While Facebook ads are one of the most affordable ways to reach a large targeted audience out there, it can also be one of the most frustrating. From where to place the ads to why your ad hasn’t been approved. For many people just starting out in Facebook ads knowing what you shouldn’t do can be just as valuable as knowing what you should do. Here are the 10 don’ts of running Facebook ads that everyone needs to know.
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Don’t use before and after images. Facebook has outlined its rules for running ads here. One very specific rule (which is rare for them) under the prohibited content section 19 it states: “Ads must not contain “before-and-after images or images that contain unexpected or unlikely results. Ad content must not imply or attempt to generate negative self-perception in order to promote diet, weight loss, or other health-related products.” They do give examples of what makes an image compliant or not.
Don’t use “YOU” in your text. While Facebook doesn’t come out and explicitly explain this one using you, your, or any other variation of the word does tend to cause your ad to be unapproved. So get creative with your copy and make sure that you aren’t using terms that will get red flagged.
Don’t call out specific traits or conditions that someone might have. Rember that Facebook’s main goal is the best possible user experience. Nothing will create a negative experience like being called out for everything that is wrong with you each time you sign in. You also don’t want to call to users attention that you are able to target them based on their ailments. It would freak people out! So instead of saying something like “Manage YOUR Diabetes” which would not be approved, try something like “New Tool Helps Manage Diabetes.”
Don’t expect people to know who you are. Even if you are running your ad to a warm audience don’t expect people to immediately have trust in your or your product from seeing an ad. You want to add in some social proof or highlight why you are a trusted expert in your field. Remember that your competitors are able to target the same people based on the same targeting you are using. You have to stand out from all the other “experts” that users may be seeing in their newsfeed.
Don’t offer the same solution other people are. Much like the last tip you need to position your product or service in a unique or different way to stand out from your competition. If your ideal client is seeing several ads every day for what you do, what is going to make them stop and look at you? Or even better click through and become a customer? Don’t just look at what others in your space are running as ads and duplicate it. Find something that makes your offer stand out from the rest. You are likely to convert better with your audience and be seen as more relevant by Facebook.
Don’t edit the ad or targeting once it is running. Anytime that you make a change to the targeting, image, or the copy after your ad is running Facebook will treat it like a new ad. This means that all the momentum that your ad has built up will be lost. It is basically starting over with a completely new ad. So that is what I suggest doing. Duplicate the ad that is running and make the changes that you want. Then run both ads side by side for a period of time to see which is performing better. You may be surprised. Then again you may not be and the new ad could totally kick the old ads butt. If this is the case just shut off the old ad and run with the new one. You will still be glad that you made the change this way because it won’t mess up your ad reporting.
Don’t shut off the ad if it doesn’t take off immediately. This is one that people have a really hard time with. Facebook ads do take a little bit of time to level out in the algorithm. Every now and then you will get an ad that takes off right away but that isn’t usually the case. Facebook takes some time to optimize your ad to show it to the people most likely to take your desired action. This means that Facebook puts your ad into a “learning phase” to try and see who is most likely to do what you want from the ad. I recommend letting the ad run for at least 3-4 days before determining if it is successful or not. Remember too that every time an action is completed on your ad Facebook now had more information and will start finding more people like the person who took that action to show your ad too. It’s almost like magic but you have to give the magic time to work.
Don’t go all in on the budget of a well-performing ad. I have heard of many horror stories of people who are getting a great cost per click on an ad so they want to increase the budget of that particular ad, the only issue is that once they increase the budget of the ad the cost per click goes through the roof. This seems counterproductive for Facebook but think of how ads actually work. Facebook Ads are run on an auction system, which means that when you are increasing your budget you are basically telling Facebook that you are willing to pay more for the same action. Hence the increase in cost!! There is a smarter way to just increase the number of people that Facebook is showing your ads to daily by slowing increasing your budget over time. Andrea Vahl, author of Facebook Ads Made Simple, recommends a 10%-20% increase and then letting that increase level out over a couple of days. This allows you to get your ad in front of more people without completely blowing how Facebook has already been delivering your ad out of the water.
Don’t set it and forget it with your ads. It is important to manage your Facebook ads very closely. Images and ads, in general, do fatigue, and if you aren’t keeping a close eye on them your cost could be creeping up. A good rule of thumb is to check your ads daily, yes daily. Just set a time each day that you are going to hop on and just make sure nothing looks too out of the ordinary. You want to check your reporting to see when an ad is underperforming or if it is doing well enough that you want to add more budget. Getting in the habit of checking daily will also help you in avoiding a shock at when you see your Facebook ads bill. I know several people that have forgotten to shut their ad off and ended up spending a considerable amount on an event or promotion even after it was over. Trust me, people, Facebook DOES NOT CARE either. So just get in the habit of checking daily.
Don’t waste money trying to “figure it out.” Facebook is hard for most to learn and fully understand how to be successful. Facebook Ads are a whole other level when it comes to keeping up with the changes. If you are just getting into Facebook Ads I do recommend hiring a consultant to teach you how to create and monitor your ads or hiring an agency to run and manage the ads for you. I know that many small business owners struggle with finding enough hours in the day and dollars in their budget. I recommend looking into someone with experience in running ads in your niche or a long track record of running ads over many different niches. Finding someone who has had success in running ads for a window washer may not be able to run successful ads for your restaurant, but if you find someone who has been successful in several different types of campaigns you are more likely to get a great return on your ad spend. Be prepared to pay for the ad management service as well as the ad spend to Facebook. Make sure that you clarify in the proposal how much each of these fees will be and to whom they will be paid. Large ad agencies may require a large monthly ad spend before they will even take a look at you. Smaller agencies (like mine 😉) tend to base the monthly fee off of the number of ads you are running and the amount of set up time that it actually takes to place the ad. If you are looking to run ads but don’t want to waste time or money figuring them out I would be happy to discuss having Business By Design manage them for you.
I hope that this was helpful if you are planning on running your own Facebook ads. Knowing a few things to avoid can go a long way in alleviating frustration when it comes to ads. I do recommend picking up a copy of Facebook Ads Made Simple to help you in understanding the Facebook advertising platform better and how you should be setting up and running ads. (You can even get if FREE on Kindle here.) If you have any questions on setting up and running ads be sure to reach out and I would be happy to help.
