In case you haven't noticed, Facebook is kind of a big deal. With over two billion active monthly users (yes, with a “b”), Facebook is one of the most heavily trafficked websites in the world. And in case you also haven't heard, their advertising options are pretty great for eCommerce as well! Facebook ads for Shopify stores are a marriage made in heaven, and it's easy to see why.
Facebook's ad targeting feature is really second to none. Imagine a world in which you can specifically target your ad's audience based on age, location, gender, interests, or any number of demographic filters. Well, you don't have to imagine. That's the reality with Facebook.
Facebook Business Manager 101
If you've never run ads on Facebook before, you'll want to set up your Facebook Business Manager Account. This is where your ads, campaigns, business pages and more will be housed. Think of it as your dashboard for success.
Targeting
Really the best part about Facebook ads lies in the targeting feature. You are able to target your ideal audience based on any number of demographics, including:
- Age
- Gender
- Geographic location
- Interests
- Salary / Job title / Industry
- And more
So if your ideal customer is a 27 year old man living in Detroit who enjoys coffee and works as a marine biologist…. you can target that. We can't imagine who that customer is, but rest assured, they exist. And you can target them for what we imagine would be a fish-based coffee made in Detroit? Sounds gross.
Ad Types
Facebook allows for a few different ad types. There's variations to all kinds but generally you're looking at either photo ads or video ads. Video ads generally have a higher conversion rate, but can be more costly. Photo ads can be great if you have the right photo.
Facebook ads for Shopify stores can have great success with either ad type.
Your Ad Copy
Your ad copy is the written text which accompanies your ad. It can (and should) be short, sweet, and to the point. You want your ad as a whole to do your talking for you. You don't want people to have to spend too much time reading a book.
Here are a few awesome ad examples, courtesy of Wordstream:
What works here? Well, it's memorable. It's not every day you see someone on a pink horse travelling next to a rainbow. It also hits home for a lot of people who are used to being stuck in meetings all day. They're boring and nobody likes them. So immediately 25% fewer meetings seems awesome!
Finally, the slogan “make work better” is simple, direct, and easy to understand. We get immediately that Slack is a productivity tool. The line immediately underneath is a little more explanatory but we still “get it.” Slack brings all your communication together in one place. Easy.
Here's a good one that's near and dear to our hearts. An ad for Shopify itself. Facebook ads for Shopify stores are all over the platform but this one is for the service itself.
Why does it work? It hits home for a lot of people. Sell your Crafts on Facebook! Makes sense, right? And “no one should craft for nothing.” That makes us home craft-makers say “Yeah, they're right!”
Sign us up!
Athos sells a line of smart fitness apparel (and the ad says so!). The copy at the top let's us know that we may be privy to some secret information about our workouts than not even a personal trainer would know! We can track all of these things (muscle fatigue, heart rate, etc) and more! It's like a smart personal trainer that you wear.
Want to learn more? We do!
Writing the perfect ad to go with the perfect imagery is important. Here is where the importance of A/B testing comes into play. Not familiar with A/B testing? That's okay. We got you covered.
A/B Testing
A/B Testing is also called “split testing.” It is the process by which you measure an ad's performance against another version of the same ad but with a slight variation.
This can be a different image, different ad copy, or a different call to action. You'd be amazed at how big of a difference a small change can make. The goal of A/B testing is to find two ad sets that work and see which one works better. Then, repeat the process to optimize your ad's performance.
By testing two versions of the same ad against one another, you'll start to develop an understanding of what does and does not work. It will improve your current ads and give you more of an idea of how to approach future ads.
Setting A Budget
The great thing about Facebook ads is you can set your own budget. As opposed to radio, television, or print advertisements which have a set price, Facebook ads for Shopify allow you to spend only what you're able to budget for.
Of course, the higher your ad budget, the more eyeballs who will see your ad. However, that doesn't mean you can't be successful with a lower budget. In fact, it can be helpful to set a lower budget in the beginning. During this time, you're testing what works best. No need to go for broke on the first ad set!
Ultimately, your budget is up to you. More ad spending will typically result in more views and clicks; and therefore, more conversions. Which is ultimately the goal, right?
BUT this is not always the case so plan accordingly! You can spend a fortune on a bad ad which will never perform well. Don't throw good money after bad! Test your ad and prove it works. Then, you can increase your budget on a well-performing ad.
Test and Improve
Running Facebook ads for Shopify stores is a great way to raise your store's profile, increase your views, and ultimately sell more of your wares. In truth, you probably won't hit a home run on your first ad. And that's okay!
Finding out what works is important which is why testing helps to determine which ads are performing well (and which ones aren't!). Once you've found a formula which works, you can replicate that formula for future advertising campaigns.
This differs from traditional advertising where you approve a copy, pay the cost, and hope for the best. With Facebook, you have the ability to make changes on the fly, experiment with new versions,
And experiment you should! Run different ad types. Try different targeting metrics. Switch up the ad copy. Target a different demographic. Facebook boasts millions of potential customers just waiting for you to get in front of their eyes and fingertips.
Go get 'em!
