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Online Advertising
Your guide to DIY promotions and advertising your business
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Online Advertising
Using DIY online advertising to promote your business
People in 2020 are using digital media platforms to looks for services, products, recommendations and reviews more than ever before. Once you’ve got a social media account and website for your business, you might want to consider how to advertise it. Actively engaging with customers and clientele through your social media account and website is a great way to build rapport and encourage word-of-mouth advertising, but to really boost your business you may want to invest in promoted posts and online advertising.
On this page, you will find out how to create advertisements for:
Facebook makes it easy to create and manage advertisements. Photo: Pixabay
Facebook provides an easy way for you to promote a business page or post, without it looking like a traditional advertisement. These promotions can help more people find your business and may result in more people interacting with your brand.
With Facebook, you can choose the audience you want to see the post, work within whatever budget you have, and use analytics to keep an eye on how effective it is and adjust the promotion accordingly. Facebook will also recommend the posts to you that it believes are worth promoting.
You can also promote almost any kind of post you would like! Whether it is a meaningful update on your business, gaining more attention for a special post, or promoting a discount, Facebook lets you do it all while staying in touch with your online network.
So, how do you promote your business on Facebook?
To get started, you will need to have a Facebook page for your business, and then set yourself a role within the Facebook business page settings. There are 6 types of roles you can assign to owners and employees of the business, and all except the role of ‘analyst’ can create ads and promotions for the page and boost posts. However, if you hire an external agency to help you manage marketing your business, you may choose to make them an ‘analyst’ on your business Facebook page so they can observe the internal structure of your business.
There are two main ways you can promote your brand using Facebook. You can boost posts, or you can create an advertisement.
Boosting a post
A boosted post is a post you have previously made through your business Facebook page that you pay to have ‘boosted’ to reach a wider audience. Unlike traditional advertisements a boosted post will not appear in a person’s Facebook newsfeed as an advertisement, which can be advantageous if your brand is more personal in nature.
To boost a Facebook post:
1. Go to the post you want to boost.
2. Click on ‘Boost Post’, which should appear beside your post. If a pop-up appears to say you can’t boost your post, click here to find out why that might be.
3. Fill in the details of your post boost:
Audience: Select the audience you want to see your post, either focusing on existing page followers, potential new customers and clientele, or a custom audience.
Budget: Choose how much to spend on your boosted post, with costs from a little as $1 per day. The more you spend, the further your post will reach.
Duration: Decide how long you want the post boost to last, from a day to a week or longer!
Review: You will get the chance to review your payment method and boost details before confirming.
4. Press ‘Boost’ and keep track of it using Facebook analytics.
Editing a boosted post:
If you change your mind about the boost settings, you may be able to edit it. While you can’t change the content of the post (including text, images and videos), you can edit other elements, like the audience, budget or duration.
To edit the settings of a boosted post, go to your business’ Facebook page, click ‘Ad Center’ in the left-hand screen menu and choose ‘All Ads’ in the dropdown menu. Find the post you want to adjust and click the three dots at the top to select ‘Edit Ad’. If you can’t find the edit button, you may have an old version of Facebook and might need to update.
Facebook Advertisements
Facebook advertisements are a more traditional style of ad where your promotion appears in people’s Facebook newsfeed and in Facebook Messenger stories. Just like boosting a post, you will get to choose the content of your promotion, select the audience, and work within your budget. However, Facebook ads are slightly more complicated than simply boosting a post, so it’s worth taking the time to understand how to use Facebook ads effectively.
First and foremost, you should know that there are different formats for Facebook ads you can create. Here is a basic breakdown of some of the main four formats for social media advertisements:
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Carousel ads: A carousel ad is a popular format that uses multiple images (up to 10) in a row to show a kind of panel of advertisements that a viewer can scroll horizontally through. These images can either form a panorama picture or display a range of different products. Carousel ads are an excellent way of drawing in a viewer and showcasing a variety of products in a short space of time.
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Slideshow ads: An easy way to create a short video using a collection of still images. They are a great way to capture a viewer’s attention without taking up too much of their time.
