Facebook advertising: We now realize it bolsters the reach of your organic posts and using the planet’s most ubiquitous social media platform to drive leads or sales also has its perks.

Engaging ad formats. An unrivalled suite of targeting options. Enough campaign types to assist you to achieve virtually any marketing objective.

They all add up to one thing: massive advertising opportunities for businesses of all sizes.

Luckily, Facebook makes it relatively simple to a) identify your ideal audiences and b) incite conversions through aesthetically pleasing ads.

With that said, here are the highest 10 Facebook advertising features you would like to be using if you would like to succeed in your future customers today.

#1: Carousel Ads

Visual content and storytelling are the flavours of the month, and Facebook has found how to mix both two elements with Carousel Ads. Think of them because of the twisty soft-serve of digital marketing.

You can use Carousel Ads to elucidate the features of a product you sell (or a whole collection), showcase your brand’s USP, or highlight a promotion you’re running.

Using this Facebook ad type, you can leverage:

Up to 10 images or videos

Headlines (for each image/video)

Links

A Call to Action

Check out this example from Target. The retail giant encouraged people to scroll through its Carousel Ads to preview a replacement colorful range of products: all of which may be purchased online or at your local Target. I especially dig the way the model appears to steer between the frames of the video; Facebook describes this as “immersive panoramic.” I’d simply call it a kick-ass way to stand out from the competition.

Show off your creativity, highlight what makes your brand unique, and boost engagement metrics: what’s not to love?

#2: The Facebook Pixel

There are a handful of certainties in life. Death. Taxes. The Patriots winning the Super Bowl. Oh, and if you’re not using the Facebook pixel, you’re wasting your time. It’s Step #2 of our “How to Advertise on Facebook” guide!

Folks, you need to use the Facebook pixel. 

Without it, you can’t make use of Facebook’s insane remarketing and lookalike audience features. You may also be lighting wads of money ablaze.

To use implement the Facebook pixel, simply attend Ads Manager, create a pixel, name it, create it, copy the code onto your sites to start out tracking actions, and you’re done.

Now, you’ll track the actions people take, like viewing your content, adding items to their handcart, or making a sale, and use those insights to maneuver prospects down the funnel and find out (then advertise to) users who share traits with your existing customers.

For more about the Facebook pixel, you’ll read the illustrious Brett McHale’s awesome post here on the WordStream blog, the last word Guide to Tracking, Targeting, and Driving Conversions on Facebook.

 #3: Website Conversion Campaigns

Once you’ve implemented your Facebook pixel, it’s time to start running Website Conversion campaigns.

The objective of an internet site Conversion campaign is self-evident: get people to require a selected on-site (or in-app) action after viewing your ad.

“Action” can be defined as, well, almost anything. It could mean driving people to your website (or a specific page), someone adding an item to a shopping cart, a visitor completing a purchase, or some custom parameter you’ve established a means by which to measure the value of an action taken on your website.

Important note: to use Website Conversion campaigns, a billboard must meet a minimum threshold of 15 to 25 conversions during the conversion window you specify; if you do not usually see 15-25 conversions during a week, consider optimizing for impressions or reach instead.

#4: Behavior Targeting

You want to target the people who are interested in your stuff. Duh!

WordStream’s Facebook ad targeting options infographic compiled all of the behaviours you’ll target on Facebook. 

Facebook has collected oodles of user-behaviour data, and any data Facebook can’t track itself is obtained from its third-party data partners.

Use behavioural targeting to ensure that you get in front of the right audience segments at the right time.

#5: Interest Targeting

In the same vein, interest targeting allows you to succeed in your audience supported the items they’re curious about (not very subtle, that Zuckerberg fella). This could be activities, hobbies, the pages they need to be liked, or several other things.

WordStream also compiled all of the possible interests you’ll target on Facebook therein the same infographic. 

Facebook has collected its data on interests from:

• Information users provide in their profile updates
• Content they share
• Keywords related to pages
• Apps someone has used and liked
• Ads they’ve clicked on in the past
• Facebook will suggest interests within the ad tool, otherwise, you can search or browse for interests by yourself.
• Use interest targeting to ensure that you get in front of the people who are likely to be interested in your product or service.
  
  
  

   

   

   

#6: Demographic Targeting

Facebook also offers some impressive demographic targeting options for advertisers.

Location, age, gender, relationship status, education level, work, life events, political affiliation – they’re all here as you’d expect, but they’re just the tip of the iceberg.

Perhaps the foremost interesting demographic targeting feature available to you on Facebook is that the financial option. Being able to make sure that the people that see your ad can afford the products or services you’re selling may be a good way to trim wasted ad spend. (If you’re targeting affluent marketing, inspect my post on luxury marketing strategies.)

#7: Custom Audiences

Remarketing is incredibly valuable. This is not news.

People who see your remarketing ads are, on the average, twice as likely to convert and 3 times more likely to interact. In other words, it’s a no-brainer.

Facebook’s version of remarketing is called Custom Audiences. This gets your ads ahead of three groups of people:

Website visitors: people that have visited your website or specific pages within a particular period. (Another reason you need the Facebook pixel!)

Contact lists: people that have shared their email or telephone number with your company (e.g., they’ve signed up for your newsletter or attended one among your webinars). You upload this list to Facebook.

App users: People who have used your app.

Because these people already know your brand, you’ll be wanting to use Custom Audiences to push your hard offers and to undertake to force these people to require action. 

Want to learn more? Check out our Ridiculously Awesome Guide to Facebook Remarketing.

#8: Engagement Ads on Wall Posts

Who’s more valuable to your business than the people who are the most likely to engage with your post?

That’s what I thought.

Facebook allows you to succeed in the people that react, comment, or share your stuff with Engagement Ads.

Now, you want to understand that these people are just a small-ish subset of your entire Facebook audience. Usually, 10 percent of your followers account for 80 percent of all of your engagement.

 It’s probably simply because only 5 percent of your followers will ever see your organic posts because of Facebook’s algorithm.

But by spending no more than $25 on engagement ads, you’ll reach your super fans. They’ll react and comment on your posts.

You’ll look amazing. And you only might convert those people that visit your page and find out an awesome, engaging business.

#9: Video Ads

Users watch 100 million videos on Facebook a day. Video isn’t just the future of Facebook – it’s huge right now.

You want to create memorable and inspirational videos so that people remember you when they’re in the market for your products or services. Oh, and the best part? Video ads are incredibly cheap. Views can cost you as little as a penny.

Now, if you don’t think your audience is going to be willing to interact with full-length videos, consider leveraging the facility of Facebook GIF ads: they’re even as dynamic, but infinitely more digestible.

#10: Lead Ads

Last but not least, Lead Ads are super cheap and insanely effective (oh, and before I forget, lead ads are now available over on LinkedIn, too).