“Facebook ads don’t work anymore”
Have you heard this?
It’s something that marketers have been periodically chirping up about for a couple of years. It’s certainly true that 2021/2022 saw some tougher times in advertising; costs went up, competition for placements on the platforms was more fierce, and great results took more work.... but they never stopped working, and, for us, they never stopped delivering growth for our clients.
Just because it’s not easy, doesn’t mean it’s not worth it!
And those who stuck with Facebook will have noticed, particularly for e-commerce, the tides are changing; ad costs are gradually coming down, and growth is coming more easily. Great times for anyone who stuck with the platform as accounts stuffed with up-to-date data and optimised campaigns are reaping the benefits.
So, what are the three key elements to make campaigns thrive in 2023?
Tracking
A couple of years ago tracking and visibility on campaigns was blown out of the water by the iOS14 update. It was a messy time in ads, ads managers were tearing their hair out, but out of problems come solutions. Since then, privacy laws and tracking restrictions worldwide have only become tighter, so processes to pull in all the data possible need to be in place.
As well as the Facebook pixel, are you using the Conversions API (CAPI)? Drop us a line if this is something you’d like us to cover in another article.
Ad creative
The bar on ad creative keeps rising, and if you’re not consistently testing new creative and working to further develop what works, you’re going to get left behind. Things to consider for 2023:
If you’re not testing any kind of video in your campaigns, you’re not getting the most out of your ads. Footage shot on a phone, or creating a gif, are both good places to start. If someone is speaking, make sure you add captions.
Authentic, unpolished content is big at the moment. If it doesn’t look like an ad, that might work in your favour. Try testing something really authentic.
User generated content (UGC) is also performing very well. Rally your customers and ambassadors to get their phones out and rave about your product or service.
Posts or reels which perform particularly well organically are always worth testing in an appropriate campaign.
‘Call to Action’ (CTA) and journey to check out
What action are you asking your audience to take, and is it really flipping obvious and easy? The advantage of today’s consumers is that they are super confident buying and operating online, the disadvantage is that they are usually viewing an ad whilst unloading the dishwasher/waiting for a file to upload/having one eye on the TV. Things to consider:
Clear CTA - what do you want them to do?
Seamless, frictionless journey to checkout. Strip out all the unnecessary distractions or additional steps between clicking your ad and hitting ‘Order Now’/’Sign Up’ etc.
Keeping the above in mind, make sure any key information which will bolster trust is easy to find, eg reviews
Easy payment options; PayPal, Klarna, Google Pay etc
These are three really key elements to get right in today’s environment…. but all the old principles of advertising on Facebook and Instagram still apply. Robust testing, including with audiences and offers, slick funnels, integrating campaigns with email and other social/search platforms where possible, and maintaining a great organic feed.
Facebook and Instagram advertising is definitely getting its mojo back… it’s a brilliant time to get stuck back in.
🚀 Need support putting the rocket fuel back in your campaigns? We have two options to help you:
Fully managed ads - lift it off your plate and drop it on ours
‘Ask Nutshell’ - the lower cost option where you run your own ads, but we stand in the wings giving you direction and support
And finally, a note from a client who handed us their campaigns to fully manage in early 2022
“Having worked with a few agencies we knew that Nutshell were the right fit for Ancient + Brave. Julie and Sophie are exceptionally good at what they do. They explain the complicated process of digital marketing with patience and clarity. We have felt completely held and supported at every stage of the process and Nutshell feel like an integrated part of our team.
In addition to being great to work with, we are also seeing some very exciting results as Nutshell are showing their skill in being able to help us scale our revenue. With a keen sense of market and a flair for the creative, we work closely with Julie and Sophie on our campaigns. Brilliant work and we thoroughly recommend them!”
Kate Prince, Founder, Ancient + Brave