Adding Seasonality to Your Facebook Ads… Without the Cheese

Adding Seasonality to Your Facebook Ads… Without the Cheese

by | Dec 11, 2024 | Facebook™ Ads, How To

Guys, ‘tis the season!

Specifically, ‘tis the season for mistletoe, gingerbread, snow (unless you’re with me in Georgia), community, family, and all things holiday…

…and it’s THE most fun part of the year. I mean, come on — whether you’re celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or just the vibes, there’s something extra special in the air.

But, holiday vibes aren’t the only good thing about this season. See, if we’re being honest, I can’t leave out one of the big, big things that this season brings for entrepreneurs: ample opportunities for SALES, engagement, and launching.

After all, it’s called the biggest shopping season of the year for a reason. People are online at this time, and they’re actively buying a lot of things. At the same time, they’re getting ready for a new year — which is why so many of my clients see a boost in purchases post-Christmas.

Enter one of the biggest questions I get this time of year.

 

How do I make my ads seasonal… without being cheesy?

While sticking out online is always important, there’s something a little bit MORE important about sticking out this time of year. People are so inundated by ads, campaigns, and gift guides that it can be really, really easy to fade into the background — or, worse, to seem disingenuous or cold.

It’s why incorporating seasonality into your ads intentionally (and subtly!) can make such a difference.

Let’s talk about how you can do it.

 

4 ways to use seasonality in Facebook ads

 

Add holiday-esque elements to your creative: If there was a particularly well-branded season, it would be the holiday season — so lean into it! Utilize different color palettes (from the typical red & green to warm midnight blues and jewel tones), incorporate textures like glitter or snow, and sprinkle in subtle seasonal icons in your imagery and video creative. This allows your ads to stick out as timely and festive without feeling overtly obvious, allowing them to stand out in crowded feeds.

Stay inclusive: You may be celebrating Christmas or Hannukah, but your audience likely spans a variety of traditions — or none at all! While seasonal focus is a good thing this time of year, don’t accidentally alienate important members of your audience. Instead, be sure to open up your ads to everyone by testing with a variety of inclusions — and balance secular holiday vibes (think: cozy winter scenes) with subtle nods to different ones.

Weave seasonal opportunities to your copy: Your copy is one of the easiest (and most effective) places to weave in a seasonal message — whether it’s a lighthearted pun or a celebratory tone… Play around with a variety of ad copy that includes a medley of holiday emojis, text, and messaging styles… and pay attention to what your community seems to be resonating with.

Utilize the holidays as built-in time constraints: Timeliness is often a huge piece of successful ads, and the holiday season is all about time. Whether it’s a countdown to gifting deadlines or the thought of a New Year reset, people are naturally aware of the ticking clock. Use this to your advantage by testing a variety of messaging that plays with limited-time offers, New Year countdowns, year-end specials, and beyond.

My friends, you’ve got this! The holiday season is such a unique time to connect with your audience — and these tips are built to help you do so inclusively, intentionally, and effectively.

I can’t wait for you to put it all to use!

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Your Guide to Boosting FB Engagement

Your Guide to Boosting FB Engagement

by | Oct 2, 2024 | Facebook™ Ads, Strategy

Theeee most awkward (and irritating) thing EVER = launching Facebook ads, only to realize that they’re getting pretty much zero engagement. Basically, it’s like that fear of standing up for a speech, clinking your glass, getting all eyes on you, and forgetting every single word you had planned to say. 

Been there. And so have my clients.

Here’s the thing, though: there’s a fix for this. (Really, there are a LOT of fixes for this.) 

If you can target the right people, utilize the right frameworks within your ads, and create the right kind of content, you’re solid. Promise. And, as usj, I’ve got you covered with exactly what you need to know to get there.

But, first, lemme answer one question for ya:

Why aren’t my FB ads getting any engagement?

