2024 Recap: Facebook Ads Edition

2024 Recap: Facebook Ads Edition

by | Dec 17, 2024 | Entrepreneurship, Facebook™ Ads, How To, Launching

Y’all, we’ve (almost) done it — we’ve almost made it through 2024!

*happy dance*

And, let’s be honest: a LOT has happened this year. In a year of AI innovations, elections, new tech, and beyond, there’s been something to look at, try, or test every single time we turn our heads.

But, guess what? That’s the kind of year that creates big-time growth.

Come along with us for a recap of 2024 Facebook ads innovation — and then let’s start thinking ahead to 2025!

Facebook ads: what changed in 2024?
When it comes to ads, Meta is always on the front of innovation — and 2024 was no different. From boosting targeting capabilities to allowing for more personalization, we saw a lot of changes for the better this year.

Here are some of our favorite 2024 Facebook ad level-ups:

  • The embrace of AI: If “artificial intelligence” isn’t TIME’s word of the year, I’m confused. Honestly, after all, AI has been a HUGE part of this year’s tech reckoning, and Facebook ads are no different. This year, Meta added AI-powered ad tools into the ad platform… and we’re obsessed. Now, you can edit images, customize text, create variations, forecast performance, and so much more. It’s been a game-changer for efficiency, for ad spend, and for overall ad performance.
  • More personalization opportunities: The internet is a crowded place, and people NEED to feel like something is meant for them — which is why the fact that Facebook has leaned into personalization makes SUCH a big difference. This year, we saw the ability to lean heavily into audience preferences with a big uptick in dynamic ad capabilities — meaning that you can customize ads in real-time, make audience-centric adjustments, and even tailor them to the seasons. Yes, please!
  • Deeper insights: As an FB ads agency, we’re (obviously) always looking for more data — and so are our clients! Updates to the Audience Insights dashboard have given us all a much deeper capability into data dives, which we’re all obsessed with. You can now see enhanced behavior tracking, predictive analytics, privacy-focused insights, and so much more. This has been key for optimizing budgets and improving ROI.

Some top System Envy moments
While the Metadata wizards have been spinning up new things, so have we! This has been a campaign-heavy year (packed with some BIG results), and we’ve had an infinite amount of fun trying different platforms, shaking up our strategies, and helping our clients make their biggest dreams come true.

Here are a few of our top moments and practices:

  • Obsessing over Pinterest: Our entire team has been biggggg fans of  Pinterest forever and ever, and we really embraced the Pinterest ad game this year! And, trust us here — if you haven’t tried Pinterest ads, you’re going to want to! Data shows that over 80% of Pinterest users have made a purchase based on their Pins before, and the longevity is insane. (Wondering what we mean? The average Pin is re-pinned 11 times, which points to how long its reach can grow!) Here’s what we’ve learned this year.
  • Making $1.4M for our new client: We have so much fun with every single client launch we support (I mean, hello… we have the best clients EVER!), but we really can’t stop thinking about one of the launches that we started with last year and re-did this year. Long story short? We helped get a 725%+ return on ad spend for a whopping $1.4 million return on investment! This was a course launch for a brand new course and involved a quickfire engagement strategy AND launch strategy to work. You can learn more about it our first go-round here!
  • Dipping our toes in the TikTok water: Leaning into the TikTok ads game was a huge priority for us this year, and it’s one we’re really glad to have leaned into. Likely, TikTok is going to be a huge moneymaker — especially for younger audiences — for quite a while. By taking the leap this year, we’ve been able to prime our clients for some big successes. Here’s what you need to know.

And, guys… we have to be honest with you — all of the above is BARELY even scratching the surface. This year has been huge, and we know next year will be, too.

We just can’t WAIT for it! Let’s do it together, yeah?

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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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5 Marketing Myths You Won’t Want to Fall For

5 Marketing Myths You Won’t Want to Fall For

by | Nov 20, 2024 | Facebook™ Ads, Launching

As a Facebook ads agency owner — and as an entrepreneur myself — thinking about marketing is a BIIIIG part of my life.

(Like, a really big part of my life.)

This means that I find myself constantly thinking about the best tips, tricks, and tools for marketing my clients’ businesses (and my business!), and it also means that I regularly find myself faced with some, um… ~untrue things.~

Now, trust me here. I know that everyone is allowed to have their opinions when it comes to marketing (as they do with life)! But I also know, firsthand, that some of the opinions people tend to have are, quite literally, myths. And, if you believe the myths, you can accidentally get caught up in the wrong things and set yourself really far back.

You deserve better than that.

