Facebook Advertising is already a difficult tool for the everyday person to master – which is why I’m thankfully in a thriving business. And with 12 different types of Facebook Ads – including the good ole Boost Post – it’s a maze just navigating your way through the types, let alone the other bits and pieces that make up an effective ad.
The biggest stumbling block for any business in advertising – and especially so with Facebook – starts right at the beginning: Choosing The Right Objective.
It’s a topic I started to explore with The Ultimate Facebook Ad Test, which you can read >here<.
What do you want to achieve with your advertising?
Thankfully, Facebook helps by starting with 14 objectives to choose from. Once you choose your goal, the next step is selecting the best ad type to maximise every dollar you spend.
I’ve got all the tips to Decoding Facebook Ad Types with a great guide for you to keep on file, and help you understand the (now, not so) secret language of understanding Facebook Ad Types.
THE GOOD
My favourite ad types to use are the Conversion and Engagement based ads. When set up property, they both perform really well and are highly regarded by Facebook – which is a bonus.
More importantly, they give trackable results. Any ad spend is going to work best when you can see exactly what’s happening.
Plus, with the latest Facebook update, you’ll be using the engagement based ads more, so people will see your content and give the Facebook algorithm the positive confirmation you are a good business to promote.
THE BAD
Brand Awareness and Reach ad types are my least favourite, although they do have a time and a place.
Most small businesses will want to avoid these. Unless you have a big budget or a special offer and it’s more important that lots of people ‘see’ you rather than ‘do’ something, stick with the more trackable ad types.
MY RECOMMENDATIONS
Have a very clear goal of what you want to achieve and why, and pick the ad type that will help you achieve that.
Don’t try and get likes for the sake of a ‘like’. Don’t try and get views for the sake of a view. An email address, message or website visitor will do far more good and help you see a positive return on your ad spend.
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OUR FAVOURITE AD TYPES
- Conversions
To generate sales or leads from your landing page - Engagement
If you want comments, likes and shares - Video Views
For when you want people to watch your video (perfect for creating custom audiences)
THE REST
- Lead Generation
Uses Facebook’s Lead Generation Form, no landing page required, great for email lists - Reach
When you need to be seen by as many people as possible - Messages
To initiate a conversation in Facebook Messenger - Traffic
If you need to drive traffic to a physical web page - Brand Awareness
For when you only need people to know you exist
SPECIALIST AD TYPES
- App Installs
When you need someone to download your app - Product Catalog Sales
To generate sales of a particular product set (an advanced option) - Store Visits
To drive traffic to your store
Still too much information? My Decoding Facebook Ad Type Guide makes life a little easier: download and save for Facebook Advertising happiness.
