Many of the businesses I work with are service-based businesses, and one of the first things they say to me when I mention using Facebook Ads is, ‘aren’t they just for people who sell physical products?’ and the answer is most definitely, no.
If you sell a service, course or online programme, one of the best ways you can connect with potential clients, is through Facebook and Instagram advertising. People don’t often go to Google to search for services like these, so connecting with them while they are on social media, is the tool your marketing strategy may be lacking.
Let me take a few minutes to explain how it works
Using Ads to reach customers in this way is called ‘Lead Generation’ - which simply put, means you make a connection with a potential client and then nurture this relationship until you can turn them into a paying customer.
Here’s an example of how it might work
An interior designer wants to reach people who are doing a renovation project and are looking for an interior designer. They also have an online course for aspiring interior designers, that they would like to get some more people signed up to.
For a lead generation Ad for their 1:1 service, they may run a promotion that asks people to contact them for a quote or ask them a question about their services online. This Ad would provide them with an email list and potentially they could use a messaging service to begin a conversation.
If they have an email list of existing customers or a social following, they could use this (if correct permission is in place) to create a lookalike audience. This works by asking Facebook to reach people similar to those who already engage with their business. They could also simply start with an interest-based audience, targeting people who are interested in Design TV shows or well-known Home Renovation related brands.
For a lead generation Ad to promote their course, they could simply create a downloadable piece of content (which we call a lead magnet), that people can access by leaving their details. Once they have their email address, they can then send highly personalised emails that offer support and nurture them along the funnel to encourage them to buy their course/online product.
There are other types of strategies and sales funnels they could implement to achieve these same goals depending on their offering.
Now the above seems pretty simple, doesn’t it?
And in many ways it is, but it’s essential that this type of Ad campaign is supported with other social activities. This interior designer will need to be highly visible on their social channels, with videos and other forms of content that connect them to the people they want to sell to. People rarely just download a freebie without visiting the brand Instagram or Facebook account, they would usually visit their socials or website to find out more about who they are, and what they offer.
Which takes us to perhaps the most vital piece of any successful Ad campaign - what happens once you have their attention!
Everything this interior designer does, needs to be consistent and on brand. EVERY piece of communication needs to have a similar tone of voice, visuals, personality and this will build subconscious trust and help people to instantly establish if they want to connect with this business or not.
Many of the choices people make about what action they take online are split second decisions, based on colours, words and the ‘feeling’ we get from someone - so CONSIDER CAREFULLY your audience in every piece of communication.
What results should you expect from this type of Ad?
Well, this really is the million dollar question, isn’t it? This will vary, depending on the lifetime customer value and the service you offer. If you are looking for clients who will pay you £5,000 for your service, then your cost per lead is going to be higher compared to generating a lead to sell a course of a total value of £150.
Don’t be put off by cost - consider how many leads you hope to achieve and take it from there.
And lastly, consider what you will do with these leads BEFORE you start advertising
You need to have your email sequence primed and ready to go, so that once you get an email address or start an online conversation you can offer value and maximise the impact of any email you send or contact you make.