Diagnosing a non-engaging Facebook ads campaign can be tricky since there are a lot of reasons why a lack of engagement could occur. However, I can pretty much guarantee you that it’s one of a few things: incorrect targeting, weak creative/copy, or a not-so-great offer. And if you feel like you USED to get engagement on a set of ads (but no longer), then it’s very likely ad fatigue.

Are these the ONLY problems? No. But are these the most likely ones? YES. So let’s fix ‘em.

Your Guide to Boosting FB Engagement

I’m all about proven strategies for boosting FB ad engagement, and my clients are living proof of it. (Like, hellllooOOOO, six-figure launches! Hi!) While there are a lot of things we utilize over here (I talk about testing constantly, as y’all know), here are the engagement strategies I swear by for boosting your Facebook ads.

  • Go back to your targeting: To put it bluntly, people don’t engage with the people they aren’t connected with. There’s just TOO MUCH on the internet for that. It’s why you need to make sure you’re targeting the right audiences, which is why it’s so important to get detailed, get nitty-gritty, and get, well, targeted. Build custom and lookalike audiences, take the time to warm up your people, and make sure that your targeting is correct and up to date within your Ads Manager.
  • Invite conversation with your creative: If you want people to engage with your Facebook ads, they need to be encouraged to do so. Make sure that your graphics or videos are aesthetically pleasing, conversational, and vibrant — and then integrate in questioning, direct speak, and clear calls to action within your copy. If you want people to respond, click, and comment, be sure you’re telling them exactly what to do.
  • Integrate limited-time offers and scarcity: An easy way to encourage engagement is by making it almost an emotional requirement to purchase at the lowest price/get in at the best time. To do this, build limited-time cart opens, discount codes, and incentives (like bonuses) into your ad campaign plan. 

Examples of highly-engaging ads

I’m always the luckiest to have suchhhh incredible clients, and they make my job EASY. Here are some tidbits that can help you guide your strategy to get the MOST engagement…

Let your videos end on a cliffhanger. Kind of like cable TV (okay, not really). Instead of giving away EVERYTHING in a video ad, try testing a video format that needs a click to get the full answer. This format works especially well for something like a podcast ad. Instead of giving away the entire conversation, preview just the question and a snippet of the answer to make your audience seek more.

Try long-form copy. Conversational-style copy in a long story format can connect you to your audience. Make sure to sprinkle in your clearly defined call-to-action, but test telling a personal story! This makes your ads relatable, where people are bound to either like it, or best case, click to read MORE of your story on the landing page!

Get clear on the pain points of your offer, and list them. You KNOW you’ll relate to your audience if your offer can fix even ONE pain point they are facing right now. Brainstorm a BIG list of what your offer can fix, and then test out shorter copy on images or in your copy directly to shout out those issues and highlight yourSELF as the fix!

Your next steps

Now that you have a better idea of how to boost Facebook ads engagement, it’s time to start going for it! Here’s your homework: create a new ads campaign utilizing a WARM audience (don’t have one yet? Start working on warming up an audience before you do this), and then test with a few different versions of creative. 

I want you to test one version with a video (I love a talking head video), one with a carousel ad that asks a question, and one with a typical graphic-on-image. Then, I want you to ASK for engagement in each version of that ad. You can ask people to “press play,” “take a click,” “leave a comment,” or something else entirely — but ask for engagement.

Then, take a look at your results. What encouraged the most engagement? What worked the best? Take that, learn from it, and run with it.

You’ve got this.

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8 Reels Ideas for Small Business Owners

8 Reels Ideas for Small Business Owners

by | Nov 8, 2023 | How To, Strategy

You guys… we’re in a Reels WORLD these days.

 

(Really, we’re in a short-form video world these days.)

 

In fact, statistics actually show that 73% of consumers prefer watching those types of videos, that short-form video ad revenue will cross $10 billion, and that they receive 2.5X more engagement than long-form ones.

 

Basically, you have to get on the short-form video train… especially when it comes to ads.

