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1) Define the Goal of the Ad

This is a very important part the process. Do you want to get new fans? How about event RSVP’s? Do you want to send the ad traffic off-side? These are all very important questions that you need to ask yourself when creating a Facebook Ad. Knowing what the goal of the ad is will help you set realistic expectations for the ad's performance. Statistically speaking, ads that keep users within Facebook perform better. This is perfect if your goal is to drive fan growth, but what happens if you are trying to generate hits to an external website? I would recommend creating a custom app which features a image with a “Click here” directive that would let users know that a click will lead off-site. From past experience, it’s better to slowly lead people off-site than just teleporting them off-site when they click the mouse. As you can see, the strategy will differ depending on the goal of your ad. Clearly define what you want to achieve first and then begin creating your ad

2) Add Engaging Text

You want people to click “Like”, so tell them why they should. Direct concise texts works best, but spice it up with a fun tone. If your ad is boring, you’re page probably is also so use fun wordplay if you have the space. Talk about what exactly the ad is for and describe what the user will experience when they click. Also, be sure to add a clear call to action at the end of your ad as they perform better than those that don’t.

3) Select an Attractive Image

The first thing that will attract attention to your ad is the image. I recommend using a fun image that reflects your brand. Initially, their eye will be drawn to the ad itself by the image and the text will help them decide to click. In my experience, using images featuring happy people have performed better than just logos or words. Have fun with your images and be sure to stay on par with the ad messaging.

4) Targeting

Improper targeting is one of the major things that can sabotage your Facebook Ad. The Facebook Ad dashboard gives you the choice to target people by precise interest or broad category. I recommend targeting by precise interest because it allows you to get very granular in which interests you are going after. I personally really enjoy using precise interest targeting to go after the obvious interests for my ad as well as potential competitors and other indirectly related interests. The location targeting feature is very valuable as well. If you are a brick and mortar business, you will definitely want to geo-target your Facebook Ads. Often times people fail to intelligently target their Facebook Ads and are shocked to see a very low click through rate or that their unlike rate has increased after running the ad. Always target interests that make sense for your brand opposed to those that produces higher impressions. Bigger is not always better in this case.

Author: Nathan Mendenhall