After we talked about the best way to promote your blog posts, I received a lot of requests for a blog post about Facebook Ads (keep the requests coming by the way I love them).
Let me start by saying Facebook ads are a blogger’s secret weapon.
I’m guessing the reason more people don’t talk about it is because if we all start doing it, then prices will go up or the system will change… again.
Yes, Facebook ads have already undergone many changes. At first, you could spend $1 a day and reach thousands of people. Now the minimum is $5.
Obviously, if you were able to utilize the $1 deals, you’re at an advantage now with more likes, more engagement, and a better overall presence on Facebook. Now it’s a little harder, but not impossible. Nothing is ever impossible, but there is something to be said for those who are the first to market (i.e. first to use a new platform or system).
How to use them
As I mentioned before, Facebook ads have gone through a lot of changes. Now, they’re a lot more targeted, which is both beneficial and confusing. You can get as specific as you want in terms of who you want to reach. For example, you can target moms ages 24-32 in NYC who like to work out, or 17-21 year-olds who play video games, or 21-34 year-old female bloggers in the fashion industry. The sky is the limit.
You can even just the people who like your Facebook page. Your audience will depend on what your goal is. Are you trying to reach new people? Are you trying to get current readers to engage? Are you promoting a product?
Once you set your target market/audience, you set the days/times you want your ad to run. (Side note: You can create more than one audience.) I recommend having an ad run from Tuesday-Thursday. On Mondays, people are just getting back into the weekly grind and by Fridays, people have already checked out. Saturdays and Sundays are family fun days so forget trying to sell anything on those days (unless you’re in retail because the online shopping market is huge with many consumers shopping on the weekends).
After you have all the logistics figured out, you simply set it and forget it. You can set your ad to run indefinitely or for a short period of time. It’s completely up to you. Again, this depends on what your goal is. Keep in mind having your ad run indefinitely will be expensive, so if you are on a tight budget, be very careful where you allocate your resources.
When to use them
Some bloggers use Facebook ads every time they have a new post. Again, if you have the resources to do this, then by all means do it. But for those of us who have to be a bit more strategic, I would say only promote your very best stuff.
If you have a new product launching, of course you’ll want to “boost” that post during launch week. If it’s Halloween and you’re giving away a free Halloween makeup tutorial, you’ll want to promote that throughout the month of October. Same with if you make a Thanksgiving feast checklist - boost that in November.
My rule of thumb is if something is super important to you or your absolute best work, use Facebook ads (and extend those ads to reach new audiences). Otherwise, keep pumping out content and asking your followers to share it because Facebook ads can become costly.
How they benefit you
If you haven’t figured ou how Facebook ads can benefit you I’ll break it down…
- Facebook ads help you reach your current audience
- They help you reach new audiences
- Facebook ads can help generate profit on your products
- Facebook ads allow you to target a very specific market/demographic
- They can increase engagement, which in turn helps reduce the use of Facebook ads altogether
- Facebook ads show you exactly what works and what doesn’t, so you can adjust (this data is in the Facebook Ads Manager)
Even though Facebook ads have been around for a long time, if you’re just learning about them now, it’s ok. There’s still time to save/grow your blog/business. But you do want to make sure before you use Facebook ads that your blog/business and content is really really good. Passion is great but in order to be successful, you also need talent. The question you should ask yourself first before taking out your wallet is “Would someone want to read or watch my stuff? Am I generating high-quality content that warrants investing in real advertising?”
xx Britt
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You Should Also Read:
What It Means to Add Value & Kill It as a Blogger
Everything You Need to Know About Media Kits
What to Do When Blogging Dies
