The other night while suffering from extreme jet lag and unable to sleep, I was thinking about the upcoming Facebook Ad program and it hit me that we can learn a lot from the business owners in India.

I spent 8 days in Rishikesh, in the north of India and the self-proclaimed capital of Yoga. There are dozens of yoga training programs offered in Rishikesh.  It’s also a holy city, located on the banks of the Ganges River in the foothills of the Himalayas. The city is teeming with tourists, yogis and spiritual pilgrims, both from the West and from all over India.

There are hundreds of shops selling trinkets, jewelry, souvenirs, clothing, etc., etc. Most of the stuff is similar, if not exactly the same, from shop to shop. So how does one shop standout from another to attract the valuable tourist rupees?

There is a cacophony of advertising EVERYWHERE, and the shop owners frequently stand in the doorway shouting about their wares, engaging with people as they wander by, inviting them to enter their shop where they can move into their masterful sales patter.

Shop owners do not sit in the back of the shop and wait and hope you’ll enter. They actively engage passersby with enticing offers. They have signs and ads and displays right in your face as you walk by.

And it works. A smile, a particularly appealing invitation or beautiful bracelet catches your eye, and you’re in.

The vendors in Rishikesh know they have a lot of competition and they know they are all vying for the same small niche audience. And, they work it, constantly. Their livelihood depends on it.

We, online entrepreneurs, are spoiled. For years we have enjoyed using the free tools of the Web to attract new customers and clients. We rarely felt we had to pay for ads to attract eyeballs on our offers.

But things have changed.

There’s more competition for the same eyeballs. You can no longer sit at the back of your virtual shop and wait for people to notice you, wander in, and buy your programs and products.

It’s time to get more vocal and be proactive about getting in front of your ideal audience. You don’t need to stand on a corner and shout to passersby. You do need get your message and invitations in front of them, though, and on the Web, that’s with ads.

Facebook is one of the best platforms for targeting and reaching your specific niche of buyers.

Facebook recently announced major changes to what your fans will be seeing in their news feed. Mari Smith summed it up:

Note: the overly promotional content people don’t care for in their News Feed tends to be organic posts by Pages. Not ads. In other words, when Pages pay to amplify the reach and visibility of a specific piece of content, users are okay with that. It’s obvious it’s an ad and we’ve come to expect something more commercial in nature, right? A well-targeted ad, for a product or service that you actually need, is a wonderful thing.

According to the people surveyed, these are the traits that make organic posts feel too promotional:

1) Posts that solely push people to buy a product or install an app.
2) Posts that push people to enter promotions and sweepstakes with no real context.
3) Posts that reuse the exact same content from ads.

Facebook says, “Pages that post promotional creative should expect their organic distribution to fall significantly over time.”

If you don’t know how to create inexpensive, effective ads, you’re wasting your money.  It’s much better to learn how to create targeted ads and campaigns the right way. It will save you a ton of time, money and lots of grief in the long run. And, you’ll see better results.

It doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg, either. In fact, for as little as $30 a month, you can create a steady stream of leads for your business. Wouldn’t that be worth it?

• You have to know the 3 best ads for reaching your business.
• You have to know how piggyback on the others’ success to target the right people.
• You have to know how to create a campaign and set a reasonable budget.
• And, you do have to be willing to invest in your business.

I’m hosting Grow Your Business with Facebook Ads with Erin Tillotson, a Facebook ad pro. It’s a 3-part nuts and bolts program, showing you exactly what to do and why. No mystery. No “figure it out for yourself.” It’s practical and you’ll see exactly how to create ads that work and convert to likes, engagement and sales.

In your business, I want for you to be found and seen and hired by the right clients and customers.  Because, when you’re successful, there’s a domino effect that spreads to those you serve and touch. 

If you’re not getting enough clients, then I invite you to come on board and learn how you can put Facebook ads to work for you, without breaking the bank. There’s a huge untapped audience waiting to find you on Facebook. It’s time for you get out there so you can make a positive impact on their lives.

