How to: Get started with Digital & Facebook ads

If you know who your audience is and what matters to them, you’re almost there. Being willing to change your message when it isn’t working will get you over the line.

With Hannah Steele from The Life Style Edit

Depending on who you ask, digital advertising is either completely out of reach and only for tech-geniuses, or easy money; a ‘silver bullet’ that makes e-commerce simple.

The truth? It’s not as overwhelming as it might first seem but that doesn’t mean it’s the solution to all your marketing problems either. Digital advertising is an important extension of your brand and a great way to reach new customers. It could, however, be the answer to the all-important question: “how do I make more people aware of my brand?”

What’s vital when it comes to paid advertising is understanding your audience. The biggest factor for success is not creative copywriting or the most amazing images, although they help, it’s making sure what you are saying resonates. If you know who your audience is and what matters to them, you’re almost there. Being willing to change your message when it isn’t working will get you over the line.

Set yourself up to succeed The reason Facebook and Instagram are such powerful advertising platforms is that they are constantly learning. As you run ads, they learn what type of person is more likely to be interested in your store and who is likely to purchase from you.

This means that as you go, your ads become more effective. So the first thing to do - before you spend a cent - is to set up a Facebook Pixel, which is a short piece of code linking your advertising account with the backend of your website, enabling them to talk to each other. Most website platforms allow you to copy and paste your pixel code directly into their backend - giving you all the data you need. Start with the problem you are solving Good ads resonate with an audience. Great ads convince them that their lives will be better with you in it. Before you get to your offer or start picking beautiful product images, think about your target audience.

Ask yourself: • What are they missing? • How can you make their life better? • Why do they need your product? • What would their lives be like if your brand didn’t exist?

Create scroll-stopping visuals Next, get started on creating an image that will stop them scrolling. On most people’s feeds, they will see an ad every 3-4 posts and on average only 1% of people click on those ads. Why? Because they know it’s an ad and they’re not interested!

One of the keys to digital advertising is creating a visual compelling enough to get the click. Great ad accounts often use humour or surprise to cut through.

Keep your copy personal A common mistake people make in advertising is forgetting there’s another person behind the screen. Ads shouldn’t be impersonal or overly logical - they need to reach people where they are at and inspire them. It’s okay to step away from a formal tone. Write as if you are talking to a friend.

Don’t be afraid to get things wrong One of the best things about digital advertising is that it is very affordable - much cheaper than getting a billboard or radio ad! That means you can test creative you’re unsure about to see how people respond.

Start out with three completely different images for your first ad and see which one is the most effective. Then, try three more. Then try something crazy that you wouldn’t expect to work. Who knows, your audience might surprise you!