How to Get More for Less With Your Holiday Ad Spend

14Oct

Without fail, social media ad spend skyrockets during the holiday season. So, why do marketers throw their hats into that ring every year?

Because people are buying.

Sadly, knowing that people are spending money doesn’t magically increase your advertising budget.

That’s why I’m here! I’m going to show you how to stretch your holiday ad spend dollar whether you’re a nationally-known business or a local store.

Timing Is Everything for Online Advertising

When you’re marketing on the day of a holiday, your cost-per-click (CPC) goes up dramatically. Why? Because everyone is bidding for the same virtual ad space.

While on any given Tuesday it might be just you and a (comparatively) small handful of other businesses, online advertising on Black Friday is going to pit you against retailers like Walmart and Target. By the time you finally win a bid, you’ll likely spend more on ads than you’ll ever see in ROI.

So, what do you do?

For National Brands:

If your organization is big enough, you may actually stand a chance at competing with larger companies for ad space on a major holiday. Still, it’s worth considering whether or not this is the best move for you. Take into account how many of your clicks regularly turn into leads, then how many of those leads turn into conversions.

From there, you can work out how much money each of those ad clicks is going to earn in your customer’s lifetime. When running these calculations, remember that holiday shoppers are less likely to become lifelong customers.

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Once you’ve got your number for how much profit each click will generate for you, based on past experience, find a margin that works for you. How much can you pay for clicks and still get an exciting ROI? Find that number, and don’t bid a penny over it. It’s unfortunate if you can’t get holiday ad space, but it’ll be worse to lose money on those same ads because of increased holiday ad spend.

For Local Businesses:

Don’t even think about throwing your hat into that ring. The amount of traffic your local business is going to get is almost certainly not going to cover how much you’ll end up sending on clicks. Unless you’re the one local business in the world with an ad budget to rival a worldwide retailer, don’t waste your time bidding on ad space that you can’t afford to support. You might look at holiday content marketing or other strategies, instead.

For Both:

If you find that it just isn’t feasible for you to run ads on a holiday, that’s completely fine! You can still get your share of holiday revenue. Just pick a day around the holiday to target.

You probably don’t want to skip Cyber Monday just to do the day before, where the bidding landscape will be almost identical. But what about the day after? In many ways, the day following a holiday is an overlooked hotbed of potential sales.

Immediately after a major retail holiday is exactly when all the bargain hunters come out. This is where you can shine! The ad spend market won’t be nearly as saturated with bids, and there will still be plenty of online shoppers for you to draw in.

Place your lower bids, and watch as you get prime ad space for a fraction of what it would’ve cost you 24 hours earlier.

Spend Wisely

You’re working with a limited ad budget in a competitive market, so choose your investments carefully! Take this information and make a name for your brand without spending every last penny on holiday ad space.

Does your holiday marketing plan still need some work? Set up your free consultation with The Go! Agency!

Editor’s Note: This blog has been updated and republished to reflect current information. The article was cleaned up, recommendations were reassessed, and references refreshed.

How to Get Started With Facebook Ads

By Christopher Tompkins

14Jan

Advertising, Facebook, Social Media

We’ve established why Facebook ads are so effective, but what are you supposed to do now that you know? For someone who isn’t familiar, the Facebook ad interface can be a little confusing. That’s why I’m here!

My team and I have been using Facebook ads for years, and I want to use that expertise to help you get started. I’m going to break down the different types of Facebook ads and how you can find the right ad for your business!

1. Traffic Ads
Facebook Traffic Ads (AKA Link Click Ads) are ideal for getting people to visit your external website. You’ve got a headline, a visual, and 90 characters worth of ad copy. With these ads, you’ll want something quick and punchy that encourages people to visit your site while still adhering to your brand’s voice.

If you’ve got ways to sell your products on your website or want to get people reading more about your brand, this is a really simple, straightforward ad option to get your feet wet.

2. Boosted Posts
In the previous article, I talked about how your organic content can’t reach most of your audience. And that’s true—unless you’re boosting your posts.

