You know you should set up Facebook ads, but you get overwhelmed with all the changes. Maybe you just throw something up but don’t get the results you want—or you assume you can’t afford to run ads that will make a difference.

I struggle with Facebook ads myself and other Mama CEOs always ask, “How do I run effective Facebook ads?”

So I talked to Facebook ads guru, Claire Pelletreau about making the most of Facebook ads. Pick up some tips you can get started with right now—and then join her for a master class on Monday (plus read to the end for info on her killer FB ads class at a special price).

Make the Most of Facebook Ads

My top takeaways from this conversation is that you don’t have to spend a ton to make an impact with your Facebook ads—and there is a strategy behind Facebook ads, which is missing for most of us. Listen to my interview with Claire Pelletreau or start with the highlights of our talk here:

What isn’t working right now?

Webinar ads are a tough sell right now. Everyone is being bombarded with them in their newsfeed. Plus webinars are a big ask, so you get low click through rates and high cost per conversion.

So what’s a better strategy?

Have people sign up for a small ask, like a PDF cheat sheet. Then nurture those new leads with informational ads. Make sure you have enough lead time for that nurturing. Webinar ads can work, but as part of a longer strategy. I used a three-month nurture lead up to a launch for a client and we got amazing results.

Budget is an issue for a lot of people just starting out. How can you make ads work with a low budget?

Video ads are cheap right now. Facebook is highlighting them, so you can get you ad in front of more people for a little money. These are great for content awareness. I suggest showing a strong viewpoint that differentiates you from competitors. Start running that ad for $20 or $30. Then when it comes time for a webinar or launch, use an ad to retarget people who watched your video.

Retargeting can be really effective. Instead of targeting new people, retarget people who have interacted with you when your cart is open. You can run an effective retargeting ad for as little as $20. Instead of a cold ad, it’s a warm ad to people who know you. This is a great way to get past low open rates on emails.

And you don’t need to outsource Facebook retargeting ads. Instead of spending $1000 or $3000 on a Facebook pro every time you launch, you can learn how to do it. Running Facebook ads doesn’t have to be as expensive or as complicated as we make it out to be.

What is a good starting point for a launch in 6 months or so?

Start now and spend $40 a month to boost your content. This is a great way to reach more people. You can’t really track the ROI on this money, but you should start to see more traction—like changes in your analytics showing that people are reading your posts. I see the highest clickthrough rates on new blog posts, especially with this copy: New blog posts—no opt-in required.

You spend so much time creating content—this is a great way to get more eyes on it. And as you see how people respond, you can see what topics people are really into and get better ideas for new opt-ins, products, or services.

Let’s talk about testing and how long to run an ad.

I recommend running an add 10 days before a webinar (though I admit I’m not doing that this time around, because I’m testing a new strategy).

And you need to give an ad enough time to see what works (or didn’t) and why. To get enough data, give it a minimum of 48 hours, but I prefer 72.

What is going on with Facebook Messenger ads?

These are great for retargeting ads for people who have visited recently. Show ads to people who landed on your Services page or clicked a discovery call link but didn’t book. Then you can open a dialogue right there in Messenger with people to answer their questions and give more info to help make that sell. You make it easy to connect and convert.

A big thank you to Claire. I already know some changes I’m going to make in my Facebook ad strategy—and I bet you do too.

If you want to learn more about Facebook ads, Claire’s class Absolutely FB Ads is a complete steal right now—and you can buy now and get her update as soon as it’s available!

Currently the class focuses on list building. It’s the minimum of what you need to know to get started. And the great thing is that you can jump into the course and have an ad up in a couple of hours (faster if you have good graphics for your business).

Claire is in the process of a major upgrade to the course so that you can create a FB ad strategy that will grow with your business. She’s adding a three-part process that she talked about including:

• Content awareness ads
• List building ads
• Retargeting ads

The new class will have step-by-step instructions for how to set up ads, tips on how to write, and who to target. Get Absolutely FB Ads now and get an awesome ad up right away—and get the updates as soon as they are available for the same low price (a third of the cost of the class when she relaunches it).

 

(Yes, I’m an affiliate for the class, and it’s because I have truly learned so much from Claire.)