The platform offers a complex reporting system which on the surface provides all the insights you need. However, did a little deeper and this doesn't necessarily provide the full picture.
Both Facebook and Google want you to spend your ad budget with them. They are therefore going to make their own ad results look as strong as possible. Add to this the fact that they both use different reporting models and you'll quickly see they never match up.
However, used strategically, both platforms can offer a more holistic overview to your ads.
Historically, the boost button brought in some pretty impressive results and is the reason why many businesses feel like they are now banging their heads against brick walls.
Want to know why? Because it doesn’t work anymore!
When you give Facebook £5, £10 or even £100 to boost your post, it takes that budget and spends it solely on engagement.
This means that your post will attract likes, comments and shares. Sound good?
Not really, especially if the objective behind the ad is something more specific like to increase website traffic, generate leads or attract shop visits. People that like and share your post are not necessarily going to take the action you want.
Limited on placements
Another reason to steer clear of the boost button is that you have no control over placements. Sometimes, based on your page insights or the type of ad you’re running, it might be better to run it solely on mobile. This, for example, is often the case for businesses looking for app downloads.
However, when you hit boost, Facebook algorithms will find the cheapest way to achieve your engagement objective - even if it damages your campaign results. So, if you include a number of countries in your targeting, your ads may be pushed to those countries that generate the cheapest clicks. Similarly, Facebook may run your ad for 90% of the time on mobile because it’s cheaper.
What’s the alternative?
Facebook’s ad manager platform is one of the most powerful tools you can use when marketing your business. Its power to target people based on extremely specific interests, hobbies, spending habits or job titles is extensive and only growing.
You can only take full advantage of this though, if you steer away from the boost button and head to the ad manager.
When setting up an ad, you'll be presented with a range objectives to choose from based on the actions you would like people to take. From lead generation and conversions to awareness and traffic.
Once you've selected your objective, Facebook will take your budget and seek out users that are most likely to take that action.
For example, say you have a blog that you’d like to use as a lead magnet. When you create the ad for that blog, select the traffic objective. Facebook will then ensure that it puts the ad in front of people most likely to click through to your site. If you were to just boost that post, yes you may get plenty of comments and shares, but only a few would actually click through.
When taking a more strategic approach with your ads and not simply 'boosting', you'll also find that you achieve a much stronger ROI.
For more tips on getting to grips with Facebook ads, check out my guide here.
However, there are a few killer mistakes that are hindering business blogs and doing more harm than good. Here’s a roundup of a few common sins to steer clear of…
Whether you’re writing for a client or for your own business, it’s important that your content is relevant and engaging. Strike a chord with a potential customer and they are far more likely to show preference to you over the competition.
So, without further ado, here are a few hints for writing content that converts.
1. Map out your audience
Take a step back and think about who your customer is. Who buys your products and reads your blogs? Get to know them and understand what makes them tick. Find out what their problems are and think about how you can help them through valuable content.
One way of doing this is to create a buyer persona. Ask yourself a number of questions about your target audience; things like what their hobbies are, what their job role is along with any daily challenges they may face. This will help you to get inside their mind and write content that appeals to them. To get started, check out this helpful template.
2. Label your customers
Once you’ve created a buyer persona for your audience, get labeling. Ok, this may seem like a weird one; grouping individuals under categories – who wants that? Well, in this day and age people actually like being labelled. Think about it – an email ‘For extreme triathletes only’ lands in your inbox. Are you happy with that? I know I would be.
By labeling people, you’ll make them feel like they’re part of something and are recognised for the thing they are good at or enjoy doing. Get this right, and they are far more likely to take action.
3. Don’t Pitch! Problem solve
The key to great content is to offer useful information that will help your reader. People don’t want cold hard pitches anymore – they can see straight through that. Always keep the 90% rule in mind: 90% informative, related to solving the reader’s problem and 10% for the call to action, keeping pitching to a minimum.
As an expert in your field, you need to be giving away as much as you can in terms of useful tips, handy ideas and experiences that will help your audience. If you’re in the health food market, there’s no good in churning out new offers and product details. This gets boring and isn’t what will bring health enthusiasts to your site. Instead, writing articles on ‘How to create a quick post workout meal’ or ‘Top 5 foods for flawless skin’ will be much more useful and encourage people to buy into the products you offer.
Gary Veynerchuck’s Jab, Jab, Jab Right Hook offers some great strategies on how to make your content stand out and hook your audience in.
4. Be honest
Admit your shortcomings and be real, people love honesty and warm to relateable stories. Portraying a perfect image 100% of the time is not believable. Showing authenticity, whether you’re a blogger or a multi-national enterprise makes you more human and easier to connect with.
Social psychologist, Fiona Lee, conducted a study to see if companies which admitted their faults were seen to be more credible. She found that those who admitted their strategic faults actually achieved higher stock prices the following year, showing that admitting to shortcomings made companies still seem in control despite their shortcomings.
That isn’t to say you should go overboard – find the right balance and your audience will find it easier to relate.
5. Get your call to action right
This is one of the most important parts of your content as if your call to action is weak, then you’re not going to see those all important conversions. Think about who you’re talking to and what action you’d like them to take. A simple ‘click here’ or ‘call now’ is ok, but you don’t want to go with this every time. Have a think on how you can expand on this, to really entice your reader to act.
‘Try it for free’ or ‘Download your free sample here’ are more likely to get a click as people feel like they are getting value. Remember that this is an essential factor so give this the thought it deserves. To give you a hand, here’s a handy guide to different types of CTAs.
However, there are a few killer mistakes that are hindering business blogs and doing more harm than good. Here’s a roundup of a few common sins to steer clear of…
1. Uninspiring headlines
Have you ever clicked onto an article with a boring headline? Probably not, right? So what’s to say your audience will? When conjuring up a title for your blog put yourself in your customer’s shoes. Think about their pain points, what questions they want solving and what’s going to compel them to click.
To put this into perspective, here’s two heading examples:
‘No results with your teeth whitening?’
This title says nothing. There’s no value being offered or incentive for a reader to click.
‘5 Myths you Need to Know About Teeth Whitening.’
Here we have a title that’s offering far more value. Firstly, it’s in the form of a ‘listicle’ (list) which is a proven format for blog success. Secondly, it’s providing readers with educational content – a clear incentive to click.
2. Poor Visuals
Images are a key factor in drawing a reader in. Your feature image should be vibrant and visually appealing as it’s your one chance to catch their attention and compel them to click.
Steer clear of overly ‘stock like’ images and opt for more relatable shots. There are some great free image resources out there now like Unsplash and Pixabay – so there’s no excuse!
3. Dull content
There are plenty of businesses that just blog for the sake of it and pay very little attention to the content they are putting out there. This type of blogging isn’t going to attract more businesses and can actually do more harm than good.
Take time to develop a content plan and think about valuable advice and tips that you can share with your audience. A great starting point is looking at questions that you get asked frequently. Answering them in a blog post can be really helpful for readers and will help them to engage with you as a brand.