How to Advertise on Facebook in 2022 [Complete guide]

Advertising on Facebook doesn’t mean that advertising is dead. Regardless of the new players on social media — TikTok, look at us — most marketers still need to know how to advertise on Facebook.

Your ads can reach close to 30% of the global population if you advertise on Facebook right now. The platform’s active user base is growing.

These are impressive numbers. Facebook is all about getting your message out to the right group of people. These are the users most likely to be interested and purchase your products or services.

Continue reading to learn everything you need to know about Facebook ads, including how to plan your first campaign.

What are Facebook ads?

Facebook ads are paid posts that businesses post to promote their products and services to Facebook users.

Source: Fairfax & Favor at Facebook

Facebook ads are often targeted to users based upon their:

• Demographics
• Localization
• Interests
• Additional profile information

Businesses can set a budget and bid for each click, or thousand impressions, that their ad receives.

Facebook ads are similar to Instagram and appear everywhere in the app, including Stories, Messenger, Marketplace, Marketplace, and others. They look just like normal posts, but they always have a “sponsored” label to indicate that they are an ad. Facebook ads have more features than regular posts like CTA buttons and links.

Ads are a key component of any Facebook marketing strategy to get your brand in front more people.

How much does it cost for Facebook advertising?

Facebook advertising budgets are not set in stone. Facebook ads cost depends on many variables, including:

• Audience targeting. It is usually more expensive to place your ads in front a smaller audience than a larger one.
• Ad placement. Prices can vary between ads on Instagram and Facebook.
• Campaign duration. This determines the final cost.
• Competitiveness in your industry. There are some industries that are more competitive than others when it comes to ad space. The product price or the value of the lead you are trying to capture will affect how much ad costs can rise.
• Time of the year. Ad prices can fluctuate during holidays, seasons, or other industry-specific events.
• Time of the day. CPC is at its lowest between midnight and 6 AM in any timezone.
• Location. Average Ad Costs per Country.

Campaign costs should be determined based on the objectives

The most important thing you can to control Facebook ads costs is setting the right campaign objectives. This will increase your chances of success.

Cost-per-click benchmarks can vary depending on the campaign objective. There are five main campaign objectives you can choose from:

• Conversions
• Impressions
• Reach
• Click here
• Lead generation

Average cost-per-click varies between different Facebook ad campaign objectives. An example: A campaign with an impressions objective costs $1.85 per Click, while a campaign that has a conversions objective costs $0.87 Per Click.

It is crucial to choose the right campaign objective in order to reach your goals and reduce costs.

Different types of Facebook ads

Marketers have the option to choose from a variety of Facebook ad formats and types to meet their campaign goals.

• Image
• Video
• Carousel
• Instant Experience
• Collection
• Lead
• Slideshow
• Stories
• Messenger

There are many Facebook ad formats that you can choose from, so you can find the right ad type for your business. Each ad contains a different set CTAs that guide users to the next step.

Each of the Facebook ad formats are explained in greater detail here:

Image ads

Facebook’s simplest ad format is image ads. Businesses can use one image to promote their products, services or brands. Images can be used in a variety of ad types, placements and aspect ratios.

Image ads are great for campaigns that have strong visual content and can be displayed in one image. These images can be made from photography, design, or illustrations.

It takes just a few clicks to create one by simply boosting an existing post and adding an image from your Facebook page.

If you use high-quality imagery, image ads can be simple to create and display your product. They can be used at any stage of the sales funnel, whether you are looking to increase brand awareness or promote new product launches to increase sales.

Image ads can be restrictive. You only have one image to convey your message. The single image ad format may not be the best option if you need to show multiple products or how your product works.

Source: BarkBox at Facebook

Pro tip Pay attention the ratios and specifications of your images so that your product doesn’t get cut or stretched.

Video ads

Video ads on Facebook are similar to image ads. They allow businesses to use one video to show off their products, services or brand.

They are especially useful for product demos, tutorials, or showcasing moving parts.

Video can last up to 240 minutes, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use it! Videos that are shorter are more engaging. Facebook recommends that videos not exceed 15 seconds be posted.

Video ads can add movement to users’ feeds, such as this short video ad from Taco Bell.

Source: Taco Bell on Facebook

Video ads can be expensive and time-consuming to create. For simple messages or products that don’t require demos, a carousel or images ad might be better.

Carousel ads

Carousel ads feature up to ten images and videos that users can click through. Each image or video has its own description, headline, and link.

Carousels are a great way to display a variety of products. Each image can have its own landing page, which can be customized for the product or service it represents.

This Facebook ad format can also be used to guide users through a process, or showcase a series of related products. Each part is separated across different sections of your carousel.

Source: The Fold London, Facebook

Instant Experience ads

Instant Experience ads, formerly known as Canvas Ads are interactive ads for mobile that allow users to interact with your promoted content on Facebook.

Instant Experience ads allow users to tap through a carousel display with images, move the screen in different directions and zoom in or out.

Facebook recommends using five to seven images or videos in each Instant Adventure ad for maximum engagement. Premade templates can also be saved time and allow you to repeat your key theme throughout your ad.