 

Here’s the thing, though: I know you’re busy, and I know that coming up with new ideas for video content seems like the absolute LAST thing that should be on your list of priorities. Plus, it’s hard to come up with ideas. 

 

I get it. So let me give you some Reels ideas!

 

8 Reels ideas for your small business

When you’re creating Reels or other pieces of short-form video content for your business, there are a few things you’ll want to remember. First, keep it short (under a minute is great, but under 45 seconds is even better). Second, show off your face! Let viewers peek inside your brain, and remember to give them a look inside your business. It works!

 

Here are some ideas:

 

  1. Office tours: Give viewers an inside look into the place where your magic is made (bonus points if you create commissionable links for things they might want for themselves).
  2. Lifestyle content: Some of the most engaging content you can ever create is lifestyle-related, whether it’s showing your post-work wind-down routine with kids (hiii, balance!) or even sharing a quick rundown of the sheet pan meal you swear by on heavy meeting days.
  3. Community-focused videos: Leaning on community is a huge gamechanger for businesses and brands, and this goes for you and your Reels, too! Show everything from testimonials to retreat recaps to Zoom screenshares on Reels and encourage your viewers and followers to get in on the action.
  4. Trending audio: Trending audio on Reels (and on TikTok) creates a fun, strategic blank canvas that you can really create good things on. I love utilizing these trending audios for everything from testimonials and sales to funny moments and inside looks.
  5. BTS content: People love getting a peek behind the curtain, and it can create a really effective way for you to entice them into working with you — so try it out! I always recommend showing things like the BTS of building your course, showing the scenes behind a photoshoot, and sharing the vulnerable moments when you want to, too.
  6. Real life: Have a blooper or a real-life scenario? Make it into a Reel! Whether it’s an entrepreneur moment gone wrong — we’ve all forgotten to put the mug under the Keurig — or a showcase behind your daily schedule, show it off!
  7. Pictures: Wanna make Reels content as easy as possible? Use pictures and text on images to make a quick-moving carousel or fun visual effect. It’s simple and so, so effective.
  8. Deep dive with screenshares: Have a course or a product that you’d love to give more details on (or show a tutorial for)? Create a Reel with your screenshares! Psst… another really fun way to do this is showing a BTS screenshare, too (for instance, a time-lapse of your time on Adobe Illustrator or of a blog post you’re writing).

 

Those are some of my favorite abstract ideas. Most importantly, have FUN! Here is some wonderful inspo from some clients, just take a look through their IG!

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Do Podcast Ads Work?

Do Podcast Ads Work?

by | Oct 17, 2023 | Entrepreneurship, Facebook™ Ads, How To

Over the years, we’ve been able to work with clients on countless course launches, membership programs, product offers — you name it. Essentially, we’ve been able to see our clients make these massive, massive moves (with the help of Facebook ads), and it’s been, quite simply, the BEST.

 

Lately, though — while we’ve still been doing lots of launches, memberships, and offers — we’ve also been supporting clients on their podcasts. In fact, several System Envy clients have top worldwide podcasts (casual!), and we pretty regularly get asked about podcast ads from our audience.

 

So, here’s to the big question we’ve been getting lately: “do podcast ads work?”

 

Short answer: yes. 

 

Long answer: let’s talk about it.

 

Podcast ads work if you do them right

A consistent ad strategy can lead to hundreds of thousands of clicks to and subsequent downloads of your podcast — and when they’re done right, you can typically count on a cost-per-click of under $0.10, a high clickthrough rate of 10% or more, and a cost-per-download average of around $0.60. 

 

And, here’s why: if you run consistent podcast ads, you’re able to boost your most valuable content in a purposeful, impactful way — leading to new listeners, a more engaged audience, and, in turn, more earnings because of that podcast of yours. Plus, you can use your podcast to align with your business offers in themselves — and use your podcast ads audiences to retarget any of your aligned offers, too.

 

Win, win, win.

