Creating and developing advertising on social media can be a minefield. When you get it right, great things can happen. But, if you get it wrong it can cost you a lot of money.
Gil David, Founder of Run DMG, has spent over 13 years in sales, marketing, and business management, as well as over five years running social media adverts for a wide range of clients, including beauty chains and ecommerce stores, online coaches, and nationwide fitness franchises.
As someone who has worked with social media advertising budgets from a few hundred pounds to £150,000 plus, Gil has a wealth of experience and tips to share.
Gil delivered an insightful session on Facebook and Instagram advertising at a Lunchtime Learning session facilitated by the Cathedral Quarter BID (Business Improvement District).
Gil’s first point may come as a bit of a surprise to many, he said: “One thing I won’t focus on in this session is targeting. It’s talked about a lot but it’s pretty straightforward to do and it isn’t as important as some of the other elements.
“If you have a smaller budget, targeting might be more important, or if your product or service is much more niche. But if your product or service would interest a wide range of people and your main market is within Northern Ireland, the actual size of the market is too small to overly benefit from very specific targeting.
“For example, in comparison with running advertising campaigns in America where there are millions more people.”
With that out of the way, Gil went on to explain some of his key tips and tricks to running successful Instagram and Facebook adverts.
- Get the Facebook pixel installed on your website
Gil explained: “This is a simple piece of code that you may be able to install yourself using a plugin or app, but if not, your web developer should be able to do this for you very quickly. The pixel is good not just for monitoring your ad performance but also for optimising adverts.”
To comply with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) you should have a cookie policy on your website anyway, but if you install the Facebook pixel make sure to update this, along with any other Privacy Notices, so your website users know what data you are collecting and how you plan to use it.
- Don’t jump straight to the sales pitch
This is especially so if you aren’t a well known brand, consumers go through a process before making a purchase – they need to know who you are, they need to like you, they need to trust you, then they’ll make the decision to buy.
“This process fits nicely into a sales funnel where your adverts aim to increase awareness of your brand in the first instance, then to encourage interest in your products and services, before leading to a prospective customer making a purchase” said Gil, adding: “From there you can retarget customers for more sales, or to cross-sell other products and services.”
It’s unlikely that you will achieve significant sales the first time you run adverts on social media. Potential customers should first become familiar with your company and understand the benefits that your product or service will offer them, before they make the decision to purchase.
- Get the creative right
When it comes to adverts on social media, it is estimated that the creative (or imagery) element used contributes 47% to the overall sales contribution (targeting is 9%). The image or still (if using video) needs to be eye-catching, with videos of 30 seconds duration generally being viewed as ideal. This depends on the complexity of the product or service you offer and the needs of your target audience.
Square 1:1 ratio (1080×1080) or tall 4:5 ratio (1080×1350) works best on Facebook and Instagram and remember to include text or captions in the video because most people tend to watch with the sound off.
- Entice with good copy.
Gil said: “Your offer should state who you are, what you do, and give customers a reason for them to purchase.”
And he gave these examples:
- Bad Offer – We are NI’s biggest bed store. 20% off today!
- Better Offer – The widest range of beds in NI. 20% off today.
- Best Offer – Say goodbye to sore backs and enjoy a great night’s sleep every time with our Snooze Guarantee. NI’s widest range of beds. Get 20% off when you shop today at Sleepys.
- Always be testing
Gil revealed: “Test as many versions of your advert as your budget allows for. Around seven out of ten ads fail. Check on your ad results regularly. You should know within 2,000 to 3,000 impressions if the ad is successful or not. Aim for a 1% click through rate, and around £1 cost per click. Though this can depend a lot on your product or service. Stop those ads that aren’t working and double down on those that are.”
Check out Gil’s full Lunchtime Learning on the Cathedral Quarter website: https://www.cathedralquarterbelfast.com/whats-on/lunchtime-learning-facebook-instagram-ads-doing-the-basic-well
To see more Lunchtime Learning sessions go to: https://www.cathedralquarterbelfast.com/lunchtime-learning