by 
Are you advertising on Facebook?
Do you want to create better Facebook ads?
In this article you'll discover four things to help you build a more effective Facebook ad.
#1: Choose Color With Care
It's long been accepted that the psychological associations that come with color–and how we process what we see–affect the power of an advertisement.
Here's a quick guide to color:
The use of color can make all the difference in how potential customers first respond to your advertisement. Use the information about which colors cause which reactions to reinforce the message of your ad.
#2: Use Language That Reflects Your Brand
The limited lifespan and size constraints of social advertising mean that you don't get much room for a blurb. Keep your language punchy, short and authentic.
As you craft your message, think about connotations to avoid any misinterpretations. Don't rely on clichĂ© phrases either. We've all heard the expressions ‘feather-light' and ‘whiter-than-white' too many times for them to have much impact.
Sole Society‘s news feed ad is a great illustration of how short sentences can have an instant impact.
Keep the language simple and make sure your message can be understood at a glance.
#3: Create Impact With Images
The image you can use in a Facebook ad is dictated by the size of the ad you build. The larger dimensions of Facebook news feed ads make it easy to choose images. However, ads that appear at the side are much smaller, so you need to make a careful selection.
The image in the Marks & Spencer ad above works well because it's recognizable even though it's small.
The blue tones in both the image and text allow for a feeling of luxury, while the use of red stimulates a passion for food and white creates a sense of calm.
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The overall message encourages the user to act by appealing to the desire to enjoy good food and a stress-free holiday.
The web is a visual place, which makes images doubly important. Think carefully about what the image you choose says. Does it help convey the message you want to communicate?
#4: Target Effectively
Newcomers to social advertising often make the mistake of targeting as wide an audience as possible. However, this approach is unlikely to have a measurable impact. Think of the reach of “a drop of water in the ocean.” Would that drop find a specific fish by any of the following?
- Location
- Age
- Interests
- Connections
To create a targeted Facebook ad, first choose your type of advertisement.
In this example, I chose Clicks to Website.
After making the selection, you have the option to use an image that Facebook picks up or upload one of your own. Add your headline and blurb. Now, scroll down to the audience section. This is where you make your targeting decisions.
Choose in which countries you want your ad to appear. If you're located in the US and sell beauty products online but are really just a small business, then target as locally as possible.
When you define the age and gender you want to reach, don't automatically exclude teens. They could be your biggest buyers.
Now, use what you already know about your existing customers to target interests, but keep it reasonably tight.
You can also target by relationship status, language and workplace.
Targeting is about using what you know about your customer demographics to ensure your ads are served to the right audience. Who's buying from you? Why? What's their budget and why are they attracted to your product? Who are your competitors and what demographic are they targeting?
Use the answers to these questions to target delivery of your Facebook ads for advertising success.
Bringing It All Together
Social advertising can be an extremely effective part of your marketing strategy. The key is to combine color, language and imagery to deliver a single, clear message to targeted recipients.
If you have more than one message or target demographic, don't create one ad. Create an ad to fill each need.
Use the tips in this article to create clear Facebook ad messaging that appeals to your audience.
What do you think? Which of these components are the most important? What tips for building successful Facebook ads can you share? Give us your thoughts and opinions in the comments below.
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