Sounds good, right?

Join us for Grow Your Business with Facebook Ads, starting soon, on December 3 (just in time to create your holiday ads!).

P.S. The next 11 people to join get an invitation to attend a small group coaching Q&A session. That’s extra, personalized help for getting the best out of your ads.

P.P.S. We have also added a private Facebook group for participants, so you can get ongoing, extra support during the program.

Get started here.

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The post What I Learned About Advertising on My Trip to India appeared first on Adventures in Visibility.

You know what frustrates me?

When I hear otherwise smart entrepreneurs say things like, “I would never pay for Facebook ads, they don’t work.” And “Why aren’t I getting more leads on Facebook? No one sees my offers!”

Think about it.

You know Facebook has become a “pay to play” network for businesses. You own and run and business. You’ve put a lot of time and energy into building your Facebook page. You know only a small percent of the people who’ve liked your page ever see your content.

So what do you do? Give up?

There is another way and it won’t cost you and arm and a leg. But, you do have to make an investment, like most businesses do in order to reach their ideal audience. Yes, there are a lot of free tools you can use to connect with people, but if your connections are not converting, you’ve got to try something new.

There are two reasons you need to consider Facebook ads:

1. There are over 1,000,000,000 (that’s 1 billion) people using Facebook. 47% of Americans say Facebook is the #1 influencer of their purchases, and 70% of marketers use Facebook ads to get new customers. Why not you, too?
2. Audience targeting. Facebook has the most sophisticated audience targeting options and two types of targeting can make a huge difference on the results you get with your ads: custom audiences and look-alike audiences.

If you’re not getting results with your ads, you’re probably using the random hit and miss method of advertising. I did that for a long time and wondered why the heck nothing much happened. It was pathetic and a waste of money.

Or, you’re not using ads at all.

That’s fine. But, from a business perspective you’re missing a huge opportunity to get in front of the people who need and want what you offer. If you’re not using the powerful features to target new leads, then you’re playing very small and only reaching a minute fraction of the people who could benefit from your message. That’s a fact, not a judgment.

I’ve found that most Facebook Ad training programs are too confusing, complicated and don’t make sense for my solo business. It seems like they are meant for brands and corporations that have big budgets. Have you experienced that too?

That’s why I’ve teamed up with Erin Tillotson and developed a program for people like us: consultants, coaches, authors, speaker and other solo professionals.

Before we developed the program, we asked small business owners what they wanted to know about using Facebook ads. Here’s what they told us:

• What should I realistically expect to spend on ads?
• What’s better, an ad or boost post? What’s the difference?
• What kind of images should I use?
• What are the best calls to action?
• Can I use ads to build my community?
• How do I track my results so I know the ads are working?

Any of those questions resonate with you?

Well, those are the topics we’re going to cover. In real time, shared on screen, you get to see exactly how to plan your ads, which ads work best in specific situations and how to manage your ad budget and not waste your money or spend a fortune.

Now you can learn how to create the right ads for your business. You’ll learn the exact ads to create and how to reach new leads outside of your small sphere of fans (that’s not a criticism, but the truth is that no matter if you have 100 fans or 10,000 fans, there are way more people out there who you can help if they ever see your content!).

We’re going to cover the three types of ads you need to integrate into your marketing that won’t cost you thousands, or even hundreds of dollars. In fact, Erin has a system she uses for some of her clients that only requires a budget of $50 a month! Now, that’s affordable!

You’re curious now, right? You know you need to do something. You know there are more perfect clients out there just waiting to find you. You know there are a billion+ people on Facebook. Now, you can do something about it.

Join us in December (it’s coming up fast!). You’ll be ready to implement some holiday and New Year’s offers at the end of the 3 classes.

If you’ve experimented and been frustrated by your results with Facebook ads, join us for a down to earth, hype-free, easy-to-understand-and-implement program on how to use Facebook ads in your small business. Click here for details and registration.

The post Two Reasons You Need to Invest in Facebook Ads appeared first on Adventures in Visibility.

