Facebook is the leading social media platform used by marketers, according to a study by Social Media Examiner. However, the same study cites a huge difference between B2B and B2C companies. While 66% of B2C companies choose Facebook as their top social media choice, only 37% of B2B marketers prefer it. And while Facebook remains a top priority for social media strategy, 35% of marketers aren’t sure if their tactics are effective.
The study also reports that 57% of marketers want to increase their use of Facebook ads, with 76% of respondents identifying Facebook ads as the top paid social media advertising option they want to learn more about. If you’re considering adding Facebook to your social media strategy or just simply want to improve your efforts, you’ll want to make the most out of the platform where people spend 35 minutes of their time every day. Don’t make these five common mistakes B2B marketers are guilty of committing when they advertise on Facebook.
1. Completely Relying on Boost Posts
Boosting posts on Facebook is easy. With just a few clicks, you’ll be able to spread your reach to a wider audience and set the budget you want. But, you should also consider Facebook’s other, and arguably better, advertising option: Facebook Ads Manager. It offers the same options as boosting a post, but considerably more refined when it comes to targeting and controlling your budget.
While the Ads Manager might take more time to master compared to boosting a post, it does provide better results for just a little more effort. And if you’ve added a Facebook pixel to your site, Ads Manager also gives you the option to use remarketing as part of your strategy. This opens up the possibilities of retargeting leads and bringing customers back to your site.
2. Using Generic Boring Visuals
Sometimes, it might feel like B2B marketing stifles creativity especially when it comes to visuals, and it could make a great ad look uninspired and fall flat for your audiences. However, you shouldn’t feel trapped by the conventions of B2B professionalism, as it can inspire clean and effective Facebook ads like these:
This ad has a simple vector illustration that gives people a clear image of what the company does: manage your inbox, so you’re not pressured by the amount of emails in it.
You might wonder what puppies have to do with surveys, but that’s exactly the point. The image in this ad makes you stop to look at its relation to the company and its services. Plus, people love looking at cute puppies.
By using an event photo, Neil Patel makes the post look less like an ad and more like an update from a friend. It’s more natural and also puts a face to the brand.
SourceIf your company has a mascot, use it! It’s a great way to show branding and also captures attention since they’re left wondering about the adorable figure.
3. Failing to Do Audience and Visual Testing
Remember: data is always key to a successful marketing campaign. When you’re running Facebook ads, one of the best ways to get data is to conduct testing for both the audience and creative.
Since Facebook doesn’t charge a lot for cost-per-click, you can affordably run multiple facebook ad campaigns or creatives to see which work best for your goals. With B2B, it can be easy to fall into the mentality that a niche audience means there’s not much difference in how you should run your ads. But, that’s not the case. You should always run test ads on your audiences to see how different segments respond.
Aside from the audience, you should also test design variants of your ads by changing only one element at a time. By using A/B testing, you can make more focused decisions as to which copy, images, layout, and other variables work best on your audience. Make use of Facebook’s analytics and data to help you adjust your strategy accordingly.
4. Not Optimizing the Landing Pages
Landing pages are important tools for lead generation. Creating multiple landing pages can be a huge source of leads, as B2B companies have reported a huge spike in leads when they employ 40 or more landing pages.
If you’re running ad campaigns on Facebook, use them in conjunction to landing pages on your website. By doing so, you’ll have more control over the conversion process. Here are some tips to optimize your Facebook landing pages:
- Don’t send mixed messages. Show clear intent and unique value proposition. If you’re offering free content on an ad, your landing page shouldn’t ask for payment.
- Observe continuity. Just as your ad should have the same message as your landing page, they should also have visual elements that go together. Use the same image, font, and/or colors for both.
- Have a clear CTA. Make it visible, interesting, and compelling. Don’t let people click on your ad only to get lost on your website.
- Work with mobile. 81% of Facebook’s ad revenue was generated from mobile ads in 2016. With many Facebook users accessing social media on their devices, it’s only practical to create landing pages that are mobile-friendly.
Just as you run a test on your ads to see how they perform, you should also do the same for your landing pages. Gathering data ensures that you’re using the ones that make a difference in your lead generation and conversion strategy.
5. Choosing the Wrong Campaign Objective
For those using Facebook’s Ad Manager or Power Editor, there are a lot of choices available when deciding on an advertising objective. But remember, as a B2B marketer, your goals for your ads are different from B2C companies.
By choosing the wrong objective, your advertising efforts could lead to an unsuccessful campaign. So, be mindful of what objectives you set when you create your ads. The common ones you should take into consideration are:
- Page post engagement
- Brand awareness
- Clicks to website
- Lead generation
- Event responses
- Website conversions
- Offer claims
To make it even easier, Facebook provides a guide with design recommendation and tips to help you.
As you can see, Facebook provides businesses versatile tools to create ad campaigns. They’re low-cost, highly customizable, and rich with analytics. All you have to do is test them out for yourself and see what works for you and your B2B company. By avoiding the mistakes listed above, you can have a strong foundation for your Facebook advertising efforts.