 

How to build a podcast ads strategy

When you’re running ads to your podcast, there are a few things we’ve found that really do work for maximum effect:

 

Keep it timely: You can reuse and re-promote old episodes, but make sure that this isn’t your focus! The more timely — AKA, new episodes, please! — the better, especially when it comes to building a highly engaged audience.
Video works well: We really recommend recording your podcasts live, and then utilizing snippets to run ads. We’ve seen great podcast ad success by showing audiences an inside look, pulling small teaching moments, and sharing the funniest pieces of an episode. 
Run multiples in a cycle: With our clients, we’ve noticed the biggest success — and ROI — by running multiple videos (3-4 at a time, typically) for about a weeklong cycle. Then, within that cycle, you can A/B test everything from video length to copy to see what’s really working and what’s not. 
Keep track: There’s nothing more important (well, besides testing) than keeping track of your ads, consistently taking note of your findings, and reporting final numbers. Don’t leave this step out, okay?!

 

So, my podcast pals, here’s your job: run some podcast ads! They’re easy to start, low-cost to run, and maximally effective with the right strategy — and you will grow your podcast with ‘em.

Ready, go!

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Launching a Course With a Personal AND a Business Brand: Content Planning Edition

Launching a Course With a Personal AND a Business Brand: Content Planning Edition

by | Oct 4, 2023 | Entrepreneurship, Facebook™ Ads, How To

At System Envy, we have a lot of clients who have 2 important things:

 

  1. A business with a successful, popular, and profitable course or product offer.
  2. A personal brand that they love just as much.

 

Chances are, you fit in that category, too. After all, you’re not just a businessperson — you’re A HUMAN! And, the way we see it… that personal brand matters just as much.

 

Here’s the thing, though: likely, your personal brand and your business brand are going to have different strategies when you’re planning for a launch — and approaching them both with different strategies is key to making an impact and staying sane… especially when it comes to content planning.

So, let’s break it down.

Courses vs. personal brands: How to plan content for each.

 

Course content planning: Business brand So, you’re prepping to launch your course — and you’re wondering how the heck to plan the content so it’s not the same as your personal brand? I got you.

 

First off, you need to have an understanding of your funnel (essentially the journey from freebie to offer to checkout). What does each step look like? What do you want each click/each engagement to turn into?

 

Then, since you’re running a business account, you need to focus — and focus heavily — on building engagement and rapport with cold audience members. Plan content that adds serious value (freebies, educational videos, small learnings, etc.), and create a schedule that pours into those who may not be too familiar with your brand yet. (Psst — any warm audience members are going to love this, too!)

 

For bonus points, get personal on your business account, too. Talk about why you created this course/offer, share testimonials, and give your audience insight into the results and wins YOU have achieved from it.

 

Course content planning: Personal brand When you’re prepping to launch your course as a personal brand, you want to approach the strategy a little differently. However, the overarching idea is the same — to encourage people to float through your funnel and, eventually, make that big-ticket purchase.

 

To do this, niche your content down to the people following your personal brand who are raving fans of yours (and will, in turn, buy from you). Focus on nurturing them, adding value to them, and simply being yourself. Feel free to share freebies and educational videos, but also take the time to invite them into your life through the lens of your course — and take the time to appeal to them through that personal connection you already have.

 

Sound simple? That’s because, my friend, it is. If you’ve been building an engaging personal brand, you definitely have people who want to support you on it — you just have to reach them in the right way.

 

Also, keep your audience in mind. This is of utmost importance when you’re balancing posting about your business, but also about your life around your business. In most cases, if you feel like you’re overdoing it, you’re probably right on the money. But do consider your audience and how well you’ve trained them to hear from you while launching. Our clients have done a phenomenal job of teaching followers that we WILL be emailing and posting about offers.

