While it’s always a good idea for your business to post Facebook content organically, there are even more opportunities for your brand when you “boost” content. Using paid social media reaches a larger audience instead of just showing up in your followers feeds, where it can get overlooked. With paid social ads, your content is guaranteed to be seen.
Want to generate leads, sales, and to drive traffic to your website? Paid social is the best way to do it. Consumers are 24% more likely to make a purchase after seeing a paid social ad than an organic one. Why are social ads more effective? It’s simple: they find the right audience. With paid social, you can target audiences based on location, interests, and many other factors. So, if you want to get the most out of your social ad campaigns you need to target the right audience. Here are six ways to do it.
1. Location: Targeting people in the area where your business operates is a perfect start to an effective ad. Local targeting is also effective for an online business if you target locations where people are likely to buy your product.
2. Age: Do you know the age range of your typical customer? Facebook allows you to be as specific as possible, and this includes identifying users by age. For some brands, age isn’t a factor, in which case it’s best to leave the age range as broad as you’d like.
3. Gender: Like age, targeting gender may depend on the nature of your brand or service. Just make sure that your messaging matches the audience you’re targeting.
4. Language: Reach the audience you want in their own language. This is another example of matching your messaging to your target audience. For example, don’t try and reach a predominantly Spanish speaking consumer with ads in English.
5. Detailed Targeting: This is where you can get more in depth with your targeting. Detailed targeting includes demographics, interests, and specific behaviors or lifestyles. For instance, you can target someone with a Master’s Degree, single people, LGBTQ, or families, or even someone in a particular career field. But, be careful, don’t get too specific or you’ll reduce your reach.
6. New or Existing: With paid social you also have the option to target your followers or new leads. You may feel like you’ll always have to target new leads, but you may find it useful to target people who already like your page.
Finally, don’t forget that when you create an ad for your post, you can also choose where to place it. From Instagram to mobile devices, the options vary. Once your audience is defined, finish your ad by including a clear call to action and keep your copy short. You’ll always want to test out different targets, especially if you’re not succeeding and finding leads. Remember, social advertising is a never-ending task but if done correctly can be a cost-effective way to generate leads and drive sales.