This is the exact webinar recording from the event I hosted. Amy delivered excellent tips about how to use Facebook Ads to get more fans, get more engagement from those fans, and convert fans into buyers.

You'll learn:

• Easy, proven techniques to turn a Facebook status update into real profit
• Detailed, step-by-step training to make sure your ad targets your perfect, ideal customer
• Discover the #1 reason most ads get rejected (This one will surprise you!)
• How to decide which ad type will deliver BIG conversions for your business (Hint: It depends on what you’re marketing!)
• 3 little-known reasons why your ads aren’t making you money

Use this link to learn how to put Facebook Ads to work for you! [I don’t know how long Amy will make this recorded webinar available so I recommend you register and watch it ASAP.]

The post Facebook Ads That Convert [webinar replay] appeared first on Adventures in Visibility.

Have you ever wondered how small businesses attract leads on Facebook?

Or how some small businesses go from zero to 1,000 or more fans so quickly?

Unless you’re a world-renowned brand, it’s almost impossible to grow a small business Facebook Page organically. Especially if you’re new to online marketing.

And frankly, small businesses don’t need more casual fans. The big numbers only matter if the new fans you’re attracting are also potential leads. Your goal is to create a thriving community of people who like, participate and eventually buy what you’re selling—the kind of people I call Super Fans.

Where are they hiding? And how do you get them onto your Facebook page?

I’ll show you—and give you behind-the-scenes insights from a successful case study so you can develop your own strategy.

The Solution: Facebook Engagement Ads

If I mention “ad campaign” and “Facebook” in the same sentence, a lot of my clients feel instant overwhelm. It seems so complicated, right? And no one wants to waste money.

But if you have a brand, book or business, and a clear vision of who can benefit from it most, then you’ve already won half the battle—because the best way to attract the right audience to your Facebook Page is to target those people. And engagement ads are my weapon of choice.

Unlike other Facebook ads, engagement ads don’t send users to an external link or sales page outside of Facebook. Instead, they advertise destinations inside Facebook, like events or apps, or in the case I’ll share with you now, a custom app on your Facebook Page.

Within the ad box itself is a “Like” button. Potential fans don’t even need to visit your Page. Nor do they need to leave whatever they’re doing. They can see your ad in the right column when they are logged into Facebook or see your ad in their News Feed, and click on Like inside the ad, and instantly become a fan of your Page and start receiving your updates. Below is an example of an engagement ad:

Engagement ads embed the Like Button directly inside the ad itself so users can Like your Page instantly.

This is a low-pressure way to hook fans with some social proof built right into it. And it works. We’ll take a look at Liz DiAlto’s actual results later in this post.

But I know what you’re thinking: with all the noise on Facebook, how do I create an ad people want to click?

3 Ways to Strategically Step Up Your Facebook Ads

Three things matter when it comes to engagement ads: targeting the right people, getting their attention, and then optimizing your actual Facebook Page. Here are three simple tips to create an effective ad:

1. Get laser-focused on your ideal client. The reach and segmentation of Facebook ads is easy to control—and very, very powerful. You can choose demographics (age, location, gender, relationship status, education level), and then drill down on interests. For example, you can target people who are already fans of specific Facebook Pages (thus positioning yourself in front of your competition’s fans), target people who read certain magazines and newspapers, or even target people who list specific activities on their profiles.
2. Create a compelling call-to-action. Facebook limits the characters in your headline and content, so use the space wisely. Don’t be afraid to make your potential fans uncomfortable or spark emotion. Liz taps into strong feelings in the ad above. Plenty of women want to get in better shape for the New Year, and Liz teases her audience with a solution (she’s a personal trainer) and a sense of community (other people know how I feel).
3. Make a dynamic first impression. Since your wall is a place where, hopefully, there’s a lot of conversation, don’t send ad traffic (potential new fans!) there first. It’s confusing. Send them to a custom app instead . Hook ‘em by sending them to an app  that shows your best stuff off and is aligned with the copy in your ad.  We will get into this even more below, so stay with me!

