Facebook Ads are one of the most underrated and underutilized forms of marketing because of past disappointment in the results. But, when talking to clients about how they've used Facebook Ads in the past, it's obvious that it didn't happen because Facebook Ads just didn't work for their business (as most of them tell me). It's really because they didn't have a strategy in place or didn't utilize the proper type of Ad for what they were wanting to achieve with them.
So, I wanted to bring in an expert to address Facebook Ads for pet businesses. This guest blog post is written by a good friend of mine, Jenny, from Ads Uncorked. You may be familiar with her from her AMAZING interview on Facebook Ads from the Empowered Petpreneur Interview Series.
See below for what she had to say about the top 4 Facebook and Instagram Ads for pet business owners!
As a pet business owner, it can be overwhelming knowing where to begin with Facebook and Instagram Ads. Today we are going to break down common questions pet business owners have about Facebook Ads, as well as ads that you should consider running for your pet business. Let’s dive right on in by talking about the difference between a boost and an ad. If you’ve spent money boosting a post on Instagram or Facebook, chances are you’ve been disappointed in the results or worse, you have no idea what the outcome of the boost was.
Sound familiar?
I hear this all of the time from business owners who spent money and have nothing to show for it. This is the number one mistake business owners make because boosting a post is NOT the same as running an ad on Facebook and Instagram.
Ads are created through Facebook Ads Manager and with an ad, you have measurable results to look back on, can set up custom audiences that actually convert, and the ad is part of a larger picture, rather than putting money behind a boost and praying it reaches whoever needs to see that message.
Now, what is the larger picture you should have in mind when running ads? I’m going to answer that with another question for you to consider...What is your ultimate goal? Is it to get people to book your services or purchase your product? Is your goal to promote an upcoming sale you’re running? Is your goal to increase local brand awareness, then push people to use your business?
When boosting a post, there isn’t a larger goal in mind and oftentimes, there is not a tangible result that comes from the boost other than increasing the number of eyes on your post.
So, I’ve put together a list of the top 4 ads for pet business owners to get your wheels turning about the ads that will serve your business best.
Top Facebook Ads for Pet Business Owners
1) Ads for Sales and Special Promotions
If you have an upcoming promotion, you should absolutely run ads to your warmest audiences possible, to encourage them to purchase from you or book with you! This can be done in the form of running a sale on services or products, or even giving out a discount code to apply at checkout. People love a good deal, and offering a discount may just be the thing that turns a viewer into a loyal customer. Learn more about creating ads with discounts and the advertising funnel process here.
2) Ads to Grow Your Email List
If you’re a business owner that regularly sends out emails about your business, special offers, updates in the industry, new products or services, etc., I highly recommend running ads to grow your email list! Facebook and Instagram Ads are a wonderful way to not only grow your email list, but also convert these new email subscribers into paying customers with a well thought out email funnel. With this method, you'd direct ad clicks to a subscribe page where they can sign up for your email list in the form of a freebie or offer that they need to enter their email address to receive.
3) Ads for Appointment Bookings
Looking to book more clients? Facebook Ads are a wonderful way to fill up your calendar’s bookings by running ads that direct people to your website to book an appointment! The best part? Through Facebook Ads Manager, you can know your exact return on your ad spend, based on how many people book after seeing your ad. Talk about a relief!
4) Retargeting ads
Last, and probably the most important, are retargeting ads! Retargeting simply means to reach people who are already familiar with your business. This can be retargeting to website visitors, your social media followers, past customers, or people who began a checkout process, but didn’t finish entering their payment information. These types of ads are very effective because those seeing the ad are already familiar with your audience and they’re more likely to take you up on whatever you’re offering. Make sure when you’re retargeting that you offer some sort of discount or promotion to sweeten the deal! You’ll be amazed at how eager your fans are to support you, especially when there’s a little discount in it for them!
Need help putting this all into practice? Ads Uncorked has a shop full of easy-to-follow video tutorials and guides to get you up to speed quickly with setting up your ad account, creating effective audiences, writing ad copy that converts, and gauging your return on your ads. Save hours and hours of frustration, hundreds of dollars, and get 1:1 support through the items in our shop. Check out the video bundle packs today by clicking here.
For more tips and tricks, make sure to check out our free resources here.