Have a great piece of social media copy that you think could really get some attention if it landed in front of the right people? Boost it! You’ve already got the post out there, so why not put some money behind it and make sure people are actually seeing it?

Note: The quality and content of your post are very relevant here. Only boost posts that make sense to invest in. If you wrote a promotional post with a link to your online store, that’s probably worth boosting. If you wished your followers a happy Valentine’s Day, that probably isn’t worth sinking ad dollars into!

3. Carousel Ads
Do you have a variety of products you want to show off without creating a handful of individual ads? Carousel Ads showcase up to ten products and images/videos with links to the corresponding page on your website or digital store.

This ad style was literally made for eCommerce professionals who are looking to drive sales from their website. If that doesn’t sound like you, this is also a great way for marketers to test out multiple ad styles/images/headlines to see what pulls!

4. Instant Experience Ads
Instant Experience Ads, formerly known as Canvas ads, are mobile-only advertisements that fill the viewer’s screen. This interactive ad type gives viewers a comprehensive experience where they can swipe through multiple pages filled with your links, visuals, texts, or all of the above!

Instant Experience Ads are similar to Traffic Ads, except they’re a lot more involved (which often makes them more effective, too). There are elements of copywriting and graphic design that need to blend seamlessly here, so I’d recommend these ads for someone who’s looking to sell and has an experienced team behind them.

5. Leads Ads
If you’re focusing on growing your follower count or subscribers to your email list, leads ads could be a good fit. These advertisements let viewers sign up for your offer without ever leaving Facebook, which greatly increases your odds of getting sign ups. Don’t underestimate the value that people will put on convenience!

You’ll be able to view your new leads from your Facebook ads account, and from there you can transfer them wherever you need. I’d recommend Leads Ads to businesses that are starting to delve into email marketing or for new businesses that are starting to develop a following outside of Facebook.

Add Some Ads
Without Facebook ads, your social media marketing strategy is incomplete. There’s a big, wide, virtual world out there, so don’t miss out on it! Use this breakdown of the different Facebook ad types as a starting point for figuring out how Facebook ads can work for your business.

Still need some help setting up your Facebook ads? Schedule your free consultation with The Go! Agency!

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Why Invest in Facebook Advertising?

By Christopher Tompkins

9Jan

Advertising, Facebook, Social Media

In 2017, advertisers spent almost $300 million in Facebook ads, and I’m sure you’ve had more than a few people suggest Facebook advertising to you. But why? What makes Facebook such an appealing platform for marketers? And, more importantly, why should your business already be advertising through Facebook?

There are a number of reasons, and I’ve compiled the biggest ones to help you understand why Facebook ads are absolutely worth the investment. Let’s talk about this staple of social media marketing!

Facebook Is Kind of a Big Deal
In case you hadn’t heard, pretty much everyone is on Facebook. Your coworkers, your weird cousin, and virtually anyone else you can think of is on there. The latest numbers show that Facebook has 1.49 billion users every day. That means your target audience is definitely on there and waiting to hear from you!

Almost one and a half billion users also means that you’re definitely going to find your target audience on there. You might see that number and think, “Okay, but my local business isn’t going to be appealing to most of those people.” And while that’s true, you can set your ads to target people in your specific location with whatever identifying characteristics you want (age, gender, political views, etc.). So even if you’re only reaching out to 200 of that 1.49 billion, that’s still 200 people who are likely to love your business!

Posting Isn’t Enough
If you saw the above number and thought that your Facebook posts were already reaching those people, I’ve got some bad news for you. Most of your followers aren’t seeing your posts.

Because of recent algorithm changes, even people who have signed up to see your content aren’t going to see it on their feeds. Since Facebook is now prioritizing organic content, regular posts from your business are far less likely to actually reach your audience.

The exception? Facebook advertising. The more money you put into your content on Facebook, the more likely it’s going to be shown to your target audience! So if you’re holding out hope for getting by with just organic reach, 2019 is the time to let that dream go!

Promotion for Organic Content
Facebook ads don’t just share that specific message, either. Because more people are going to see your ads than your regular posts, you’re more likely to get shares that spread your message even further!

