The marketing landscape is shifting faster now than ever. 2017 the time to focus on Facebook ads. As traditional forms of marketing are quickly dying, Facebook is the future. Done correctly, Facebook Ads will drive more leads and users for your product in 2017 than any other channel.
In order to maximize this opportunity, good marketers need to implement the right strategy and execute with the latest trends. 2016 completely changed the landscape, and with recent announcements from Facebook’s F8 conference, 2017 is changing the landscape again.
There is a massive opportunity for marketers to capitalize on these trends to get far better results than any other channel. Taking advantage of these trends now will show returns for years.
Facebook ads may change fast, but that just means more room to optimize and grow.
1. Use Facebook Video Ads
During the latest quarterly meetings from Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg spoke about the push and focus on Facebook Video Ads. Facebook is solely focused on improving the innovation and ad monetization around video. What does this mean for marketers? It means that now is the time to start using Facebook Video ads.
Facebook is investing heavily into their video ad platform and distribution of ads with video content. They plan on increasing this trend in 2017 and beyond.
It’s not hard to see a world where Facebook is the most viewed video medium, surpassing cable, YouTube, or even Netflix.
2. Test Out Different Ad Copy
Split testing is critical. As more marketers enter the Facebook ecosystem, the need for high ad engagement is incredibly important. Not only does better ad engagement result in more installs and users, it also reduces your cost per action and can be a huge difference maker in ROI.
Look back on the last few months of ads, how many different variations did you A/B test? If it wasn’t 100’s, you are doing it wrong.
Many people running Facebook ads make the detrimental mistake of using a single piece of ad copy over and over again. What they fail to realize is that after people have seen your ad, they get tired of it. What’s worse, they are leaving the opportunity on the table for another ad to outperform the first.
By split multiple ad headlines and ad copies, you can easily find the unicorns that outperform all your other previously written ads.
2017 is all about split testing. Go back and review the past 12 months of ads. Take a look at worked and what did not. Then, write some new ad copy that makes people want to click on your ads by putting yourself in the shoes of your customer.
It helps to be in a creative mood. Consider a few new ideas to try:
- Add some emojis in your ad copy
- Try using a new image
- Look at the ads of your competitors
- Incorporate client testimonials
- Add a time sensitive offer.
3. Use Deep Links Inside Facebook Ads
Deep links are a type of links that takes users directly to content inside an app. Implementing deep linking is fundamental for a top performing ad campaign. Deep links can provide insight and understanding that was previously impossible to get.
That said, deep links have historically been a challenge to use on Facebook. If you are not familiar with this marketing concept, be sure to learn how to create deep links before trying to implement them in your Facebook ads.
According to Branch Metrics, “Facebook prefers to keep users inside its platform, and has removed the App Links routing engine from everywhere except the main Android app. Since Facebook also blocks iOS Universal Links, this leaves no reliable way to open third-party apps from Facebook or Messenger on iOS. Branch has implemented a solution to help work around these limitations.”
However, deep links from Branch links can be used together with Facebook ads. This allows Facebook ad managers to to track installs link new users directly to content the first time they open your app. In addition to bringing users directly to content, deep links have a number of additional upsides.
Example Ideas for deep linked ads:
- A user clicks on an ad for 20% off all purchases before the end of the week, and upon opening the app sees the coupon and has it automatically added to the shopping cart.
- A user clicks on an ad for blue sneakers. You show him the blue sneakers as soon as he opens the app.
- You know that users clicking on your ads are already familiar with your product. So in your app you reduce the carousel shown to new users from 5 to 2 if they’ve come in through an ad.
How do I insert App Links into a Facebook install ad?
- Create your deep link. One provider is Branch.
- Go to facebook.com/ads,create a new app install ad, and select the app to advertise:
- After you choose your audience and customize the display of the link, paste the deep link in the “deep link optional” section.
4. Upgrade to the new Facebook ad Pixel
If you’ve been running Facebook Ads since 2016, you were probably using their standard conversion tracking pixel. In 2017, you will no longer be able to create ads using the conversion tracking pixel.
It’s critical that you upgrade your ads to new Facebook Ad Pixel.
Facebook made some improvements to their ad pixels that change things up a bit.
Instead of offering both their conversion tracking pixel and the Custom audience pixel, Facebook combined these two pixels into one “Facebook pixel”. The ideas is to provide an improved user experience for advertisers, however in order to capitalize on this improved experience you must be familiar with the changes.
At the end of 2016, you were no longer able to create new conversion tracking pixels. It is important to quickly update to the new Facebook pixel in order to ensure that you are able to properly track your ads.
5. Develop Your Mobile Ad Strategy
Many businesses run ads on Facebook and neglect their mobile users. This is a massive mistake. Facebook’s platform is dominating the mobile space and the growth is exponential. For September 2016, Facebook reports 1.09 billion mobile daily active users and 1.66 billion mobile monthly active users.
This trend of owning the mobile space will continue throughout 2017.
Good mobile app marketers need to focus on dynamic mobile Facebook ads a key part of there Facebook ad strategy for 2017.
Mobile is everything now. Ensure that you have a mobile site up to date, design ads that provide a good mobile user experience. If you have a mobile app, make sure you understand how to use deep links in your mobile app, and track and optimize everything you do.
In Conclusion
The marketing landscape may be changing faster now than ever, but this is all the more reason to put an emphasis on becoming the best marketer you can be. Facebook is the hottest opportunity in marketing in 2017, and it’s paramount that you stay on top of the trends.
Video ads should be top of your mind, as should constant split testing and optimization. If you have not implemented a deep linking strategy, then stop what you are doing and add deep links to your Facebook ads. Furthermore, ensure that you are using the 2017 ad pixel, and do not forget to focus on mobile.