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Video ads: Fantastic if your team is creative or you have received help from an agency to help create a marketing video. This are excellent for telling a narrative and making your business personal to potential customers and clientele.
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Single image ads: The simplest form of advertisement. Just choose a great photo, write a heading that’s clear and concise, and you are good to go!
There are multiple different ways you can create an ad for Facebook, including through a business management account. However, the simplest method is by going directly through your business’ Facebook page and following these steps:
1. Open the drop-down menu on the upper-right hand side of your business’ Facebook page and select ‘Advertising on Facebook’. This will open a window where you will create your ad and fill out all the necessary details to get started.
2. Select an option for the style of ad, based on what your desired goal of the ad is to achieve. Each different goal will give you slightly different formatting options to help you get the best results for your goal:
a) Promote Your Page
b) Get More Website Visitors
c) Get More Leads
3. Alternatively, if you are not sure what exactly you are looking for, let Facebook help you out and click ‘Get Started with Automated Ads’.
a) Facebook will ask what type of business you have, so it can suggest the type of ad that might be beneficial to your business.
b) Facebook will suggest images, an audience and a budget to help you see results. You can use your own photos or choose from the stock photos provided.
c) Finally, the ads will automatically run continuously with Facebook occasionally suggesting ways to adjust your settings for better performance.
4. Fill in the details to create your ad. These will include:
a) Choosing an ad format (ie carousel, slideshow, video, etc);
b) Entering your business website URL (you can use your Facebook page URL);
c) Selecting any photos or videos, with the option to use your own or use stock photos;
d) Write in the text you want to accompany your ad;
e) Refine your target audience;
f) Select a duration and budget for the ad; and
g) Insert your Australian Business Number (ABN).
5. Check the details are correct and proofread the text. You can also see a preview of how your ad will look on different devices and, if linked to your Facebook account, on other media platforms by using the dropdown menu on the upper-right hand side of the window.
If you’re stuck on what to write in your ad, check out some of these examples or these tips and consider what might work best for your business.
Managing Ads
You can easily manage ads for your business Facebook account by going directly to the page and selecting ‘Ads Center’ from the bar across the top of the screen. From here, you can view all your business’ ass, create a new ad, boost a post, and edit the setting on your ads.
To keep track of all your business page boosts and promotions, you should consider downloading the Page Manager app to keep access to all your promotions and their settings in one place.
With Instagram you can show everyone you're still in business! Photo: Unsplash
If your business caters to the younger generation, actively using Instagram to promote your business and connect with customers and clientele is practically essential. Instagram focuses on showing your products, services or other aspects of your business though visual media, like photos and videos. By using hashtags and posting fun or interesting visuals you can engage with people who might not have otherwise found you if you only used Facebook or Google.
In order to make an ad on Instagram you must have a business Facebook page, and both these accounts must be linked. It is also good to link them to any external business website you have. By doing this, whenever you make a Facebook ad you can also display that same add through your Instagram account.
Any ad you make using your Facebook page will automatically be posted onto your Instagram account, so there is no need to make a separate ad. In fact, to make any ads for Instagram you must go through the Facebook advertising tab.
Just like Facebook, you can boost a post you have already made. It is the easiest way to promote your business, and all you have to do is click the button ‘Promote’ under the original post and fill in the details, just like you would do when boosting a Facebook post. Once again, it will ask you to choose your target audience, budget and duration of the promotion.
Twitter helps you connect business-to-business. Photo: Pixabay
Twitter is a great way for your business to connect with other businesses on a semi-professional platform. Twitter allows you to show a snapshot of your business or what you’re up to, meaning it can be easy for viewers to quickly consume. Twitter is also good because it can be used from a mobile or computer just as easily.
To get started with Twitter, you will first need to make sure you have a Twitter account for your business. If you simply want to draw attention to a post or ‘Tweet’ you’ve already made, then you can promote it. To set up a full advertisement, follow these simple steps:
1. Go to Twitter Ads and click ‘Get Started’. It may ask you to sign-in to your account and verify yourself by entering a number it will text to your phone.