For example, if you’re currently launching a course, think about the phase of your launch, and how many posts you want to make for each phase

  • Webinar
  • Cart Open
  • Cart Close

If you create 8-10 posts for each phase, your webinar phase is a week, and your cart period is a week, then you could have the following organic content plan:

  • reel with long-form copy about the benefits and learnings from the webinar/course
  • image with short copy about how to join
  • reel with long-form copy about your personal expertise and the results from the webinar or course learnings
  • image with long-form copy sharing a sneak peek of the strategy you’ll share in your webinar or course
  • personal reel about your lifestyle, learnings lately, etc. with CTA to engage in the comments (for example: “Comment below if you agree” or “Tag that person in the comments”)
  • carousel with testimonial images for the course or webinar takeaways
  • personal image about your life and hobbies, more casual, storytelling
  • reel with b-roll footage and a thought-provoking text on image, explain the text in the caption long-form and then invite people to the webinar/course
  • reel sharing answers to any objections your audience might have about joining
  • personal reel about how you created the course content or webinar

 

This is a pretty good mix of content for your audience to digest, and not feel like they’re being overwhelmed with your offer. Keep in mind, that you should be posting consistently with your previous posting schedule. If you rarely post and then turn it into high gear during a launch, and post 3x/day, your audience miiiight notice, and not take kindly to this strategy. Post what feels right for your regular routine!

 

— And, there you have it — our simple tips for creating course-friendly content, regardless of a business or a personal account! As usual, remember: the key lies in testing, engaging, and adding value to your audience. In all honesty, THAT is what matters.

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Reflecting on 2023 So Far

Reflecting on 2023 So Far

by | Sep 21, 2023 | Entrepreneurship, Facebook™ Ads

Okay, guys… I hate to be this person but I HAVE to ask:

 

Can you BELIEVE it’s already the FALL?! 

 

Like, honestly… what has happened this year? It’s like we hit January 1 and life decided to accelerate — and to say it’s been busy, full of lessons, and full of work is an understatement.

 

But, I digress. ‘Tis life, isn’t it?!

 

And, during this busy year, I’ve learned a LOT. My team has learned a LOT. My clients have learned — you guessed it — a LOT. We’re in this really interesting space of time where we’re seeing new innovations in tech every day, new ways to reach audiences and customers WITH that tech, and new variations on the things that have worked already.

 

So, I want to dive into a little reflection of 2023 so far: ads edition.

 

What we’ve learned about ads (so far) in 2023

After a year of news about privacy changes, allowances, and rebrands, there was a lot to contend with — but, to be honest, we’ve learned and have really decided to dial in on a lot of the strategies we’ve been focused on.

 

And it’s worked.

 

#1: Video is still king (queen?!)

It’s really been no secret that video content has been heavily, heavily prioritized across social — and for good reasons. Audiences enjoy it, it’s highly engaging, and it’s immediately eye-catching. This has only increased in 2023 so far — especially in your ads.

 

Whether it’s running ads on Reels/TikTok or it’s repurposing video content to engage your audience with ads, showing up is SO important. We’ve learned through countless launches this year that video testing is just as important as we assumed, too. Don’t forget this — and focus on testing lifestyle videos, TikTok-style videos, talking videos, and more. It’s important to really dig into the types of content your audience loves so that you can lean into more of it.

 

However, I do really want to make something clear: images are not dead! Photo ads and creative still work and perform really, really well among audiences — and I don’t see that ever changing. But, paying attention to video content is still highly important, and for a couple reasons:  you want to please the algorithm when you can, it’s important to show up in multiple ways, and trying new things is never a bad thing.

 

#2: The strategies we promote are still working.

Over here, we place the biggest emphasis — always — on testing. We test creative assets, we test timing, we test audiences… you name it. And, guess what? That strategy remains one of theeee best things you can do for a successful ad campaign and launch. Every. Single. Time. Don’t get caught on one practice and refuse to try and test other things, because you will miss out on a huge opportunity there.

 

You deserve better than that.

 

#3: Diversification of spend is getting the most return.

While we may have started out as a FB ads agency, we’re a lot more than that now — we’re comfortable running ads on any platform, and I have to urge you to do the same. See, there are constantly new platforms (hello, TikTok is not that old!) and there are also platforms that you may not have been taking advantage of (hello, Pinterest!). By leveraging them, you can truly see a huge return on spend.

