Facebook ads are an easy way to build fans for your business pages, or to generate leads. But, if it's so easy, then why aren't more small businesses doing it? Perhaps it's because one of these 10 myths are in the way. Here's each of those 10 myths busted, so you can know the truth about Facebook advertising:
- It's Expensive - For Stirring Media LLC, $50 got our page a whopping 154 likes in three weeks time. It may not seem like a lot, but those fans now account for a third of our social media traffic to our website, and have generated at least one new lead.
- They Don't Work - See myth one.
- No One Reads Them - If you do your Facebook ad wrong, then no one will read it, and it won't work. But, if you do it right by writing a clear call to action, including a photo that stands out from the blue and white, and linking it to your Facebook page or to your landing page, then people will read it and it will do just fine.
- There's No Need for Facebook Ads Because People Will Just Come to My Page - Really? When has this EVER worked? It doesn't work for websites. It doesn't work on any other social media network. Why would it work for Facebook? You need to advertise and to encourage people to come to your page, just like you need to do for your storefront and for your website.
- My Target Marketing Isn't on Facebook - With over 800 million members, your target marketing is certainly on Facebook. Advertise and you will find them.
- College Students Aren't My Target Market - Facebook is more than college students, and you can set Facebook ads to display only to the specific demographics that you target. Older folks? Iowans? People who drink coffee or repair motorcycles? The ads can be set to target each of those audiences. For the Stirring Media ad, we targeted those that liked content marketing, business blogging, and the sort.
- Facebook Changes Too Much to be Worthwhile - The site does make a lot of changes, yest, but just because the layout is different doesn't mean the ads have changed too, or have lost their effectiveness. In fact, I'd argue that Facebook ads haven't changed a whole lot, and any changes that have taken place have only made it better.
- Facebook is a Fad - People have been saying this for, like, five years. If it's lasted longer than five years, it's not a fad. If you're avoiding Facebook because you think it will go away, think again.
- It Only Works for Big Businesses - Stirring Media is a company of one, and it worked well. Sure, 154 may not be a lot, but it's a lot for a company of one and two contractors.
- It Only Works for B2C Companies - Stirring Media is a B2B firm, and it worked. It's all about doing the ad correctly, and knowing who your target audience is so you can tailor the ad to them.
Overall, it doesn't take a whole lot to have Facebook ads work well for you. It's more a matter of executing them correctly and making sure that your Facebook fan page is also engaging fans and offering content of interest to them. Facebook is about being social, and if you have no social plan or element to your page or to your ad, then it will be really tough to generate leads from the social media channel.