The Busy Audiologist’s Guide to Facebook Ads (in 30 Minutes or Less)
By Katie Armatoski, Au.D
__________
The words “Facebook Ad” are enough to send most audiologists running for the hills and I don’t blame them! It can be really intimidating to think about creating and running your own paid ads, but I promise, it isn’t nearly as complicated as it used to be. Meta has made so many changes and updates over the last few years and they’ve made the ad process a lot easier. Plus, now that Instagram is also owned by Meta, you can hit both apps with just a few extra clicks!
10 Simple Steps to Building Your Facebook Ad
Step 1 – Choose a Goal
Before you run an ad, you need to know what your goal is. Here are the current options you will see when you go into the “Ad Center” in your Facebook app:
If you’re just getting started with ads, “Get more website visitors” is a good one to start with! In this blog, we’ll break down that one, although the rest of the goals will have a similar process.
Step 2 – Review the Ad Preview
The Facebook app will automatically generate an ad for you based on your website’s default imagery and description. Instead of using the default, I recommend customizing the visuals and the copy To do this, click the “Edit” link in the upper right corner.
Step 3 – Write Your Ad Creative (Text)
This is the part of ad building that people can really get hung up on because they overthink every single word in their ad creative. Yes, word choice definitely matters but I promise it doesn’t matter nearly as much as most people think (the imagery matters way more).
Above all else, keep your text short and simple. Hook them in with the first few words and tell them what you want them to do and what benefit they will get when they do it. Remember, people aren’t going to be motivated to take action unless you make it enticing for them!
Side Note: Would you like me to write a separate blog post about writing great ad copy? 🤔 If so, let me know in the comments of this post!
Step 4 – Select Your Visuals
Facebook lets you choose between static images or videos, and you can choose up to five different options if you want to create a carousel ad. Here’s something interesting: according to Databox, 59% of marketers said video gets them more engagement than static images, so if you have a great (short) video that would work for an ad, you should definitely use it. Once you’ve selected your photos and/or videos, tap on “Save Changes” to move to the next step.
Step 5 – Advantage+ Creative
Next, you will see a section titled “Advantage+ Creative.” Basically, if you toggle this option on, you’re giving Facebook’s algorithm the authority to tweak your ad based on the demographics of the person viewing your ad. Since Facebook has an insane amount of data at their disposal, I would suggest toggling this on. It’s only going to help your ad work better!
Step 6 – Update the URL and Add a Button
Since we’re building an ad to drive traffic to your website, making sure the website is correct is extremely important. In the “URL” section, take a moment to make sure the link is correct.
The next option underneath that is the “Button” section. This is optional, but you can choose to add a button like “Book now” or “Learn more” underneath your ad. I think this is a good thing to do because it makes it even more clear what action you want people to take. For this ad, you’re going to want to choose the “Learn more” option, then tap “Save” in the upper right corner.
Step 7 – Special Ad Category
Certain business types are not able to advertise on Facebook, like housing lenders, politicians, and even some holistic healthcare practitioners. Audiology does not fall into one of these special ad categories, so you don’t have to worry about this.
Step 8 – Select Your Audience
Facebook is going to give you a few options when it comes to selecting a target audience for your ad. The first option is “Advantage audience” which uses the demographic data that already exists on your page. I highly recommend editing the data as needed, especially the location so that it only targets those in your demographic area. If the interests that Facebook selected seem off, try and change these interests by searing for new ones (ie. woodworking, hunting, sewing).
Curious how to retarget individuals with ads that visit your website? Become a member and learn how!
Step 9 – Determine Your Budget and Timeframe
Next, you’ll need to choose a daily budget. Look at the options Facebook gives you and choose one that feels comfortable for you and that still gets you good projected results.
Facebook may spend a little more or a little less on a given day, but they will not go over the total amount you’ve selected for your ad. So if you’ve selected $5 as your daily budget for 5 days, they might spend $7.50 one day and $2.50 another day but they won’t go over $25 total.
Next, set a timeframe for your ad to run. This part is pretty straightforward.
Step 10 – Run the Ad on Instagram, Too?
Since Facebook and Instagram are both owned by Meta, you can run the same ad on Instagram by just toggling this option on. Doing this does not increase your total ad spend.
Then, the very last thing you’ll need to do to finalize your ad is enter your payment information and tap the “Promote Website” button to lock it all in!
Once your ad is running, you’ll want to check in on your analytics to see how things are going. Unless you’re doing a very long or very expensive campaign, I wouldn’t recommend adjusting anything while the ad is running. Just use the analytics you collect to gather information about what worked and what didn’t, and then use that information to build even better ads later on!
Are you inspired to try a few Facebook Ads this year? I hope this rundown helped you feel less overwhelmed about the process. Testing the waters with a low priced ad involves very little risk and investment, and every time you do it, you learn more and get better.
Don’t let a fear of the unknown keep you from innovating in your business! And of course, if you have any questions, I am always here to help!