Facebook is one of the most powerful marketing tools for business owners, but it is also difficult to use and frustrating if you don’t have a plan.
You need a Facebook page, Instagram page (recommended for most businesses), business manager, ad account, Facebook pixel tracking, ad campaigns, audience targeting options, and creative ads that speak to your target audience.
Whilst all of this may seem too much, Facebook has become one of the most effective customer acquisition tools in the market. With a full marketing funnel, Facebook can help generate an engaged, lucrative customer base.
So if you’re running Facebook ads (or just want to start), here are 7 steps to set up an effective Facebook marketing funnel:
1. Set Up A Facebook Business Manager
Let’s start with the basics. If you haven’t yet created a Facebook business page or an Instagram page, do that now. After you have the basics sorted, we move on to creating a Facebook Business Manager.
A business manager is crucial, as it will allow you to create an ad account that you can share access to if you hire a Digital Marketing Agency or freelancer down the track. You can do this by visiting business.facebook.com and following the prompts. You will need to be logged into your own Facebook page (and it has to be your own, not a fake one). Once you’ve set up your Business Manager, you can create an ad account.
2. Install the Facebook Pixel
Data is powerful and you don’t want to miss even a single click. This is why it’s important to install and set up a Facebook pixel on your website. The Facebook pixel is a piece of code that you add to your website (don’t know how to do it? Google is your best friend or ask a mate).
It helps you track conversions, which helps with measuring the effectiveness of your ads. It can also be used for creating new audiences to market to. Such as people who have visited your website (also known as retargeting) or people who engage with you on social media (also known as re-engaging).
3. Create & Organise Your Campaigns Into Cold, Warm & Hot Audiences
Once you’ve set up your Pixel and your Facebook ad account, it’s time to create your funnel. There are three campaigns that you should create from the start (but won’t run simultaneously at the start) which match up with three audience types. These are brand awareness (this will be your cold audience), consideration (warm audience), and conversion (hot audience) campaigns.
Let’s start with your cold audience. These are people who have never interacted with your business before. A great way to target this audience is through the use of interests, related to your business. For example: for an online Activewear store, I would target people interested in Gyms.
Your warm audience has seen or heard of you before. This includes those who follow you or engage with you on Instagram or Facebook or those who have watched more than 50% of a previous video ad. Finally, you have your hot audience. As you may have guessed, this is your retargeting audience. Those who have visited your website, viewed products, and added items to their cart. Essentially, anyone that hasn’t contacted you (service base businesses) or bought from you.
You won’t be able to use your hot audience straight away, as you need at least 1,000 visitors prior, or if you’re targeting add to carts, you need 1,000 add to carts and so on. So, build out this campaign but keep it paused until you’ve hit 1,000.
4. Create Your Facebook Ads
Ad creation is the biggest hurdle when it comes to Facebook advertising. Due to such heavy competition and market saturation, your ads need to have killer visuals or include someone using your product or services.
The problem is, that each audience requires a different ad type combined with personalized text. For instance, your cold audience should receive a brand awareness type ad whether that is a short video about your company or a quick run-through of your product’s benefits.
5. Set Up Your Placement Options
Facebook ads come with a wide variety of placement options. You need to decide on the placements that suit your business, so your ads serve in a pleasing way.
By targeting specific placements, your content can be purposefully placed depending on how your audiences interact with the content.
Some of your placement options include:
- Instagram Stories: Give you the ability to tell rich stories through video and sound while potential customers navigate through Instagram.
- Audience Network: Native ads that are placed through Facebook affiliate apps and websites, this is aimed at people engaging outside of social media.
- Facebook Newsfeed: High visibility placement that is generally the most well-known. It is best for bright, buzzing, and creative still images that capture attention.
6. Use Facebook To Retain And Drive Repeat Customers
The final step is to use Facebook lead ads to further engage people who have already expressed an interest in and got what you have to offer.
This section is about post-purchase and more about driving retention than new sales. Find out added value that you can offer to people who have already purchased a base product or service. Whether it be yearly aircon maintenance or another complimentary product.
Facebook marketing is a great way to reach both a large or specific audience with your product or service. By setting up a full marketing funnel, you can ensure that your ads reach the right people at the right time and are the most effective.
What to Consider Before Setting Up A Full Facebook Marketing Funnel
Before you rush in and start acquiring new customers, there are a few things you need to consider:
1. Your Budget
Facebook ads can be highly effective but they also come with a price tag. You need to decide on a budget that you’re comfortable with. However, this also comes with limitations. It is recommended that you budget for at least $30/day to run effective campaigns.
2. Your Target Audience
You also need to think about your target audience. What are their age, gender, location, and interests? You need to make sure that your ads are resonating with your target audience.
3. Your Goals
What are you hoping to achieve with your Facebook ads campaign? Do you want to increase brand awareness, drive traffic to your website, generate sales, or generate leads? You need to have a clear and reasonable goal in mind before you start running your ads.
4. Your Creative Content
The next thing you need to consider is your creative content. Your creative needs to match your funnel stage. For example, you wouldn’t go in for a kiss on the first date, so why would you ask a cold audience member to purchase your product?
5. Your Timing
You also need to think about when you’re running your ads. Are you targeting people who are already interested in what you have to offer? Or are you trying to reach a new audience? You need to make sure that your timing is right for your goals.
6. Your Strategy
Finally, you need to think about your strategy. What are you doing to ensure that your ads are being seen by the right people and are effective? You need to have a plan in place before you start running your ads.
By considering these factors, you can set up a successful Facebook ads campaign that reaches the right target audience and achieves your marketing goals.
Final Thoughts
Setting up full marketing full for Facebook ads is a great way to grow your business or brand. By following this guide, you can create a system that will allow you to target the right audience with the right creativity, convert them into leads and turn those leads into customers.
And best of all, you can do all this while spending significantly less than you would on traditional marketing methods. So, what are you waiting for? Get started today!
About the author
Olivia English is a digital marketing expert and Co-Founder of Pride Marketing, a Brisbane based full service digital marketing agency. With over 6 years of digital marketing experience, she has helped brands from around the globe with personalized strategies and implementation. She aims to disrupt the digital marketing world with a genuine approach to business growth.
