If you are going create a successful Facebook ad campaign, whether it is to raise awareness of your brand or increase your email list, it is important to tailor your campaign to your target persona and to Facebook. Social media sites are not all alike and each one has a personality and way of presenting content that is unique to that site. You need to learn to work within the parameters of the site in order to maximize your campaign effectiveness and reach.
Facebook has a very user-friendly, but detailed marketing system that you can use to define your target. Once you specify the target, Facebook handles the rest. Because they collect so much information from their users, it is easy for them to select the right users to match with your persona.
You can spend as little as $2 per day on your Facebook ad campaign. While most companies spend more than that amount, you can start small. This low cost allows you to test your images and text for effectiveness.
Facebook is a good place to build a list of followers because so many people are on Facebook, some multiple times a day. Facebook is the largest social media site with a wide range of users from just about every walk of life. One successful technique is creating a lookalike audience, an audience full of people just like your best customers. Facebook allows you to import a custom list, and then find other members who are just like your list. Or you can use a Facebook tracking pixel to record visitors to your site and create a lookalike list from the results.
You don't need to spend a lot of money to create Facebook ad images. You can create them yourself on a program like Canva. Canva has free stock photos and most of their services are free. You can upload your own photos or use one of theirs, then add text and graphics. Since you will need to test your images, it is best to have three or four versions to start. You can start your campaign by alternating them to see which one performs the best.
Testing is just as important for your text message and any graphics. Alternate messages to see which one resonates the best with your target audience.
Don't forget your CTA. This is the reason for the ad in the first place. You want your potential customers to take action. Once you have narrowed down the style and look of your ad, testing your CTA will also make your campaign more effective. Use strong CTA language and offer Facebook members a value if they click.
Hubspot has a terrific article with examples of different Facebook ad types that you can review. Each one shows the ad and why it is good. The two main ad types are sidebar and news feed ads. News feed ads get more engagement generally but are also more expensive. When creating ads, it is best to read the parameters for each ad type to ensure that you give Facebook the correct image size and follow all of the rules.