 

Now, a note: for us and for our clients, FB and IG are still seeing the biggest return and engagement levels. However, it very well may not stay like that forever — and, regardless, we are still seeing big return and engagement in places like TikTok and Pinterest, too.

 

Don’t miss out.

 

—

 

Stay tuned — the year isn’t over yet! These are just a few of the things we’ve learned so far, and we’re excited for more. And, as always, if there’s anything you want us to dig into… let us know!

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Pinterest Ads: What We’ve Learned

Pinterest Ads: What We’ve Learned

by | Sep 12, 2023 | How To, Strategy

Soooo, I’ve made it ZERO secret that I love Pinterest.

 

Home decor, recipes, travel inspo… ah, you name it and Pinterest has it. It’s the best.

 

This year, we’ve really been digging into Pinterest as an ad platform for our clients — and to BIG results. See, while Pinterest has had a pretty big allowance for ads already, we hadn’t really made much leeway or tested too much within it.

 

We’ve changed that big-time recently, and now advertise on Pinterest consistently for our clients.

 

And, guess what? If you’re not on Pinterest already running ads, you need to be. You really, really do. It’s such a great platform for driving traffic to your launches/landing pages and for growing your audience — and while there’s a lot to learn, there’s also a lot to gain.

 

So, if you’re ready to jump into Pinterest as an ads platform BUT you’re still feeling a little hesitant about it, we’ve got you covered. Here’s what we’ve learned about running ads on Pinterest.

 

Pinterest Ads: What We’ve Learned

 

First up, remember: Pinterest ads are a long game. If you’re already running ads on Facebook/Instagram, you might be used to a shorter learning phase and turnaround than you’ll get with Pinterest — which does not necessarily matter in the long run, but is super important to know in the short term. See, on FB/IG, it really just takes hours (depending on budget) to complete the learning phase on an ad so that you can re-optimize if necessary. 

 

However, on Pinterest, the learning phase is a lot closer to 2 weeks. It’s why we’ll always recommend giving Pinterest ads more time to work (don’t pull them off platform or make changes too early)!

 

Next, remember that keyword testing on Pinterest will make you successful. Many Pinterest users utilize the platform like a search engine (as opposed to FB/IG), so remembering that when creating ads can make a huge difference. Instead of linking people straight to a checkout page, focus on creating and advertising with content that educates, that has search value, and that will keep potential clients or customers exploring. 

 

You can do this by educating with context and visuals — specifically, images with words linking to value-rich content — and remembering that many Pinterest users are typically on the exploratory stage of the user journey in the first place. Focus on the fact that Pinterest is a visual platform, and lean into that!

 

And then, finally, remember this: diversifying your strategy is so, so, so, so key to success. If you’ve been playing the FB/IG ads game for years and you’re a little unsure of Pinterest, just trust me: nothing but good can come from knowing and understanding your benchmarks on different platforms — you never know what magic you might encounter!

 

—

If you’re a 7-figure business owner looking to launch a Pinterest ads strategy, get in touch! And, if you’re just here for their resources, stick around — we’ve got lots more coming.

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Are FB Custom Conversions Back?!

Are FB Custom Conversions Back?!

by | Aug 22, 2023 | Facebook™ Ads, How To, Strategy

Back in the day, Facebook looked a LOOOOT different than it does these days.

Was it better? Not in every way, no.

But in some ways? YEP — specifically with these things called custom conversions — which you could utilize for ALL your various offers.

See, here’s an example: for instance, you could create a custom conversion, and use it for a specific purchase confirmation page URL. You could name it “The FB Ads Method Purchasers,” and then instead of optimizing your campaign for any ol’ “purchase,” you could optimize it for that exact course purchaser. That way, Facebook could gain traffic for THAT course.

