Most fitness businesses I work with have run Facebook ads in the past with varying degrees of success. The usual case is that a lot of money is spent with disappointing results. So before you run a Facebook ad campaign, use the tips below to get a better return on your time and money.
Is Facebook marketing dead?
You may have heard Facebook referred to as “old people’s social media” and I’ve seen plenty of social media marketers roll their eyes at it as being yesterday’s platform, but do you really think a company like Meta is going to let that happen? Now, Meta haven’t put all their eggs in one basket – they own three of the world’s biggest social media platforms, being Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, but their original baby, Facebook is still leading the charge. In fact, 2024 data shows that Facebook is the world’s most used social media platform.
Depending on your niche audience, you may need to be paying close attention to and investing in your marketing across other platforms such as TikTok and YouTube, and of course, don’t get me started on my number one for online marketing, SEO – but that’s not what we’re diving in to today. The key to Facebook marketing is knowing your audience, and thinking about why people use Facebook.
Understanding people's behaviour on Facebook
Let’s think about why people use Facebook. One thing to remember is people don’t get on Facebook with their credit card in one hand. People use social media networks for the social aspect. So my first tip is to try not to make your ad look like an ad. Make it look more like a social share instead and not like you are trying to sell them something.
Defining your audience
A few minutes spent really defining your target audience is a valuable start to any marketing strategy. Is your business location specific or are you keen to target or expand into certain locations? Does your product or service appeal more to a specific gender, age or income level?
When working with a client through this process I ask questions such as:
- What is the problem that your product or service solves for people?
- What are their pain points and what issues might they have experienced with other businesses like yours in the past?
- How can you address these objections?
- How will your product or service make them feel?
Grabbing attention in the Facebook feed
Think of the newsfeed as a forest – the last thing you want is to make your ad look like another tree so it just blends in with all the others. People scroll through their newsfeed at lightening speed, so the challenge is capturing the reader’s attention. Using a striking image and an eye catching headline is the first place to start.
Creating compelling content could be through short videos, high quality images, or useful educational posts. Don’t be afraid to give away some of your knowledge and expertise for free – it builds trust like nothing else… after all, if this is how good the free experience is, imagine how good access to the paid stuff will be!
For a fitness business owner, attention grabbing content could include:
- Workout routines for specific objectives
- Client testimonials and feedback
- Fitness tips, hacks and advice
- Nutrition tips including recipes
- Creative ways to use your product
- Eye-catching visuals of your facilities
Engagement and connecting with prospective clients
Once you have their attention, now your goal is to create a connection. Again, Facebook is a social platform so this is important – don’t come across as a marketer trying to sell stuff. One of the basic human needs is to feel connected with other people, so this is a very powerful emotion to use. Starting with a question where the answer is “Yes” is a great start.
I can’t understate the importance of engaging with users who comment on your posts promptly and professionally. There will always be the odd negative comment, but they key is to be able to respond in a way that addresses their issue, remembering that everyone is watching to see how you will respond. Remember, there are always prospective customers who are basing their decision whether to engage with your or not on how you respond to other people’s comments!
Other ways to engage with users on Facebook include asking questions, running opinion polls, or contests for free giveaways.
Creating compelling Facebook ads
You don’t need to use paid advertising on Facebook – I’ve seen some cracking social media campaigns that have gleaned brilliant results through clever, organically grown social media marketing. If you do want to add some fuel to your fire, however, the good thing about Facebook ads is that you can stick to whatever budget you have available.
The important things to consider when running Facebook ads are:
- Specify your audience: Facebook has great detailed targeting options to help you define and reach your target customers.
- Ad formats: Try experimenting with different typed of ad format. This could be short videos, carousels, or lead capture forms.
- Set your budget: if you’re new to social media marketing, consider breaking your budget down to a testing phase, where you can try a couple of different formats and then review the ads performance before investing more into a more successful campaign.
Getting social media leads to take action
Once you’ve grabbed their attention, engaged with them, and hopefully built some trust and rapport with your prospective customer, it’s time to get them to take action. First of all, be clear about what that action should be – do you want them to join a newsletter, hit the ‘buy now” button, make a booking, or call you? In marketing terms, we refer to this as the “call to action” and it needs to be slapping them in the face so they have so doubt as to what they should do next if they are interested.
A little scarcity can go a long way. Make sure that your offer has an end point with an offer until midnight, the end of the week, or while stocks last – you get the idea. Have a think about your own behaviour – are you more inclined to take action when you know it’s a limited offer? I know I am!
Have a great offer – give something away for free! People love getting something for nothing – it’s a great way to increase the value and therefore decrease the risk of your offer for them.
Getting the most out of your Facebook marketing
Social media is a big sea to swim in and the rules and changing all the time. I strongly recommend engaging a professional to help you with your social media strategy – at least in the initial setup and planning, even if you don’t pay someone to manage it on an ongoing basis. Having a clear social media marketing strategy will mean you are getting the most out of your marketing budget and maximising the return on investment in the long term.
A couple of points to add:
- Install the Meta pixel on your website to track conversions, optimise ads, and build targeted audiences for remarketing.
- Regularly review Facebook insights and performance metrics of your ad campaigns to understand what content works best for your audience
- Listen to feedback from customers and if you aren’t getting any, seek it out!
- Adhere to Australian data protection laws when collecting and using customer data
- Make sure your ads comply with Facebook’s advertising policies as well as any industry specific regulations.
Last of all, remember that social media is built on people. Think about how you can collaborate with others within your industry and how cross-promotion could benefit you both. Relationships are more valuable than any kind of ad campaign, so start giving a shout out to other businesses in your area with no expectation of anything in return and see what blossoms.
Article written by Sarah McKellar from Top Gong Digital Marketing
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