Facebook Ads: 3 Things To Avoid (And What To Do Instead)

When a “Become a FB ads manager in 90 days!” ad popped up on my Facebook, I jumped on the opportunity.

The program costed a lot of money for me at the time, but the sales lady assured me that in 90 days I’d be a bonafide ads manager and have at least 3 clients, so with that promise I was all-in.

I did learn a lot about how Facebook Ads worked, something just always felt a little off… 

My 90 days came and went without a client in sight. I was running the ads I was taught to run to try to get clients. I got some leads, but they were low-quality leads that couldn’t afford my services. When I asked questions during group coaching, I was given vague recommendations about targeting or creative, none of which seemed to give my ads the boost that they needed… but after 4 months or trial and error, I finally got my first client. 

I couldn’t wait to help them and get results from their ads. I started using the ad strategies I had learned, but couldn’t quite get things rolling the way I wanted them to. I was forced to accept what I had felt in my gut the entire time… this methodology was not going to get my clients the results I so desperately wanted them to have…

I just kept thinking, “there has GOT to be a better way!”

I was blessed to find Rachel Pedersen and join her mastermind, The Social Clique, where I learned so much about overall marketing strategies and how to actually get results for both myself and my clients. Now I think about the “Big Picture” and how everything is working together, instead of just throwing spaghetti at the wall trying to make an ad work.

Here are a few ways you can learn from my mistakes…

1. DON’T only use detailed targeting.

   In some niches, detailed targeting can lead you into some pretty saturated spaces. So heavily targeted audiences can result in hefty costs to reach them. While detailed targeting has its place, it should not be your only targeting method.

   DO THIS INSTEAD.

   I can’t even begin to tell you how much retargeting strategies have changed the game with the ads I have ran! Retargeting is much more cost-effective than detailed targeting, because you’re paying to target your specific audience as opposed to having to be competitive in the detailed targeting pool. 

   Another caveat, Facebook’s algorithms are extremely intelligent and will show your ads to those most likely to respond even without the use of detailed targeting. Great copywriting, creatives, and a straightforward CTA will get those customers to your ad.
   

2. DON’T exclude customers who already visited your site/page.

   My first coach legit encouraged me to exclude people who had already visited my website and liked my page from my ads for my agency. There are some instances when you may want to exclude them, like when you are speaking to a cold audience, but this might be causing you to miss out on some serious social proof -- people who are happy to interact with your content and sing your praises for others to see.

   DO THIS INSTEAD.

   Let FB show your ads to those who already know about you. If you’re doing a great job, this just means that your raving fans are going to provide you with praise in the comments and engagement on the post. It’s a boost in the algorithm and the best kind of social proof. Why wouldn’t you want that?!
   

3. DON’T look at the wrong metrics.

   It’s easy to be overwhelmed by all the acronyms… CPC, CPM, CTR, and ABCDEFG... (okay that last one isn't real). Each has its own meaning and a different desired value which can make it so incredibly overwhelming when you're looking at your ad metrics. I was taught to look at all of these metrics to analyze ad effectiveness. But… if the CPM is a little one the high side, but the ads are CONVERTING, is that really such a big deal? 🤔

   DO THIS INSTEAD.

   The only two metrics that really matter are CPA(cost per acquisition) and AOV (average order value). You want to do anything you can to decrease CPA (better ads, retargeting, etc.) and increase the AOV (upsells, add-ons, etc.). Those are the only two metrics that REALLY matter. Some of the metrics can help you pinpoint what can be improved with your ad, but the main goal is to acquire customers for as little cost as possible and increase their purchase amount.

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.... I mean, Blog Post. 😉

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