It was fantastic. However, as things do on Facebook, it changed. The iOS update and privacy changes meant that the events Facebook allowed you to prioritize were a lot less than usual (you could only choose 8 — including “lead,” “purchases,” “page views,” “add to cart,” etc) and, in a sense, made custom conversions obsolete (you could still use them but they reeeealllly didn’t work). So, everyone had to optimize for one of the broad events, meaning, you could only see that A purchase was made, not WHAT was purchased. When you’re doing a lot of sales, it was hard to report accurately and tell what was selling well. 

But, guess what? FB custom conversions are (partially) back!

 

How to create custom conversions on Facebook

While there are still some limitations (which we’ll jump into a bit), you can create the custom conversions of days past! With these, you’ll be able to think strategically for *your* funnel and where you want to track people — and you can create these conversions to do just that. Here’s exactly how to do it from our pals at Facebook!

 

However, here’s what to keep in mind

While we use these custom conversions, we don’t use them how we used to. Instead, we now use custom conversions for a different data point in our reporting. With these custom conversions, you’ll be able to really analyze traffic and make better, more data-informed decisions. This is super, super helpful if you have multiple offers and you’re trying to either see where people are going or what you should put your budget towards.

But, like I said, these changes are still kiiinda in flux. So, it is not (in any way) perfect however, they are continuing to work on this and make it better.

And, here’s the thing: while you may not be able to utilize custom conversions in the same way you used to be able to, you CAN utilize custom conversions to be data-focused…

…and data-focused is the best, most strategic way to build trust with your audience and even your clients.

So, definitely set up custom conversions for all of the events in your funnel that you want to be able to see/track. For example, if our funnel is: ads > webinar > retargeting ads > sales page, we would set up a custom conversion for the webinar thank you page (so it will track anyone who signed up for the webinar) and also set up a custom conversion for the sales thank you page if possible. This way, if I have multiple offers, I can see how many people registered for the webinar (via that custom conversion) AND how many people purchased that specific offer (again, via the custom conversion I set up), instead of seeing a generic “purchase” and not knowing WHAT was purchased. 

I LOVE custom conversions because, although, sales are great…I always want to see WHAT was sold. 

What say you? Have you brought back custom conversions in your ads manager? I’d love to hear?

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Pinterest Conversions: Your 411 Guide to Analytics

Pinterest Conversions: Your 411 Guide to Analytics

by | Aug 10, 2023 | Strategy

There’s one thing we’re absolutely, positively sure of: there’s no point in running ad campaigns if you aren’t paying attention to your campaign’s analytics.

No point at all.

But, to be honest, analytics can be CONFUSING. *chugs iced coffee nervously*

We know this, firsthand — especially if it’s in an ad platform you may not be as familiar with, like Pinterest. Here’s the thing though: it’s our job to get to the bottom of making the most of analytics on EVERY platform, Pinterest included.

Duh. 🙂 

Step 1: Get your tags in order

Facebook has the pixel. Pinterest has the Pin tag. To get the most out of your campaigns, you’ll need to install your tag and make sure you have the correct event. The Pinterest tag (which is just a piece of code you add to your site) is the only way you can really see the true effectiveness of your ads and start getting the right insights.

 You can find directions on installing the Pinterest tag here and then adding event codes here — so do those first, and then make sure you have the right tags in the right places:

  • Opt in thank-you pages: Lead tags
  • Purchase confirmation pages: Checkout tags
  • Cart pages: Add to cart tags

Step 2: Pinterest analytics you need to pay attention to

One of the best things about Pinterest analytics is that there’s a LOT to see. These aren’t wimpy analytics at all — they’re incredibly helpful ones, and the platform is packed with pretty much anything you want to take a look at. However, in my opinion, there are so many that the platform can be a leeeettle noisy. To keep it simple, I would focus on these Pinterest metrics:

  • Results (based on campaign objective)
  • Cost per results (based on campaign objective)
  • Total conversions (Lead)
  • Total CPA (Lead)
  • Total conversions (Add to cart)
  • Total conversions (Checkout)
  • Total CPA (Checkout)
  • Total order value (Checkout)
  • Total ROAS (Checkout)
  • Paid CTR

Step 3: Create a custom report!

