3 types of Facebook ads you should be aware of.

Every business at some point has considered the value proposition Facebook offers. From content to advertising, there is a lot to think about when it comes to how you want people to view your company and how you want to spend your dollar. 

Many businesses don’t have the starting point that they need because there is so much information on the Internet—it can honestly get overwhelming. In our experience, there are basically three types of Facebook Ads that you need to be aware of as a business. Let’s get to it. 

1. Awareness Ads

Facebook has many different “ad type” combinations that you can build. In the image below, there are four tabs, each with two to six options. That’s at least 16 different types! Who can keep track?!

But for our purposes today, we’re distilling all of this down to three types that are most common.

When it comes to awareness ads, there is one goal: more followers (likes). Basically, you’re putting together an ad that is meant to get attention and to get people to click the “Like” button on the bottom of the ad. Here’s an example. 

In the ad, there is a simple message, an image, and a “Like Page” button. You can also click on the base of the ad and it will take you to a landing page (most people don’t, because it’s not obvious). 

Most advertisers, rightfully so, will tell companies that awareness campaigns are a waste of money. We mostly agree, however, there are times where we’ve used like campaigns to our advantage. 

Last year, we brought a strategy to one of our clients wherein we rank awareness campaigns to new followers in specific, targeted categories. The purpose was to attract people to the content that we had coming and hopefully turn those new organic followers in customers.

The results? 

They gained nearly 1,000 new followers, all within their location and industry, and they also gained a large sale based on the campaign which was at least a 50:1 ROI. 

Bottom Line: Should you run awareness campaigns?

We wouldn’t recommend running like campaigns without a solid strategy behind it. “Getting more followers” isn’t enough. Also, unlike a typical Facebook Ad, as we will see shortly, there is really no conversion metric that can lead directly to a sale. Most third-party apps that will help you structure Facebook Ads even caution against it. 

2. Facebook Conversion Ads

This admittedly is a broad category. It includes: 

• Pushing users to an external website

• Lead Generation

• Video Ads

• Messenger Ads

The way the majority of Facebook Ads are structured is by (1) someone writes engaging copy, (2) they source an image or video, and (3) they have a landing page on their website that they direct users to. Here’s an example.

As you can see, there is engaging ad copy, a solid image that isn’t too text heavy, and there is a “Learn More” button that takes them to a landing page on their website. 

What about bad Facebook Ads?

We don’t have a catalogue of “bad Facebook ad examples” because that would disparage another company. However, I took a few moments to create one on my “Rob Johnson” Facebook page. Take a look...

There is a lot to take in here. Let’s go top to bottom with all of the issues: 

• The copy area is poorly written. It’s off grammatically and doesn’t do a good job on capturing someone’s attention. Obviously, they are looking to manage bands, but haven’t done a great job of hooking musicians with enticing copy.

• The image does not match the purpose of the post. This is a common thing, people will put in a high resolution image that “looks cool” but it has zero to do with the actual purpose of the post.

• Lastly, in both the copy section and the “Call to Action” section, there is a note that says “Call us” but there is no number listed—only a “Learn More” button. Bad news all around. 

• A few other things overall: there is a typo in the image section “Bandd” and overall there is nothing eye catching about this ad other than how terribly bad it is. 

Let’s contrast that with a good ad that is focused on the same topic.

Notice a few differences? 

• The copy is enticing. It focuses on experience, sympathizes with the potential customer (a band in this example), and invites them to review their credentials before making a decision (show that they’re on your side).

• The image is a stark contrast of before working with this company and then after. The color and black and white contrast is eye catching and more likely to get someone to stop.

• The bottom “Call to action” area has a catching one-liner “from the cellar to the stage” and invites the user to “Learn More” about what services they can provide. 

This is how you want to structure your conversion ad. You can add in a video, or focus on lead generation. Regardless of how you structure it, you need to make sure the messaging matches and three areas of the ad are logical. 

With that, let’s take a look at the last type of ad you should be aware of.

3. Boost Posts

Have you ever scrolled through Facebook and saw this...

It’s the dreaded Boost Post. Generally, Facebook will say, “Hey for $20 you can reach 2,400 people with your post. Then it gives you options such as “Target people who like your page” or “People who like your page and their friends”. Most people don’t dive terribly deep into the detailed targeting, so they will select a budget, choose a random audience, and click “Boost”. 

DON’T DO IT. 

This a terrible option, largely because Facebook Conversion ads, found in the Ads Manager on Facebook, is far more capable than simply “boosting a post.” 

Here’s a great synopsis of the Boost Post from our friends over at Sculpt:

With Boosted Posts, your targeting criteria is limited and all settings are rolled up into one campaign. As of May 2019, the Boost Post feature still restricted targeting to a small list of options. Some of the major limitations we’ve found:

• Limited to interests targeting, and not advanced demographic and behavioral options

• Broad fans plus “friends of fans” targeting

• No placement or device targeting (Desktop vs. Mobile vs. Column)

• Limited duration of ad flights; there’s no ongoing option

• Can’t use custom audience or conversion tracking features

It’s clear from all of this that you shouldn’t be utilizing boost posts. You need to be tracking conversions, targeting detailed audiences, and constantly testing to see what performs better. If you’re not doing that, you’re throwing money out of a window. You will wind up frustrated and giving up a platform that is crazy powerful when used correctly. 

We’re here if you have any questions, just let us know. 

All the best.