Ever wonder what it is that separates the 7-figure generating Facebook ad campaigns from the ones that break even (or even lose money)?
Well, that’s what this post is all about.
And I’m giving you my best industry insider secrets to help you generate more clicks, leads and customers from your Facebook ads.
After running Facebook ads for this many years, for some of the biggest and most well-known companies, as well as smaller local businesses…
Well, you tend to learn a few things about what works and what doesn’t.
Also, having a network of other high-level advertisers and masterminds to run things by?
Well, that doesn’t hurt either.
So, I want to share with you 5 industry insider secrets to help you double, triple, or even 10X your ROI.
Facebook Ad Secret #1: Algorithm Optimization
What I mean here is walking a fine line between manually inputting exactly what you want Facebook to do…
And letting Facebook take control and optimizing it for the results you want by using their algorithm.
In the past… in fact, even 6 or 12 months ago, I used to be incredibly strict about what I’d let Facebook do.
I wanted control over pretty much everything.
But lately, I’ve been finding some great results by giving away some of the control to Facebook.
And allowing them to use their incredibly sophisticated algorithm to help me get even better results for my clients.
Now, I’m not suggesting you go out there, throw out a budget, and just let Facebook have at it.
That’s a bad strategy.
I am suggesting leveraging the incredibly powerful platform that they do have.
But making selective inputs with things that you know and are already pretty sure about…
(Like, say the demographic targeting, or the placements you know are going to react well).
Then giving control away to areas that you may not be as sure of, or you may want to expand on.
The takeaway point when it comes to algorithm optimization is making sure you’ve got control over the things you know 100% for sure.
And also having a little bit of faith (and not being afraid to test) with some of the more open-targeting options Facebook may suggest.
As well as leveraging the true power of the algorithm and of the platform.
Facebook Ad Secret #2: Time is Money
These are questions I get all the time:
“How long should I test an ad for?”
“What kind of budget should I use for testing?”
“How long should I give it before I kill the ad?”
Or what ever else it comes down to when we’re talking about time and money involved.
Here’s the strategy that I normally like to apply without knowing any of the other details or specifics behind your campaign goals:
What I like to suggest is giving it a 3X CPA and 48-72 hours before you make any decisions.
So, what does that mean?
A 3X CPA means using a number that’s about three times your cost-per-acquisition before you make decisions on whether this ads gonna perform well, or if it’s just failing completely.
This means if you’re trying to get leads for say, $5, then make sure it’s spending at least $15 before you can gauge a realistic number.
Next, I like to give it around 48-72 hours before making any decisions.
And this is because the Facebook ad algorithm is… an algorithm!
It’s gonna need that budget and some time to work out the best combination in order to deliver the best results possible.
Facebook Ad Secret #3: Audience Avalanche
What I suggest here is starting with a smaller audience and getting broader over time.
What this means is, if you’re starting a brand new campaign and you don’t have any look-alike audiences or an email or customer list you can upload…
And you’re using cold-targeting to kind of interest-based audiences…
Well, you want to be as specific as possible to really dial it in at first, but then, once you’ve got some results and conversions under your belt, don’t be afraid to open up the targeting later.
This kinda circles us back to point number one, which is leveraging that algorithm and letting Facebook do some of the heavy lifting once you’ve done that initial targeting.
And that is to sort of give it that initial data that it needs in order to optimize it as efficiently as possible.
Another really popular question I get is:
“What’s a good audience size? How focused and how narrow should I be?”
Of course, it depends.
But, I’m not gonna leave you hanging like that.
So here are some guidelines to use:
If you’re a local business (meaning you’re working in a local geographic area like a city or even a state or province)…
Well, your audience is obviously going to be a little bit smaller than if you’re targeting the entire nation, or international.
Typically what I like to suggest for my local clients and local students is that we go a little bit broader than we would if we were going nationally or internationally.
What this means is:
1. Taking a look at your entire local area
Then we’re gonna drill it down by going after some of the specific demographic details, like maybe we know their age ranges or more male than female…
And then
2. Using one or two interspaced targeting
For example, if we’re a local gym, we may want to go after people interested in health or fitness or weight loss…
And if we happen to be a dog kennel, well, obviously we’re gonna go after people who are interested in dogs or dog walking.
But that’s it.
Try not to drill down too much further than that.
Otherwise, you’re gonna severely limit your audience.
When we’re talking about national or international audiences, I like to suggest an audience of around 1-2 million people.
What ever you need to do in regards to layering on that targeting to get to that number is perfectly fine.
Now, circling back to point #1 (the Algorithm Optimizations secret):
Once things are dialed in and humming pretty well with your audience of say, 2 million people…
Well, don’t be afraid to open up the flood gates.
Try an audience of maybe 5-10 million people, and see if the algorithm is optimized enough at that point for your unique objectives.
This is gonna give you a much bigger pond to draw from, a lot more people, and potentially a lot more conversions.
Facebook Ad Secret #4: Correlation vs. Causation
Basically, that’s fancy talk for saying:
“Don’t target what you think–target what you know.”
This all comes down to the fact that correlation does not prove causation.
Just because a few of your customers or clients happen to have dogs, it doesn’t necessarily mean you should go after only dog owners.
(Unless you sell dog food.)
Focus your targeting on the things you KNOW to be true about your audience.
Otherwise you could potentially be cutting off some really good buyers and really good prospects who would otherwise be interested if they could have seen your message.
Facebook Ad Secret #5: Message Masterpiece
What this means is that nothing is as important as your message.
When it comes down to creating 7, 6, or multiple 5-figure Facebook ad campaigns, nothing is as important as the message and copywriting that your putting in the ad itself.
Not the placements, not the objective, not the budget, not the schedule…
Nothing.
Nothing is as important as the message itself.
And yet, this is often the last place that people go when they’re trying to find that next Facebook ad tip or trick or hack.
So, write your Facebook ads like a pro.
And this means dedicating the most time possible to creating perfect and well-resonating, and really good, solid ad copy.
Also, do not neglect the image that you decide to use.
Because the image is going to do a lot of the heavy lifting as well.
So again, really focus on creating this message masterpiece with really good copy and a really good image.
All that other stuff is important (of course)…
But it really doesn’t compare with having a really good message.
Because with the wrong message, none of that other stuff matters.
