In the United States, there are approximately 240 million Facebook users or 70% of the entire U.S. population. With Facebook advertising, your business can tap into this huge social media audience with curated images, videos, and more — for a price. But are Facebook ads worth it?
Are Facebook Ads Worth It for Small Businesses?
Facebook ads deliver incredible value for e-commerce businesses. If you sell products online, social media advertising is one of the best ways to reach a wider audience. Not surprisingly, almost 90% of marketing pros use Facebook ads regularly.
Social media marketing is a smart investment for countless industries, including:
- Retailers and fashion brands
- Restaurants and coffee shops
- Construction businesses and interior designers
- Lawyers and financial experts
- Doctors, dentists, and other health and wellness services
Many ads target everyday consumers, but B2B companies can benefit from social media marketing, too.
What Are the Pros and Cons of Facebook Ads?
To decide if Facebook ads are worth it, you need to consider the pros and cons for your business.
Pros
Paid social media marketing provides nearly unbeatable advantages in some areas.
Precise Ad Targeting
One of the biggest strengths of Facebook ads is the level of customization you have for campaigns. Possible parameters include:
- Demographic details: Location, age, gender, education level, income, etc.
- Interests: Lifestyle, relationship/parenting factors, hobbies, and personal preferences
- B2B factors: Job title, industry, business size, and employer name
This flexibility means your advertising dollars are more likely to deliver results.
Countless Ad Types and Creation Options
Facebook marketing services provide extensive tools for ad creation. Templates make it easier to find the right look and feel to connect with your target audience. There are many eye-catching configurations available:
- Posts: Short snippets of text content, statistics, or key points
- Polls: Interactive ads to engage with users
- Images: Impactful visual content to show products, paint a picture, or touch emotions
- Videos: Attention-grabbing animations and short-form video content
- Carousels: Ads with multiple images or videos for users to scroll
- Collections: Fullscreen experiences that combine videos, carousels, images, and text for mobile users
Choosing the right format makes your advertising more persuasive and helps you stand out from the crowd.
In-Depth Behavior Tracking with Facebook Pixel
When users spend time on Facebook, Instagram, or connected websites, Meta gathers information about their activities. You can use the data to fine-tune custom audience profiles, such as:
- Parents who frequently read posts related to home remodeling
- People interested in investment topics
- Users who watch videos about fashion trends
- Business managers who click on posts similar to yours
You can also embed the Facebook Pixel on your website to track the browsing habits of page visitors and see how effective your campaigns are.
Instagram and Messenger Advertising
When you advertise with Facebook, you also get access to Instagram and Messenger users. This gives you greater flexibility for reaching different target groups on the platforms they prefer. All ad campaigns, metrics, and post schedules show up in the Meta Business Suite for easy coordination.
Cons
Facebook advertising isn’t ideal for every business, especially DIY varieties.
It’s Complicated for Beginners
Understanding how to create custom ad groups, set advertising parameters, and track results isn’t easy. Small business owners may feel overwhelmed.
Social Media Ads Involve Trial and Error
A/B testing is important for online ads. People don’t always respond the way you expect, but you learn valuable lessons that improve your efforts every time.
Success Depends on the Audience’s Age and Interests
Facebook is popular with the majority of millennials (70%) but only around 35% of Gen Zers. If your primary audience doesn’t use Facebook, you may be better off focusing on local SEO or YouTube content.
Last but not least, managing Facebook ads is time-consuming for small businesses. Our professional Facebook marketing services are an effortless solution.
How Can Facebook Ads Help Your Business?
Investing in social media ads can offer concrete benefits for your marketing efforts and sales.
Cost-Effective Advertising
The average cost per click with Facebook ads is just 51.3 cents, much better than many Google ad rates. The cost per lead is under $6. Of course, these figures depend on the amount of competition you have for clicks.
Huge Range of Marketing and Lead Generation Possibilities
Business professionals frequently have Facebook accounts, making advertising a smart way to nurture leads for manufacturing, IT, business consulting, marketing, and other industries. You can customize ads for any stage of the funnel, going broad to generate interest or narrow to capture hot leads.
Faster Results
Organic search is effective but takes six months or more for results. In contrast, Facebook ads can start driving traffic to your website from day one. You can (and should) get some leads and sales immediately.
How Can You Get the Most Bang for Your Buck with Facebook Ads?
A few healthy habits can deliver big improvements for social media marketing.
Know Your Audience
Don’t let info from past ad campaigns go to waste. Use what you learn to understand your target audience better. Take advantage of Meta’s ad personalization features so your content reaches the people who count.
Track Metrics
Set clear goals with social media ads. Key metrics for Facebook and Instagram are:
- Views and likes
- Post engagement
- New leads/email opt-ins
- Outbound traffic to your website
Goals help you keep improving your ads. Plus, shifting strategies when something isn’t working saves you money.
Keep It Simple
Don’t overdo it with text. Let a few words or sentences do the talking. Don’t shy away from bold colors, such as reds, greens, oranges, and yellows. Above all, make your call to action stand out.
Use Eye-Catching Images
Always include professional-quality photos or videos. Optimize the size for mobile so they load quickly. Choose images that tell a story your target audience wants to hear.
Are Facebook Ads Worth It for Your Business?
Advertising on Facebook is an excellent decision for many B2B and B2C companies. That said, getting great results requires experience, effort, and money for ad spend.
At Digital Neighbor, we’re experts in organic and paid search marketing. We can plan, test, create, track, and tweak Facebook and Instagram advertising campaigns. Are Facebook ads worth it for your business? Schedule a one-on-one appointment with our marketing pros to find out.
