Meta Ads (formerly known as Facebook ads) can be incredibly effective at advertising your business, but only if they’re implemented properly. 

The key advantage of Meta ads is that you can reach a massive audience of Facebook and Instagram users, there are great tools in the Meta Business Suite for targeting specific users, and there is lots of flexibility in the type of ads you can promote including pictures, videos, posts, and stories. 

However, jumping in and trying Meta Ads on your own can be an overwhelming, frustrating, expensive, and fruitless task for many small business owners. That’s why we’ve summarised some of the secrets about how to make your Meta ads work better. 

What’s the secret?

1. Target the right audience
   Meta provides precise targeting options in advertising. You can refine your audience using criteria such as location, age, gender, interests, connections, relationship status, language, education, and workplace. For beginners, avoid over-targeting. Start with a broad audience, ensuring you include the age and gender of your typical customer. Collect data over time and gradually refine your targeting based on user behaviour and preferences. Regularly review and adjust your campaign, and consider using lookalike audiences once you have a well-defined customer base. This approach maximises the effectiveness of Meta's advanced targeting features, ensuring your advertising budget is used efficiently.
2. Don’t ask for a big commitment
   Let’s imagine a scenario. If a random person approaches you on the street and asks you to buy something expensive from them, how likely are you to trust them and give them your money? Pretty unlikely right? It’s the same with Meta Ads. It takes time to build a relationship with your customers because it’s human nature to be wary of new things. That’s why, instead of asking for a large purchase off the bat, your initial ads should provide potential customers with an easy and low-stakes decision, like signing up for a newsletter. This allows you to funnel more customers and retarget them in the future.
3. Follow up with retargeted ads
   Another important step to maximise the success of your Meta ads is retargeting users who have interacted with your initial ad, visited your website, or left items in their cart. These users can be identified with the help of Meta Pixel. Meta Pixel is an analytical tool that can be installed onto your website to track and provide information about the users who visit and engage with your site. Retargeting customers who have already shown initial interest in your service or product provides a great opportunity to secure a purchase or continue to build familiarity with your brand. 
4. Use the right image
   Of course, not everyone is a talented photographer or graphic designer, but choosing the right image does have a big impact on the success of your ad. Fortunately, there are a few tips that make it easier to select the perfect image. Make sure to use images that are high-resolution, copyright free, and (unless it’s incredibly recognisable like Nike or Apple) refrain from using your logo because it will only increase the sense of unfamiliarity for your potential customer. Pictures of people are a great choice for most ads, especially if the people in the image look like your average customer. 

What type of business benefits the most from Meta ads?

Everyone knows that Meta ads work the best for B2C companies. But is that actually true? There’s no doubt they are great at helping B2C companies to connect with more customers, but these ads are surprisingly effective for B2B organisations as well.

Find out more about the benefits of Facebook ads for B2B organisations.