New business? Do these 3 things before running Facebook Ads!

While it can be tempting to hit the Boost button and see your Reach and Post Likes increase, it's best to plan and strategise before paying to promote your business on Facebook. See my tips below to ensure your Facebook page is set up for success before you start racking up an Ads bill.

​#1 Make sure your Facebook profile is complete and optimised

This starts with your profile picture and cover image, both should give a great first impressions of your business and be good quality images that fit the relevant dimensions and have not been cropped or cut off anywhere.

Your Facebook page intro should provide a short description of what your business does and include your location and/or service area if relevant.

It’s also good to build a small following before running ads. If you’re paying to promote your business but you only have one or two followers (or worse, zero), your page may come across as spammy and be a red flag to potential consumers. It’s worth inviting friends and family to like your page to give it some credibility before paying to promote it. A review or two helps a lot as well! 


#2 Identify your target audience 

Identify who you are trying to reach with your ads. Think about your ideal customer.

While trying to reach as many people as possible may sound like a good idea at first, spending money to advertise to people who have no use for what you offer is a waste. If you have a modest advertising budget you want to ensure every dollar is spent wisely and on reaching the right people.

Location, Age, Gender and Interests are the four key Facebook Ads targeting tools you can select from.

#3 Invest in content 

Content could look like photography or branded graphics, maybe a blog or a video too, anything you share to show off who you are to give a great first impression.

It's better to invest in high quality visuals you can use again and again as needed, rather than spending a lot of advertise a visual that is actually doing your business a disservice.

If selecting the 'Promote Page' button, Facebook can often default to showing your cover photo or other images that may not work well in the context of someone scrolling through their newsfeed.

Remember you want to be promoting the products or services you sell, not the Facebook page itself.

Photo Credit: CharlieAJA / Getty Images via Canva