaviour and connections. To get started with your audience targeting it's usually best to start with a broad target market since Meta’s delivery system works best with an audience of 2 - 10 million people! Start by identifying the location, age and gender of your customers and work from there.
If you want to get really advanced you can choose the ‘lookalike audiences’ tool…this lets you target people who are similar to the people who already engage with your business's social media through lots of clever technology! But let's not run before we can walk.
Give Engagement A Boost
As we mentioned earlier, being able to set goals for your campaigns is really useful. If you're looking to give your platform an engagement boost then a traffic campaign is just the thing for you. Meta allows you to promote your business to users in the local area, so if you run your ad for 7 days or more, there's a good chance you’ll see a boost in engagement. Simply put the more people see your ad, the greater the chance that your engagement and interactions will increase across your page and ultimately the more potential customers you’ll reach through your socials.
The key to increasing your engagement using Meta ads is to set clear objectives in the setup process, such as objectives to get more views on a REEL or encourage users to like and comment on the post. Just remember to keep the ad topic interesting…after all, you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.
Getting Creative
Meta ads allow videos, images, slideshows, carousels, collections or canvases as formats for your ad. Finding a format that works for your audience is important and by experimenting with a range of styles you can nail down what works best. No more boring, vague testimonials!
Are you feeling stuck in a content creation rutt? Give us a call today…we can help create content that's worth the boost!
Measurable Results
Meta ads analytics are a data analyst's dream! Providing real-time performance metrics on everything from conversions (when a user performs a desired action in response to a call-to-action) to ROAS (your return on ad spend), you can monitor how your money is being spent and keep track of whether your results align with your goals.
Delivery and engagement metrics are where the key analytics are seen, here you can see the number of impressions, clicks, engagement and CPM (cost per 1,000 views). Seeing these results quickly can give you the reassurance that your ad is working or give you a nudge to make changes if things aren’t going too well.
Competitive Advantage
All these features effectively boil down to one thing: Meta ads give you an advantage over your competitors. If you’re actively creating ads, consistently setting goals and spending a little bit of cash then you're bound to see the results of promoting your business online. Create an engaging visual, find your target audience's pain points (problems your audience faces with a product or service), and promote a solution to that pain point through meta ads and you’ll be ahead of the competition in no time!
The Halo Effect
Although we mentioned the benefits of tracking the results of your ads, there are some results that Meta analytics just can’t pick up on. Customer buying habits can be strange so let's say for example that a Facebook user has seen your ad, clicked on your website and browsed a bit but then left…2 days down the line they Google your brand name after remembering it from the ad and purchase a product. Google will take 100% of the credit for this sale but it was the Meta Ad that did the groundwork. This is known in the marketing world as the ‘halo effect’, which basically means that every channel assists each other to form an omnichannel marketing strategy. So you may not see an immediate sale from that Meta Ad but it has helped to get your brand name to the consumer!
How Can We Use Meta Ads?
We’ve sold you the dream…shown you how to create a Meta ad, and why you should use them but how can you put this into practice? Creating your first Meta ad all depends on the ad objectives you want, if you are looking for more sales of your product then a conversion campaign would be right for you. If you are looking to spread awareness of your business then an awareness, reach, video views or store traffic campaign is your best bet to spread the word with a large target audience.
Remember that your visuals will work best when you use KISS (keep it stupidly simple), this means that you should be clear on what your ad is doing, don’t take that as making boring content! Promote a clear pain point solution to your customers using direct, emotive language like ‘last chance’ or ‘get it now’, this encourages the viewer to take action.
To get started on your first ad make sure you have your visuals at the ready, follow the step-by-step guide and experiment with different ad options, and change based on the analytics you get back. You’ll find an ad format that works for your audience with a little bit of trial and error!
Still lost? Here are a few top tips to consider when creating the content for your first Meta ad.
Top Tips for Creating Meta Ads
Clear and Compelling Messaging: Craft clear and persuasive ad copy that clearly communicates the value of your product or service. Use attention-grabbing headlines and compelling language to capture the audience's interest and encourage them to take action. Don’t bore your audience with spiels!
Visual Impact: Always use high-quality visuals, eye-catching images and engaging videos, to communicate your message and grab the viewer's attention. Make sure that your visuals are relevant to your ad's objective and effectively showcase your product or service.
Mobile Optimisation: Given that most social media users access platforms like Facebook and Instagram on their phones, it's crucial to optimise your ads for mobile viewing. Use phone-friendly ad formats and ensure that your ad creative looks appealing and functions well on smaller screens.
Strong Call-to-Action (CTA): Include a clear call-to-action that prompts users to take the desired action, whether it's making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or visiting your website. Use actionable language and create a sense of urgency!
A/B Testing: Experiment with different ad elements, such as headlines, visuals, ad formats, and CTAs, by conducting A/B tests to identify what resonates best with your audience. Test one ad at a time and analyse performance metrics to determine which variations drive the highest engagement and conversion rates.
Ad Placement and Compliance: Take advantage of Meta's advanced targeting options to reach your ideal audience based on demographics, interests, behaviours, and more. Consider the placement of your ads within users' feeds and select targets that align with your campaign objectives. Familiarise yourself too with Meta's advertising policies and guidelines to ensure compliance and prevent your ads from being rejected or penalised. Adhere to best practices for ad content, formatting, and targeting to maintain a positive user experience and avoid any potential issues.
Continuous Monitoring and Optimisation: Monitor the performance of your Meta ads regularly and make data-driven optimisations to improve results over time. Track key metrics such as click-through rates, conversion rates, and return on ad spend (ROAS), and adjust your targeting, creative, and bidding strategies as needed to optimise campaign performance.
Are you still struggling to get your head around using Meta ads? We can help you utilise them and drive the goals you want for your business…if you need a hand with your paid social get in touch today!
