Facebook & Instagram Ads

We like to think of social media ads as the roadside billboard of the digital world. Just as people drive down the road and see billboards, people also scroll social media and see ads.

But there is one major difference.

On the road, people can see the billboard but they’re not likely to be able to call or go to your website.

On social media, hopefully they’re sitting somewhere safe where they’re a click away from calling, viewing your website, sending an email or text, or getting directions to your location.

Social Media Ads vs. Search Engine Ads

The biggest difference to understand between social media ads and search engine ads is what we refer to as user intent.

Think about the state of mind of a person who is scrolling through social media on their phone. They are mostly there to connect with people and the various topics people discuss on social platforms. They might see your ad and may or may not be interested at that moment.

Alternatively, think about a person who goes to Google, enters a query relevant to your service, and sees your ad on the search results page. They are seeing your ad because they are actively looking for the service your business provides. Their intent to buy is very high.

This difference in user intent doesn’t necessarily mean one is better than the other—it just depends on your objective.

How to Maximize Ads on Social Media

Social media ads can be a very effective way to put your business in front of people who might be ready to learn more about your business, or become a customer. But it might also just be for brand recognition.

The brand impression alone has value, and sometimes seeing your service mentioned in a feed reminds someone they need to connect and get that project done around the house.

Studies have shown the average customer needs to see your brand as many as 11 times before they make a commitment.

While search ads put your brand in front of people the moment they have intent, it’s important to understand they may also see multiple competing search ads, maps ads, and Local Service Ads, as well as organic search results.

If you’ve used social media ads previously, your name just might sound familiar to them which can increases the odds they choose your brand versus a competitor.

In a perfect world, you might have a presence using Facebook or Instagram ads for brand recognition, as well as ads within organic search to capture more high intent visitors.

What To Expect From Facebook & Instagram Ads

If we work together on your social media ads, you will receive scroll-stopping design and persuasive copy, targeted to your audience. We can help you setup their journey to maximize their engagement and meet your conversion goals.

The main objective are to increase brand awareness, drive more traffic to your business, and hopefully increase sales as we continually refine your ads to optimize the return on ad spend.

However, this will not work over night.

Social media ads are a much longer play because of the brand awareness requisite which doesn’t apply as heavily to organic search ads. Remember, there is less intent because you’re interrupting the scrolling patterns of the end user, and therefore you can’t expect immediate sales.

Rather, you’ll gain more recognition, slowly build trust, and your future customers will become accustomed to your brand identity.