And yes, people do share ads on Facebook, provided they’re well-written and engaging. This way, Facebook ads are getting more people on your page in addition to the ad’s intended purpose, which will make your organic content more effective in the future!

Facebook Ads Are (Comparatively) Cheap
It may not feel like it when you’re setting up the ad, but Facebook ads are remarkably affordable. This means that small business owners have no excuse not to be using them! If you’re really strapped for cash, just set an ad budget so that your ad doesn’t go over what you can afford.

Don’t take this as an excuse to pinch pennies, though. It might feel nice to run an ad for $5, but your results are going to be much better if you put some real money into your ads. If $5 gets you 3 clicks, imagine how many more you could get with $50!

Make a Change
Just because Facebook ads are new doesn’t mean they aren’t worth starting! You know why Facebook ads are so effective and worth using, so use that knowledge to take steps forward. It’s the start of a New Year, so don’t waste time considering this marketing strategy and not acting!

It’s normal to need a little help when you get started with Facebook ads. Contact The Go! Agency and we’ll talk about your social media marketing campaign!

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At The Drawing Board: Creating A Landing Page

By Christopher Tompkins

Copy of Go! Blog Image Templates (900x350) (4)

10May

Advertising, Content Creation, Facebook, Facebook Advertising, Local Marketing, Marketing

In our last post in the At The Drawing Board series, we learned how to create a saved Facebook audience. Now you’re probably thinking, “Finally, we’ve got our audience so we can create our ads! Woohoo!”

You could definitely do that, but you may be making a massive mistake.

Why?

Well think about this, where is your Facebook Ad going to send your audience?

Many people focus on their ad, never considering the next step in the journey. You can have the best Facebook ad in the world, but if it leads to an irrelevant page on your website, then you’re wasting your money.

To ensure your ads are successful, you need to make sure the pages they’re pointing to are well designed and help you to reach your goals. That’s where landing pages come in.

What Is A Landing Page?

In basic terms, a landing page is a page that visitors arrive on when they first come to your website. Since it’s possible that a visitor could arrive on any page of your website, you could say that every page is a landing page (which is why website design is so important.)

In the case of Facebook Ads, a landing page will be the page on your website which you are going to send people to once they click the ad.

Now you could send people to the homepage of your website, but that wouldn’t help you to fulfill your goals. So your landing page should be a custom page designed to help ad clickers towards a marketing goal.

For example:

Your goal may be to sell a new type of tennis racket. Your Facebook Ad will make your audience aware of the product and entice them to click. From there they’ll come to a page on your website with the intention of them buying the tennis racket.

In our case, our goal is to get people to sign up to our mailing list so our landing page will be designed with that in mind.

Landing Page Tips

So where do you start when it comes to creating a landing page? Here are a few tips!

Have a clear goal in mind

If you don’t have a goal, you’re getting way ahead of yourself. Come up with your marketing strategy first.

Your goal is the purpose of your landing page and ads and has to be clear to the user. Is it to download your ebook? Buy your product? Or to sign-up to your mailing list?

Regardless, make sure there is a clear call to action. No need to be subtle. Make sure it stands out, a colorful button works best. Hitting the user over the head with a giant button that says, “ADD TO CART” is way more effective than being vague.

Keep it simple

Everything on a landing page should have a purpose. It should convince the user to complete your call to action. When you think your page is complete, go through each element and ask “How does this help the user towards my call-to-action.” If it doesn’t help at all, remove it.

With that in mind, your landing pages should be much simpler than your website pages.

Use an offer

The best way to encourage a user to complete your call-to-action is to tie an offer to it. The better the offer, the more likely they’ll be to take you up on it. Time sensitive offers can also add a bit of pressure to complete the CTA right that moment.

An offer of money off an order or even an ebook is a great way to get users to convert.

Check your Landing Page before you let it out in the wild

It goes without saying that you should proofread your landing page before you start sending users to it. But something that is often missed is checking the landing page on both a desktop PC, tablet and a mobile phone.

