In today’s world we see advertisements everywhere we turn: on billboards, in stores, online and probably most importantly, on social media. You’ve probably seen these ads popping up in the past few years on your newsfeeds, dashboards and timelines. As of November 2016 77% of adults use social networking sites, which means social media advertising is one of the best marketing decisions your business can make, and Facebook is the 800-pound gorilla of social media. We’ve come up with 13 of the most effective types of ads that you can use to skyrocket your business’s exposure on the Facebook platform!
#1: Retargeting Ads
You know those ads that follow you across the internet? Say you were looking for a t-shirt on Amazon, and now you’re seeing the same shirt advertised on Google? Facebook can do the same thing! First off, you’ll want your email list. The best people to retarget are those who clicked on your offer, but decided not to redeem it for whatever reason — they got busy, they forgot, it didn’t fit with their schedule, whatever. Because these people are already familiar with your brand they are more likely to respond to your ad.
#2: Photo Ads
This type of ad is simple and you can use it in combination with other types of advertisements. Visual media like photos are much more fun to look at than a typical text post. The optimal size for a newsfeed photo ad is 1200 x 628 pixels. Any larger and the picture will get cropped, so keep this in mind when choosing what picture you want to use!
#3: Video Ads
Video ads are like photo ads, except better! Videos pop up larger than a regular text post and are more dynamic than a photo post. With video there’s action and movement that catch the browser’s eye and cause viewers to stop scrolling. Keep in mind that with video ads, shorter is usually better. Be wary of your time so you don’t lose viewers along the way. You want to get to the punchline or offer quickly, before they start scrolling again. Also, when you’re using video, it’s best to upload directly to Facebook rather than linking to a YouTube video. People aren’t as likely to click on linked videos as those embedded directly into Facebook.
#4: Event Ads
These ads promote a specific event. Events can be an effective way to get people hooked on your brand. In your ad show why people would want to attend your event and what they’ll get out of the experience! Also include the price (if there is one) and dates of the event. Use Facebook targeting to pinpoint a specific group of people who are interested in activities related to your studio such as yoga or crossfit. These people will be more likely to attend your event than a general audience! Finally, your call-to-action should lead people to purchase tickets for the event or sign up to attend.
#5: Offer Ads
“Offer ads” promote a discount on a product or service that someone can redeem on Facebook. There’s no scouring the Internet for the offer, it’s all right there on Facebook! And as we’ve preached so often before, you can basically reach anyone through Facebook targeting. In the ad you want to include all the information they would need to decide if they want the offer, including time period during which it’s applicable and the exact service or amount of the offer. This lessens the chance of unqualified clicks that would cost you money in the end.
#6: Local Ads
This types of ads are useful to get nearby people into your studio. Facebook lets you target down to the mile so you can advertise to people who are literally next door or just down the street. You can combine this ad with an offer or event ad to draw the community to your studio. Local ads are useful for getting new clients. People who usually don’t come to your studio might drop by simply because they’re close! Then you get in there and give them the sales pitch of their life and boom — new client!
#7: Multi-Service Ad
You can showcase multiple services with one ad. Viewers scroll through images and click on the individual links to each product or service. You can promote all sorts of things such as blog posts, events, special classes and more! These type of ads can be created using the Facebook Power Editor.
#8: Informational Ads
Another type of advertisement is an informational post that teaches the viewer how to do something or learn about some new topic. Shoot a video where you explain the topic and use props like a whiteboard or graphics to make it more interactive. Start your ad with a question tied to your topic, something that piques curiosity about the answer! Then, just focus on educating your audience.
#9: The Loyalty Ad
This type of ad illustrates the benefits of being a loyal member of your studio or gym. Demonstrate the types of rewards your loyalty program offers and what people can get out of this investment. (These are relatively uncommon, but they do get used a lot in certain markets.)
#10: Testimonial Ads
Your clients are the greatest indicators of your success, so use them to show others why your particular business is so amazing! You can make a quick video where some of your customers share their favorite parts of your studio and how you changed their lives. Another option is using quotes from your customers and overlaying them on images of people at your studio.
#11: Scarcity Ads
LIMITED TIME OFFER!! These types of ads create a sense of urgency that will drive people to take action. Your ad should contain an offer or event that takes place over a short period of time. To redeem the offer the viewer will need to create an account. This makes the offer exclusive as well as limited
#12: Boosted Posts
Unlike the other types of ads a boosted post is originally an organic post that appeared on your page’s timeline. These are not created in the Facebook ads manager, but is still boosted to an audience using advertising money. There is no word limit on these posts and you can include links to other sites as well. However, boosted posts have fewer options for targeting than a typical ad.
Now you’re ready to take on the world of Facebook advertising! If you want help working out your ad strategy, Big Raven Media is your turn-key advertising partner! Give us a call or shoot us an email today!