2. Choose your campaign objective:
a) Awareness - To help maximise reach
b) Consideration - Help people engage with your website, videos or photos, and more
c) Conversion – If your business has an app, this helps people to engage with it
3. Fill in the details of your advertisement. This includes choosing a budget, duration, audience and content of your advertisement
4. Publish and monitor your advertisement!
Snapchat keeps you engaged with younger audiences in a creative and fun way. Photo: Unsplash
Snapchat
Snapchat is a fun and creative way to engage with customers and clientele. This mobile app allows you to send photos and videos to a select audience, or to the world. If your business thrives on creativity or displaying new and exciting products, Snapchat might be the perfect place to advertise.
To make a Snapchat advertisement, you will first need to make an account. Next, follow these steps:
1. Go to Snapchat Ads and click ‘Create an Ad’
2. Fill in your details – These will include entering your businesses name, selecting a budget (minimum $5 per day), and inserting a link for your website
3. Select your advertising goal:
a) Website visits
b) Promote a local place
c) Get customer and clientele calls and texts
d) Get people to install your app
e) Get people to visit your app
4. Review your ad and publish!
TikTok is the latest craze for innovative video editing. Photo: Unsplash
TikTok
TikTok is the latest trend, and is very popular amongst teens and young adults. Like Snapchat, TikTok is primarily a mobile app where you can create and share fun and creative videos. Unlike Snapchat, TikTok videos are set to music and are often heavily edited before being shared.
To get started, first you will need a TikTok account. Next, follow these steps to create an advertisement:
1. Go to TikTok Ads and click ‘Get Started’ and fill out the ad sign-up details
2. Click ‘Campaign’ from the bar across the top
3. Choose an objective for your advertisement
4. Select a budget. You can choose from two options: ‘Daily Budget’ or ‘Total Budget’
5. Decide on a placement. This is where you choose where your ad will appear. If you’re unsure what you should select, click ‘Automatic Placement’ and let TikTok make the call on where your ad will be best seen
6. Choose an audience. This can be by age, location, gender or other.
7. Create your ad content and publish!
LinkedIn is a professional social platform. Photo: Pixabay
LinkedIn is a professional social media platform where you can connect with other businesses and individuals from across the world, both inside and outside of your business’ industry. LinkedIn can be a great way to find new potential employees or business partnerships.
First, you will need to have a LinkedIn profile for your business. Next, follow these steps:
1. Go to LinkedIn’s Campaign Manager and click ‘Create an Ad’ down the bottom
2. Fill in your ad’s details. This will include giving it a name, choosing a goal and audience, and selecting a budget
3. Launch and monitor your ad!
Google Ads mean the customers are found for you. Photo: Unsplash
Google is a key way people search for the kinds of products and services you offer, and it’s how they can find you and learn more about you. Setting up a Google Ad is a quick and easy way to reach potential customers and clientele.
While looking at Google, you may want to check your businesses Google account is up-to-date and linked to your business website or social media accounts (link to Google account tab). This can help your business connect with potential customers and clientele by showing them past reviews, your trading hours, your business’ contact details, and even displaying preview pictures of your store or products.
To create a Google Ads account, you will need an email address and website for your business. If your business doesn’t have a website, you can also use your business Facebook account. Next, you follow these simple steps:
1. Go here, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click ‘Get Started’.
2. Choose from the three options based on the goal you want this ad to achieve:
a) Get more calls
b) Get more website sales or sign-ups
c) Get more visits to your physical location (please consider current COVID-19 conditions and your business type if choosing this option)
3. Enter your business’ name and copy the website URL (or your business’ Facebook page).
4. Choose your audience based on a specific location or radius around your business’ store.
5. Enter a keyword themes to help Google target searches relevant to you. You can include words that describe the kind of products and services your business provides, as well as anything else you think is relevant to describing your business.
6. Write your ad. Here you will fill in a basic form, including a headline and description. You can write more than one ad by clicking ‘Write Another Ad’ at the bottom of the screen. You will also get to see a preview of your ad as you write it.
7. Enter your business’ contact number.
8. Choose your budget and currency. The options are at a daily rate and range from $6-19 per day.
9. Review your ad and settings and enter payment details.
10. Congratulations, you have made a Google Ad!
You can edit your Google Ad any time by signing into your Google Ads account.