The page will look different depending on how your users are arriving, so you want to ensure nothing is getting in the way of them completing their call to action. With most people now using their mobile phone for Facebook and using the internet, you need to make sure your landing page looks fine on a mobile.

With these tips in mind, your landing page should be a success and you’ll finally have something which you can send people to once they click your ads.

If you need some help with your landing pages, contact us now, and we can help!

How Small Business Owners Excel At Social Media

By Christopher Tompkins

12Oct

Social Media

The life of a small business owner is tough. Whether you’re trying to create a business empire from scratch or just trying to maintain the day-to-day, being in charge of a company is no joke. Who has time to bother with Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram? As tough as it can be to fit social media into a packed schedule, it’s essential for any business to grow. Social media marketing has the strength to bring even a small local shop increased online visibility. How do you start? Check out these steps:

1. Invest in update management software. A busy business owner can’t be bothered with spending several hours crafting content, posting, sharing, and liking. You will need help! A variety of programs will be able to help you master social media marketing. Whether it’s Hootsuite, Buffer, or Onlypult, the right software will help.

2. Engaging content. You need social media marketing, but you need GOOD social media marketing. The right content will attract customers to your page. The wrong content will repel them.

3. Moderate promotions. Small businesses can use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other platforms for many different reasons, but you want to make sure to promote specials, happy hours, sales, and events, etc. That being said, you should add other content into the mix. Don’t make your social media marketing presence solely about sales!

4. Promote in real life. Make sure people know about your online presence when they visit your store. Whether your run a restaurant, retail shop, or another small business, have those “Follow Us!” signs up and offer exclusives found nowhere else than Facebook, Twitter, etc.

Today’s small businesses have an advantage. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram can help strengthen your online presence, professional status, and customer relations.

Are you stumped on social media marketing? Let us take care of it for you!

The New Kids In Town

By Christopher Tompkins

27Jun

Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Local Marketing, Marketing, Pinterest, Reddit, Snapchat, Social Media, Social networking, Twitter, Uncategorized

One of the most important elements of surviving the fast-moving social media waters is to keep in-tuned with current trends. While Facebook and Twitter seem to be steadfast names in this industry, there are new ones popping up all the time. How can you tell which ones are worth investing your time and resources into? It can be hard to gauge the firepower of a fledgling social media website or app. After all, who knew Instagram would be so popular? Social Times explores new platforms and sees if they’re worth clicking that “Sign Up” button.

Twitter and Facebook aren’t fools. They foresaw trends leaning towards live video streams and as such, they’ve adapted. Twitter’s sister site, Periscope, and Facebook Live allow companies to project live to an audience and answer questions on the spot. No pressure right? It has been working pretty well and with the help of promoting live events before they happen on your other social media accounts, a whole new wave of publicity is in your hands.
Snapchat. This app is starting to catch some serious speed. It’s a hit with Millennials and a lot of businesses are starting to take notice. The initial novelty behind this “app-only” platform is that you can see photos once and only once. They recently changed that so you can view pics and videos posted on an account’s story for 24 hours. Still, between geofilters that change depending on a customer’s location, to interactive news feeds, Snapchat is starting to be taken more seriously.
There are also niche platforms that appeal to certain audiences. Shouty brings sporting events live to a smartphone. ClearView Social has been used by law firms to reach out to all different platforms. Firef.ly helps travelers understand what’s in the surrounding area. What makes this one different than Yelp is that it actually recommends elements based on your preferences, as opposed to reviewing other user’s comments.
One that isn’t mentioned by Social Time is BizSugar. It’s a fairly new platform that targets small business. It’s kind of like a cross between LinkedIn and Reddit, if you could imagine such a thing. It’s is an interesting way to reach out and check out some relevant articles.

There are tons of ways to connect and there’s more everyday. You don’t need to (and shouldn’t) jump on every new outlet that pops up. At times, it can help to watch how quickly the new platform’s popularity increases and with more of them targeting specific audiences, it can help to figure out if your product is even welcomed there.

For more information, check out Social Times’ article here: http://ow.ly/AlMh3008ZXl

What are your thoughts on the new generation of social media platforms? Do you expect any of them to be the next Facebook?

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