Facebook Ads: Still a Goldmine?
We love to look ahead. We try to predict the future, make plans for next week, and are constantly looking for ways to secure tomorrow, today. With this mindset in place, it’s no surprise that so much emphasis has been put on the generation of the future’s buying power. You don’t have to look deeply to see this: Heinz created a “seemingly ranch” product based on a Taylor Swift meme to appeal exclusively to Gen Z. Because of this digital landscape, we can easily neglect the marketing potential of other generations–but should we?
A recent study conducted by The World Economic Forum actually proves that the generation that spends the most money is Gen X. When you stop to think about this, it actually makes a lot of sense. Gen Z doesn’t have much to spend, and most millennials are in a stage of life where saving all that you can is crucial. That leaves us with one age range—and one platform—that so many digital marketers often overlook: Facebook.
Some may think of Facebook as a dinosaur social media app. After all, ‘The Social Network’ is now thirteen years old, and the platform itself is a whopping nineteen years old! In the new age of social media, these numbers may seem ancient to the point of irrelevancy, but we’re forgetting one crucial factor: a wide range of people still use Facebook daily.
Now that we have some background on who is using Facebook, let’s look at a few ways to tap into this oft-forgotten marketing goldmine.
Stay On Top Of The Ball
Ever feel like you're constantly bombarded with ads, pops, and updates? Well, you certainly aren't alone! Facebook is no different, and they’re continually coming out with new features and methods to optimize ad performance. Because they already have a library of material—and keep releasing new features—it’s incredibly important for every business to stay on top of Facebook’s internal analytics.
And before you start to panic, hold on for a second–this can sound like a lot of work, but it’s actually super simple. For example, Facebook is focused on Advantage+ ads right now, and it’s just a streamlined version of their previous process. With it, you can get more specific ad reach with less manual input, which means more bang for your buck!
While it can get tempting to click through the latest updates and avoid researching the most recent in-app features, staying on top of the ball can make your life simpler and your ads more effective.
Targeting Makes All The Difference
Picture this: you craft a compelling ad with stunning visuals and incredibly witty copy, but you fumble on who your target audience is. This situation would be a real bummer, but with Facebook, you can get hyper-specific about who you’re targeting and make sure your content is reaching the intended demographic.
For example, consider the case of a yoga mat brand that wants to push its products on Facebook. While a “clean-girl, pilates princess” approach may work on Instagram or TikTok, it won’t hit the mark on Facebook. Instead, you could shift your messaging to target people regularly going to physiotherapy or reach parents who want to alleviate the back pain that comes from lifting their kids.
To better understand targeting, create a mind map of the ideal customer for your brand. What do they eat? Where do they shop? How does where they live affect the lifestyle they lead? All these questions—and more—can help you visualize a target persona for your ad. And being this specific in your insights can help your ad campaign connect the most relevant people to your business. Ultimately, in the case of Facebook ads, it’s better to aim narrow than shoot a wide net.
Keep It Simple
If there’s one thing that unites us, it’s that we are part of a culture that really loves memes. What started as shoddy illustrations in the early days of the internet has turned into a news cycle of its own, and meme trends go in and out of fashion at lightning speed. Because they’re such a volatile form of media, there might be a disconnect between the memes trending on different social media platforms—and across various age groups. As such, it might serve you well to keep your Facebook ads super simple, without any of the internet fluff we’ve grown so used to.
In the spirit of keeping it simple, we should go back to the basics when crafting beautiful Facebook ads: a convincing hook, incredible copy, and eye-catching designs. These three form the golden pillars upon which you can become a high-performing Facebook marketer.
If we also put ourselves in the shoes of someone scrolling through Facebook, they might not have the time or patience to understand a reference they don’t immediately get. They’ll probably just scroll right past—which, for you, is ad money down the drain. So, when drafting your ad, aim for crystal-clear clarity and a CTA (call-to-action). A simple “learn more” or “shop now” can remove the mental steps it takes to figure out how to actually access the product, which means that more people are likely to engage with it.
In the ever-evolving world of digital marketing, don't let Facebook's age fool you. It's still a treasure trove of opportunities, especially when you consider that new research shows that Facebook’s ad-to-purchase conversion rate is a whopping 9-10% higher than Google's. So, don't let the social media dinosaur label deceive you. Stay updated, target wisely, and keep it simple – and watch your digital marketing ad efforts strike gold on Facebook!
Always in your corner,
The Content Queens