Now that you have your tag installed and know what analytics to consistently look for, you can make life reeeeeaaal easy on yourself — and get monthly reports automatically generated and sent to you (!!!)

Here’s how:

It’s super easy — and it’s such a game-changer. We’d definitely recommend automating this (just makes it simpler for all involved), but it’s up to you. Then, to really be the most efficient ads-runner ever, take a few key points! We always like to look at the results from the month, dig into what went well, dive into what could be better, and pull out top performers and creative insights, too.

And, there you have it! Your ultimate Pinterest conversion guide — now, get after it!

 

 

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New Ideas for Ad Graphics

New Ideas for Ad Graphics

by | Aug 2, 2023 | Facebook™ Ads, Launching, Strategy

If there’s one thing we can all agree on in the world of course launches and Facebook ads, it’s that it can be really easy for everything to start looking the same. And, let’s be honest: this makes sense! It’s hard to constantly reinvent the wheel — we get it.

 

Here’s the thing, though: making sure that everything *doesn’t* look the same is really a key part of running successful ads. See, if all of your ads look and sound the same, your audience is going to get fatigued… and quickly. Often, this is why we see once top-performing ads become low performers, and it’s why we have to work so intentionally not to fatigue offers with our clients’ audiences.

 

So, what do you do, you ask? Well, you’re in the right place pals — because as usual, my team has you covered.

 

The trick to ad graphics and course graphics

If you’ve been here awhile, you’re probably going to guess what I’m about to say here. The trick to ad graphics and course graphics is testing multiple versions — and testing those multiple versions consistently to inform NEW strategies and NEW tests.

Say that five times fast.

But, truly: testing new versions of ads, their creative (graphics, copy, targeting, naming, you name it), and their reach is truly the best tool you have in your toolbox for avoiding ad fatigue and making sure that you’re reaching the right number of people with your ads. Plus, if you’re consistently testing new versions of captions, graphics, and audiences, you start to get a feel and a read on what your audience tends to like — and you can use those well-performing tests as formulas for different ads. This helps you shake up your ads — and avoid fatigue — while taking a lot of the pressure off of your team to endlessly create.

 

Need some new ideas for ad graphics and course graphics?

Over here, we’re always knee-deep in a course launch or similar launch for our clients — which means that we’re constantly needing to up the ante through tests and versioning over here. Luckily for us (and for you!), we’ve learned a LOT through all of that testing and versioning, and we’ve been embracing the results with some new ideas for ad and course graphics:

Gifs, please!:

Audiences love any type of creative that moves and engages them, and any type of ad with video or movement tends to perform really well — so try a gif! We’ve been doing this a lot with carousel-type posts. Instead of utilizing the traditional photo carousel, turn it into a gif. Voila!

Face or no face?:

We’ve been testing a lot of different versions of graphics both with AND without the course creator, and have seen really good results from both. To shake it up with your audience, create 2 versions of every graphic — one with your face and one without — and see which tends to perform better with what audience.

Keep in mind, for Pinterest ads and colder audiences, you want your logo on the image for that brand recognition. Sometimes your brand IS your face, where you’re easily recognizable to your audience because they know you. Try adding your name (or your logo!) instead of your face!

 

Numbers on images:

Humans react well when they see results and measurements (shocker…) and this goes for ads, too — so try out text on your ad images with numbers to quantify your offer. For example, call your offer something like “ the course with the 10,000-person waitlist,” “the guide to 10xing your traffic,” or “42 lessons, 6 live sessions, 6+ months of content.” This is a really helpful way for your audience to start seeing how your course could help them instantly, and is also a good way to appeal to that logic-filled side of their brains.

See, in all honesty, it all comes back down to testing. Try new things, test them out, and reap the rewards — it’s that simple.

 

You’ve got this!

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