When getting started with content marketing most people view it as a free method where you create content and drive traffic through search engines and social media shares. But there are also several affordable paid methods you can use to promote your content and drive more traffic. One such method is Facebook ads.
Facebook ads can be highly beneficial for businesses, especially those getting started with paid content marketing because they are very affordable and drive quick results. If you follow a few simple steps, you should be able to generate a positive ROI from your ads.
Once you master Facebook you can implement what you learn here to promote your content through other paid sources as well.
Therefore, to simplify things for you I have written a step by step guide to amplify your content marketing promotion with Facebook ads…
Create gated content:
Before you invest in Facebook ads, you should already have a funnel that will help you generate a positive ROI. This funnel should begin with landing pages that house your gated content so that you can convert paid traffic to leads.
This gated content could be in the form of a webinar or an ebook or a video course. You might have already come across something like this on Facebook where an ad directs you to a landing page. And you are only allowed access to the content after you submit details like your email address.
An example of a good landing page is this one from Foundr on How to Start a Profitable Online Store.
Here the focus of the entire landing page is to get people to sign up for the free video training. The copy, the design, and call to action are there to get people to take one action, sign up and get the free content. There are no distractions at all.
Creating a landing page like this will ensure you get maximum sign-ups for your ad spend. So, create some content like an ebook or video and gate it behind a landing page.
Directing people to a blog post from your Facebook ad can also work. But you should optimize it extremely well by adding highly relevant content upgrades and other forms of opt-in forms.
An example of a blog post optimized for conversion is the post How Long Should You Rest Between Sets on the Muscles for Life blog.
It has a content upgrade placed within the post…
It also contains a couple more opt-in forms present at the bottom of the post and in the footer to get more people to convert. These opt-in forms will ensure they get more leads results from their ad spend.
Alternatively, you can do what Oberlo did here with their Definitive Guide to Facebook Advertising.
They created a guide which looks like a cross between a blog post and a landing page. You can read the content for free without signing up, but you can also download the PDF version of it if you click on ‘Download PDF’ and provide your email address.
Also, the content is divided into chapters which are placed on several pages. This makes it possible for them to check which pages people are reading. This can be beneficial if they are using the Facebook pixel for retargeting which you will learn about next.
Install the pixel:
When you are running Facebook ads you need to install a Facebook pixel on the pages you plan to send traffic too. The main purpose of the pixel is that it helps track conversions. This will help you calculate your cost per lead (CPL) when you begin running your ads.
Another purpose of adding the pixel is that it can help you create ads that retarget website visitors. After you add the pixel to a page and someone visits it, Facebook will track that visit and save it under an audience you create. You can later target ads that are displayed to people (audience) who visit this page.
Their visit to that page shows that they are interested in a specific topic. Therefore, you can create highly specific ads that only promote content your audience will be interested in signing up for.
For example, if you are running a fashion blog and most people visit a blog post on shoes. You can be sure that all the people visiting that post are interested in shoes. So, you can create an ad that sends them to a landing page where they can download a lead magnet on shoes and they will be highly likely to sign up.
In a similar manner, the aforementioned Oberlo can install different pixels on the different pages of their guide and then retarget people with ads based on the pages they visited.
To install the pixel go to your Facebook ads manager, then open the menu and click on ‘Pixels’.
Next click on create a pixel.
This will create the pixel and you can add it to your landing page or blog post. Later when you send Facebook traffic here the pixel will track the visit.
Create ad image and write copy:
Now that the content on your website is set up you can begin creating your ad. Good Facebook ads mainly require two things, a clickable image, and some copy to accompany it.
This image should have an image ratio of 1.9:1. The most optimal size is 1,200 X 628 pixels. But an image that is 560 X 292 pixels should also be sufficient.
The main role of the image is to gather attention, but it should be relevant to the page you will be sending the traffic to. So, create a beautiful image that your target audience will like. It can include illustrations, photos, and text. But make sure you limit the text to less than 20% as Facebook restricts the reach of ad images with too much text.
If you would prefer creating images with more text, you should completely replace the image with a video. Here you can describe the free content they can find on the landing page in detail.
An example is this ad from Foundr. It helps them promote the above-mentioned landing page for their profitable online store video course.
It contains a lot of text. This is something you can’t do when you create an image ad.
After you create the image or video you should turn your attention to the copy.
The copy for the ad will appear below and above the image. A headline will be displayed below the ad and the description will be present above the ad. So, write a short persuasive headline and a detailed description that will convince people to click on the ad and visit the landing page.
Here’s an example of a great ad from Hilary Rushford of Dean Street Society.
It has an attractive image with succinct text that quickly informs us of what the ad is about. It has a good headline and description as well.
Create the ad, test it and finalize:
After you create the image and write the copy you can begin setting up your ad.
First, go into your ad manager and click on the green ‘Create’ button.
After that choose an audience you would like to target and set a budget.
For now, set a small budget as you should test your ad before you invest your entire budget. This amount can range from £5 to £20.
Then continue to the next page and choose the ad format. After that, upload the image/video, add the link to the landing page or blog post and the copy and publish your ad.
Let this ad run for a couple of days with the small budget. During this time keep track on the number of leads that are coming in. If the conversion rate is good, you can continue with the same ad and ramp up the budget. If the conversion rate is low, you should modify the ad and check if your changes improve conversions.
Try new variations:
Even if your conversion rate is good and you decide to go ahead with the ad, you should create new variations that run simultaneously along with this one. These can contain different images/videos, copy and targeting settings. The aim of this experiment should be to help you find a better version of your ad.
Facebook actually lets you split test your ads. So, take advantage of it and create better ads that get you more leads for less spend.
Now begin promoting your content with Facebook ads:
This is how you amplify your content marketing promotion with Facebook ads. Start by creating a lead magnet like an ebook or video and gating it behind a landing page. Next, create an image or video for your ad and write the copy. After that, you can set up the ad on Facebook and begin driving traffic to your landing page.
But don’t exhaust all your budget immediately. Start by investing small amounts to see if the traffic converts to leads. If you follow my above instructions and add the pixel you should be able to calculate your cost per lead. If this is high enough you can begin adding the rest of your budget.
This process will ensure you get maximum ROI on your ads.
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