Source: Spruce at Facebook

Collection ads

Collection ads can be compared to immersive carousels, elevating the user experience. Collection ads allow users to browse your product line via mobile window-shopping. They’re more customizable than Carousels and can be viewed full-screen. The Collection ad allows users to purchase products.

Source: Feroldi’s Facebook

Businesses can also opt to allow Facebook algorithms to select which products from your catalogue are included for each user.

Large businesses that sell many products and services will benefit from collection ads. Carousels is a better choice for smaller businesses with a limited product range.

Lead ads

Only mobile devices can view lead ads. They are mobile-friendly because they make it easy for people who want to provide their contact information quickly and easily.

They are great for collecting newsletter subscriptions, signing up for a trial of your product or allowing people to request more information. Many automakers have used them to encourage test drives.

Source: Facebook

Slideshow ads

Slideshow ads can be composed of 3-10 images, or one video that plays in a slideshow. These ads are a great option to video ads as they consume up to five times the data of videos. Slideshow ads are a great choice for markets with slower internet connections.

Slideshow ads can also be a great way for people to get started if they don’t have any video-making experience.

Source: Charter College, Facebook

Stories ads

Mobile phones should be held vertically. Stories ads are a mobile-only, full-screen vertical video format that maximizes screen real estate without asking viewers to turn their screens.

62% of Americans say Stories will be used more in the future than it is today.

Stories can be made up images, videos, or even carousels.

Here’s an example video that was made into a Story ad.

Source: Waterford, Facebook

Stories offer more creative freedom than traditional video ads or images. Businesses can experiment with stickers, filters, emojis and even augmented realities.

Facebook Stories have one drawback: they are not displayed in Facebook feeds. Users may not see them as often as other Facebook advertising formats.

Facebook Stories require different formatting from video or image ads. You may also need to create original content for Stories.

Messenger ads

Messenger ads appear in Facebook’s Messenger tab. Messenger ads feel more personal because it’s where people chat with friends and family.

Your Messenger ads are displayed in conversations, and people can tap to initiate a conversation with you brand. These ads are a great way to get people to interact with you brand. Messenger ads are a great way to promote local products and services for small businesses.

Source:Facebook

How to post ads on Facebook

If you have a Facebook business account, which you should, you can go straight to the Ads Manager/Business Manager to create your Facebook advertising campaign. You will need to create a business page if you don’t already have one.

This post will show you how to use Ads Manager. You can also use Business Manager if you prefer. For more information, see our post on How to Use Facebook Business Manager.

Ads Manager is the place to start when you want to run ads on Messenger and Facebook. It is an all-in-one tool that allows you to create ads, manage where and when they will run, and track campaign performance.

Step 1: Select your goal

Log in to Facebook Ads Manager, select the campaigns tab, then click create to start a new Facebook advertising campaign.

Facebook has 11 marketing objectives that you can choose from depending on the purpose of your ad.

Here’s how they fit with your business goals:

• Increase brand awareness: Introduce you brand to a new audience.
• Reach: Show your ad as much as possible to your audience.
• Traffic: Drive targeted traffic to a web page, app or Facebook Messenger conversation.
• Engagement: Reach large audiences to increase Page follows or post engagements, increase attendance at your event or encourage people claim a special deal.
• App Installs: Get people installing your app.
• Video views Get more people watching your videos.
• Lead generation Get new prospects in your sales funnel.
• Messages Encourage people using Facebook Messenger to contact your company.
• Conversions Get people on your website to take a particular action (like subscribe to your mailing list or purchase your product), using your app or Facebook Messenger.
• Catalog sales Connect your Facebook ads with your product catalogue to show people ads about the products they most likely want to purchase.
• Drive customers to brick-and mortar stores by driving them.

You can choose a campaign objective that is based on your goals for this ad. Remember that conversion-oriented objectives, such as sales, can be paid per action. However exposure objectives (such as traffic and views) will require you to pay for impressions.

In this example, we will choose the Engagementobjective. We need to decide what kind of engagement we want.

For now, we’ll choose Page Likes.

You will see different options depending on the objective you choose.

Click Next.

Step 2. Step 2.

Name your Facebook ad campaign, and tell us if it falls under any special categories such as credit or politics.

To set up an A/B test, click Get started in this section. After the ad is published, you can choose to run different versions against it.

Scroll down to see if you want to turn on Advantage Budget+.

This option is useful if you have multiple ad sets. However, for now, you can just leave it off.

Click Next.

Step 3. Step 3.

You will see a list of ads at the top of this screen. Next, choose the Page you wish to promote.

Next, decide how much money to spend on your Facebook advertising campaign. You can choose to set a daily or a lifetime budget. If you wish to schedule your ad in future, or make it live immediately, then set the start and ending dates.

A schedule for your Facebook paid ads may be the best way to spend your budget. This allows you to choose when your target audience is most likely on Facebook. A lifetime budget is required to set a schedule for your ad.

Step 4. Target your audience

Scroll down to build your target audience for your ads.

Start by choosing your target location, age group, gender, and language. You can also choose to exclude or include cities that are larger than a certain size under location.

