Let me start by saying that I am not a big fan of ads in general or social media for that matter. In fact, I used to dislike the word “marketing” altogether. It seemed that marketing would be something that only con-artists would do to get a sale :).

But that was because of all of my bad experiences with ads and marketing in the past. However, it turns out that there are good ads and good marketing!

Here is a definition of marketing that I like (probably by Seth Godin):

“Marketing is generously solving other people’s problems”.

So marketing in this sense is serving not only selling.

And out of this definition follows a good ad. A good ad is one that is more of a training than a sales pitch. It adds value to your life just because you paid attention to it. You have learned something and if you are ready and willing to go deeper, then yes, you can buy the product, service or training.

I cannot say that I am an expert with Facebook ads, but I have run ad campaigns on Facebook for a couple of years so I have learned a thing or two.

What I like best about them is that you can really focus on your target audience. That is very useful when you are looking to reach people who are interested in what you have to share.

The next thing I like is the format. At least on Facebook, it feels organic and if crafted correctly it looks like a regular post and not like an ad.

Next is the way you can control your budgets so you have a clear picture of your spending.

There is one thing that I don’t like, however. That is tracking the results.

Maybe I am still doing something wrong, and I still have to fine tune my processes, but I have not yet figured out a reliable way to determine which ad is performing better, especially when it comes to converting into sales.

The setup I have worked most with is a WordPress site with a WooCommerce store. On top of that, I have used the “Pixel Your Site” plugin to integrate all of it with Facebook.

If you know of a good resource about conversion tracking with the Facebook pixel, drop a link in the comments below!

Why use Facebook ads?

After testing this for some time, it is clear to me that Facebook ads are a good way to reach new people, or just to send reminders to your current audience. Ideally, new prospects would find you through word of mouth. What you have to say is so remarkable that it has to be shared with other people! But when that does not happen, you can test out ads and look for a new audience. (I am assuming of course that what you have to say or offer is indeed really good, but you did not find the right audience yet).