Last Updated on Dec 20, 2019 by James W
There are lots of options to consider when it comes to growing a small business and taking it to the next level. You could consider some traditional direct marketing tactics, such as leaflet drops, or you could investigate advertising in other locations such as websites or local newspapers. Or you could even consider giveaways, stunts and more.
But in the modern age, it’s essential to also be thinking about social media – and in particular the site which is perhaps the most famous platform of them all, Facebook. While this can seem like a pain or even something that’s a little frightening, it’s a must: after all, there are well over two billion monthly active users on Facebook! This article will explain how a paid Facebook marketing strategy can enhance your small business’ growth prospects.
Targeted and precise
A Facebook advert can reach a whole host of consumers quickly and efficiently. It’s perfectly possible, for example, to target an advert right down a geographical area as specific as a neighborhood. For a small business which appeals to a group as small as this, such as a liquor store, the benefits of such specific location information are numerous. But it’s still possible to make the most of Facebook advertising even if your small business caters to a whole village, town or region, as the geographic targeting function is scalable.
The advantage of doing this compared to traditional marketing (such as leaflet drops) is of course the time saved. A leaflet delivery or a poster campaign requires design, printing and distribution: with no printing requirements needed for Facebook adverts and with the distribution managed entirely by Facebook, you can focus all of your energies on creating a relevant and appealing ad.
Testing and experimenting
Experiments are the bedrock of any successful digital marketing campaign. You may already have a well-performing advert, for example, but it could be performing better – and you’d only know it by testing. On Facebook, it’s possible to test lots of different adverts at once to see which one delivers the results you want. You can change key variables each time: you could alter the geographical radius of users targeted, for example, while you could also alter the image used or the text included – or even the age, gender or other personal characteristic of users.
But the key here is that you can do it easily, and without wasting too much time. In fact, the Facebook advertising system is geared up to make it as easy as possible to perform the tests you need. You can split test your ads simply by clicking a button, and Facebook will then serve your potential consumers each advert in a controlled manner. It’s never as easy to do this sort of thing with a leaflet or other traditional marketing format, as the responses of each consumer simply can’t be tracked as effectively or accurately.
Cost effectiveness
If you’re currently spending a large amount on advertising and marketing, adverts on the Facebook platform could well represent a transformation. Facebook adverts are bought in a marketplace-style fashion, so provided you find a niche in which there’s little competition, you’re likely to pay a low amount. While there’s no guarantee that you’ll get a cheap deal, it’s well worth trying out as there are many users who have benefitted from the supply and demand model in this way.
And when it comes to the creation of the actual ad, it’s also not the case that you need to hire professional designers or copywriters and pay expensive rates in order to get your paid Facebook marketing campaign off the ground. You can use some of the many easy to use, cheap or even free tools out there on the web to design and launch the ads. You can use a Facebook ads creator for this purpose, especially if you want to save time or avoid hiring a paid social marketing manager.
Facebook is a giant organization – and for a small firm looking to transform its business growth plans, it can seem like a behemoth which is impenetrable. But in reality, there are all sorts of benefits that a small business can gain from using Facebook and its paid advertising functions. It provides a chance to target all sorts of groups, interests and demographics – and, crucially for a small firm, geographical locations. And with cost effectiveness, the chance to experiment and built-in split testing functions thrown into the mix, there are plenty of reasons to try out this modern and innovative form of advertising.