You can also choose to prioritize people who have expressed an interest in the product/service you offer.

Keep an eye out for the audience size indicator to the right of the screen as you make your selections. This will give you an idea of your potential reach.

An estimated number of page likes and reach daily will also be displayed. These estimates will be more accurate for campaigns that have been run before, as Facebook will have more data. These estimates are not guaranteed.

Now, it’s time to get into the details.

Remember: Effective targeting can be key to maximising ROI. Facebook Ads Manager offers many ways to target your audience.

To exclude or include people based on their demographics, interests, or behaviors, you can use the Detailed Tracking field. This field is very specific. You could target people who are interested both in hiking and traveling, but exclude backpackers.

Step 5. Step 5.

Scroll down to select where your ads will appear. Scroll down to choose where your ads will appear.

This option will automatically place your ads on Facebook, Instagram Messenger, Messenger, and Audience Network when you are most likely to get the best results.

You may want to choose Manual Placements once you have more experience. This option allows you to control where your Facebook ads appear. You will have more opportunities to reach your target audience the more placements you choose.

Your campaign objectives will determine which options you have, but they may include the following:

• Device type Mobile, desktop or both.
• Platform: Facebook and Instagram, Audience Network and/or Messenger
• Placements, Stories, Reels (for videos), search and messages, search, messages, overlay, post-loop ads, on Reels and search, in article and apps and websites (external Facebook).
• Specific mobile operating systems and devices: Android, iOS, feature phones or all devices.
• Only when connected WiFi: This ad is only visible if the user’s device has WiFi.

Step 6. Step 6.

Scroll down to the Brand Security section to remove any content that might be considered inappropriate for your ad.

You can, for example, choose to exclude sensitive content or add specific block lists. Block lists can be used to exclude certain websites, videos, or publishers.

Once you are satisfied with all options, take a final look at the potential Reach or Page Likes estimates.

Click Next if you are happy with what you see.

Step 7. Step 7.

Select your ad format and then enter the text, media components, and other details. The campaign objective you have chosen back at the start of this process will determine the format options available.

If you are working with images, select your media from your Facebook gallery and choose the best crop to fill your place.

To ensure your ad is suitable for all placements, you can use the preview tool to the right. Once you are satisfied with your choices, click on the green Publish link to launch your ad.

Three tips to post ads on Facebook

1. Pay attention to Facebook’s ad specifications

Facebook ad sizes can change more often than the weather. You need to ensure that the dimensions of your images and videos are correct in order to ensure that your Facebook ads don’t get stretched, cropped, or otherwise distorted.

Here’s a quick breakdown:

Video ads on Facebook

Facebook feed videos

Minimum width: 120 px

Minimum height: 120 px

Resolution: Minimum 1080×1080 pixels

Video ratio: 4 to 5

Video file size: Maximum 4GB

Minimum video length: 1 second

Maximum video length: 241 minutes

Facebook also offers a complete list of all aspect ratios, features and options for videos.

Facebook instant article videos

Resolution: Minimum 1080×1080 pixels

Video ratio: 9/16 to 16:9

Video file size: Maximum 4GB

Minimum video length: 1 second

Maximum video length: 240 minutes

Facebook Stories ads

Recommended: The highest resolution possible (at least 1080×1080 px).

Video ratio: 9/16 (1.91 to 9.16 supported).

Video file size: Maximum 4GB

Maximum video length: 2 mins

Size of Facebook image ads

Facebook feed images

Resolution: Minimum 1080 x 1080 pixels

Minimum width: 600 pixels

Minimum height: 600 pixels

Aspect ratio: 1 to 91% to 1:1

Facebook Instant Article images

Maximum file size: 30 MB

Aspect ratio: 1.91 to 1:1

Resolution: Minimum 1080×1080 pixels

Facebook Marketplace images

Maximum file size: 30 MB

Aspect ratio: 1:1

Resolution: Minimum 1080×1080 pixels

2. Everything should be tested

It is important to not make assumptions about the results of your Facebook ads.

You should always test new ads against your old ads to see if you are making any improvements to the metrics that most matter to you.

Facebook ads are constantly evolving. Only you can determine what works best for your audience. You can only keep your knowledge current by testing.

3. Simplify your workflow

Social media marketers are busy people who have seemingly endless to-do lists. There are a few ways to simplify your workflow.

Hootsuite Boost allows you to promote social media posts from your Hootsuite dashboard. You can manage audience targeting, campaign spending, and duration. Hootsuite can manage which posts are to be boosted by setting up Automation Triggers.

Hootsuite Social Advertising allows you to streamline your social media marketing workflows and maximize your advertising spend. To reach more people, you can boost your most popular organic posts. You can create ad campaigns, track the performance, and adjust to improve results. Later, you can generate rich analytics reports to determine which campaigns achieved your goals.

Hootsuite makes it easy to get the most from your Facebook advertising budget. Hootsuite makes it easy to manage, optimize, and create all of your Facebook advertising campaigns from one place. Get it today for free.

Get Started

With files by Christina Newberry.

The post How to Advertise on Facebook in 2022 [Complete guide] appeared first on Social Media Marketing & Management dashboard.