Social Media Ads FAQ’s – Updated Edition

 

At this point, many of us are aware of the benefits of running ads on social media platforms can bring. However, social media advertising is ever-changing, leading to more and more questions as time goes on. We previously did an FAQ on social media ads, but as Facebook’s Ad Manager has evolved, so too have the questions surrounding it.

You keep asking, and we keep listening! Let’s cover some more common questions regarding Social Media Ads.

What type of ads should I run?

This will depend on the goals you have in place. Do you want more website traffic? If so, look into Web Traffic ads. These types of ads focus on targeting individuals who have shown a high likelihood to interact with links and who fit the criteria of the keywords that are in place. Are you looking to increase Likes and followers to your page? Look into Follower Increase ads. These are, as the name implies, ads to help garner more followers. They have built-in “Like” and “Follow” buttons that make it easier for someone to quickly become part of your page!

What should my budget be?

There are a few questions to ask before setting a budget: where are you located? How big is the population? What is my goal for the ads? How long will my ads run?  The larger the population, the more money you’ll need to put behind an ad in order to maximize its potential. Your budget will also depend on the type of ads you’re running, i.e. your goals. Web Traffic ads tend to require higher budgets while Brand Awareness ads can typically make do with smaller budgets.

The biggest question is how long you want the ad to run? The longer your ad is active, the more money you will need to be put behind it. An ad active for three days won’t need as much money as one running for a whole week. Try to aim for $10 a day as a starting point, then, as you get more comfortable, adjust that budget.

When should I place my ads?

This will require some research on your part. You want to know when your audience is active: time of day, day of the week, and such. Do some research and test—that’s the best way to find the answer to when you should place your ads and when to keep them active. It will be different for everyone, so it is important you take the time to acquire accurate information.

Should I place my ads on both Facebook and Instagram?

At first, you should go ahead and try posting to both platforms. As you continue to push ads out, start looking into the data of how ads on both platforms are performing. If some ads are performing better on Instagram than compared to Facebook, push more on Instagram. The same scenario applies to ads performing better on Facebook vs. Instagram. 

Push to both platforms at first but, as you continue to run your ads, be more strategic with your placements and decide which platform to post to based on the data you collect.

When can I expect to see results?

There is no definitive answer to this question, as it all depends on the factors that were mentioned above. The best way to go about checking for a return is to perform quarterly check-ins. Look at how you’re performing and see what is and isn’t working. 

Do you need to make adjustments to audiences or keywords? Go ahead and do so. The process takes time, and there will be plenty of trial and error associated with it, so just keep at it and grow from all of your experiences!

 

Are you still looking for some answers? Don’t hesitate to reach out to our Social Team to speak to our Social Media Ad Specialists!  

 

—Adrian Vargas, Social Media Ad Specialist, Sesame Communications