Case Study: Liz DiAlto, Personal Trainer

Now let’s look at a real-life case study where engagement ads helped skyrocket fans, engagement and sales.

My client and good friend Liz DiAlto is a New York City-based personal trainer and nutrition coach, who also created a training program called Tighter in 10 Days. Women all over the world can access the program’s videos and use them to get healthy and fit, no matter where they are. It’s a great, scalable product.

But when I started working with Liz, she was an online marketing newbie. She wanted to use her Facebook Page as her primary platform. Unfortunately, like so many of us do, she found that putting links to her Page on her website and posting content to Facebook wasn’t cutting it.

To get the exposure she needed to make actual sales, she had to start thinking strategically—so I helped her create a Facebook engagement ad campaign that targeted her ideal clients: young to middle-aged women around the globe who expressed an interest in fitness, nutrition and getting in shape.

Quick Facebook Ad Tip

Use an ad that’s consistent with what you’re actually offering. In other words, an Engagement Ad about winning a new iPhone will definitely create buzz—but those fans won’t stick around if your updates are actually about squats and nutrition tips!  Remember, a thriving community is built on people who are interested and invested in YOU, not a temporary offer or misleading ad.

Here is a great example from Liz’s campaign. It represents exactly what she offers—and delivers to her fans—every day.

But it’s also got an irresistible call to action. How many people do you know who would click “Like”?

Also, as mentioned, if users click on the LIKE link in Liz’s ad, they become instant fans of her Page, but they will stay on the page they are currently on (meaning they will not be redirected anywhere).  But if users clicks the image in the ad or the ad copy, Liz takes the user to this custom app. Her goal now becomes two-fold: get the LIKE and the LEAD.

When you know your audience well, you can craft engagement ads that they are sure to respond to instantly.

As a result of Liz’s engagement ad campaign, she’s managed to grow her audience, build her reputation and sell her program.

Since launching her engagement ad campaign, Liz has generated:

• 270 “Tighter In 10” program sales (to date)
• 1,000+ new leads (and counting)
• 2,000+ new Facebook fans(and counting)

Plus, when you grow your Page’s audience and stock it with ideal fans—the fans who advocate for you, tell their friends, interact and even buy—your Page’s engagement skyrockets. As a result, you expand your reach organically too, because all of your fans’ friends see your content whenever an existing fan engages with your Page. The results can be exponential.

Here’s an image that will help you choose the correct options inside your ads dashboard when creating your Engagement Ad.

One more word about Liz. There’s an important metric on Pages now, “[#] Talking About This,” which shows how many people are “talking” about you (i.e., liking, commenting, or sharing your stuff). Most people have only 2 to 5 percent of their Fans talking about them at any given moment. Not Liz!

Although it fluctuates, Liz’s “Talking About You” numbers have gone as high as 52% at one time. Those results are almost unheard of.

Liz achieves this because:

• She grew an audience of Super Fans with engagement ads.
• She gives those fans valuable content every single day.
• She nurtures that relationship over time.

Here are two sample posts Liz posted on her Page recently. I want to show you how she continues to add value and turn her fans into actual leads:

Liz uses free webinars to deliver even more value to her Facebook Fans.

Quick Tips via short videos are surefire ways to add value to your Facebook fans.

By providing genuine value to her fans (that’s strongly aligned with her strategic goals), Liz is able to build relationships and establish credibility with her future customers. But she would never have reached this many people, no matter how great her content was, without growing her Page’s audience first.

Ready to Learn More About Using Facebook Ads for Your Business?

Join me and Amy Porterfield on August 8 for a FREE webinar on creating Facebook Ads That Convert: 3 Easy Ad Strategies To Attract More Fans, Target New Customers and Make You Money!  

Reserve your spot on the webinar today. Amy's webinars always fill up!
 

The post How to Attract Your Perfect, Ideal Audience With Inexpensive Facebook Ads appeared first on Adventures in Visibility.