5 marketing myths you won’t want to fall for

So, because I love ya, here are 5 of the biggest marketing myths I see my clients and friends falling for (so that you don’t fall for them, too).

Myth 1: “If your offer is great, it will sell itself.”

I’d loooove to tell you that great offers sell themselves — but, sorry… they don’t. Anyone who tells you this is choosing to ignore the fact that consistent sales (even when they seem effortless or passive) have BIG-TIME strategy behind them.

Now, don’t get me wrong: you can make it SEEM like your offer is selling itself, too. You can. But if you want to get to this place where your offer is seemingly selling itself, you need to be doing at least one of the following:

  • Actively creating content that’s funneling leads into an email campaign for conversion
  • Running evergreen ad strategies that target cold and warm audiences
  • Marketing via social media or email
  • Talking about your offer on podcasts or at conferences

Myth 2: “Facebook ads are only worth it if you have HUGE budgets.”

If there’s one thing I hear all the time, it’s this: “Kerry, I’ve heard that Facebook ads are pointless without massive budgets.”

And, if there’s one thing I want to say all the time, it’s this: “It’s not TRUEEEE!”

I promise! I have seen absolutely massive results from ad campaigns with small budgets, and I have seen not-so-great results from ad campaigns with huge ones. This is because your budget is the tiniest piece of the puzzle. If you have an engaged, loyal audience who trusts you, knows you, and values your opinions, you’re already winning at the ads game. It’s that simple. When you combine that with killer targeting, the right offer, and excellent creativity, your budget barely matters.

Myth 3: “More followers = more $$$.”

I’ll bounce off the budget convo with another one I hear all the time — and that’s that big follower count matters. Guys. It doesn’t. It all goes back to the engagement of your audience and the quality of your content. 

Just think about it: let’s take someone with a million followers who has no audience connection and never provides any value.

Then, on the other side, let’s take someone with 5,000 followers who regularly engages with her audience, shares value, and makes people feel included.

Who do you think would have more success with encouraging someone to ACTUALLY buy something? I can guarantee ya that it’s not the person with a million followers, y’all. It’s not.

Myth 4: “Short-form content > Long.”

Another thing you’ve probably heard a LOT is that people don’t have the attention spans for longer content anymore — and I have thoughts on this.

First, sure. People do like short-form content and, these days, people do tend to move on quickly — especially from things they’re not already bought into. 

However, that doesn’t mean that people don’t like long-form content TOO. There is room for a mix of both. I promise. It’s why we test ads with shorter and longer copy, why we mix up video and text within campaigns, and why you watch TikTok *and* Game of Thrones.

People are multifaceted. 😜

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So, my friends, there you have it! Those are some of the biggest myths I see over here — and, more importantly, they’re the ones I want you to make sure to avoid believing.

You’ve got this.

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Make Your Life EASIER: Our Favorite AI Content Creation Tools for Ads

Make Your Life EASIER: Our Favorite AI Content Creation Tools for Ads

by | Nov 6, 2024 | Facebook™ Ads, Launching

Does anyone else remember thinking the idea of AI was WILD when it came out?! 

(Because I sure did.) 

As a business owner, a content creator, and a mom, I honestly saw the launch of AI as *another* thing that would either A) make people think they could do my job or B) make my kids, well… not learn.

And, as I’m sure MANY of you realize now, I was wrong! I’ve started to love using AI (sparingly) to streamline some of my tasks, elevate some of our team’s work, and really cut down time when necessary. While I don’t think it will ever (or should ever) bypass the human touch, it is highly helpful when used right.

(I can think of about a million ways to use it in business alone.)

4 AI Content Creation Tools for Ads

One of my favorite ways to use it = making life easier when it comes to content creation. From images to text to video editing to punctuation, there are some AI tools we absolutely swear by over here.

Here are some of our favorites:

ChatGPT / Jasper / OwlyWriterAI: 

We’re big fans of professional copy over here, BUT also love an AI moment for bringing extra actionable insights into a message. If you have ChatGPT, Jasper, OwlyWriter, or anything similar, you can copy and paste your ad copy right in — and then ask it for suggestions to hit specific pain points, reach specific targets of people, or try out different CTAs. 

While you’re probably not going to like all of the suggestions it gives you, it’s a great tool for simply seeing where your options are and where your blind spots are. It’s also an excellent tool when you want to vary certain areas of copy for testing. We particularly love it over here for suggesting headlines and copy on images.

Canva: 

If you’re not using Canva, are you in the 21st century?! Kidding… but also, not. Canva is our go-to tool over here for pretty much every graphic *and* video asset that our clients put out — and it’s the most user-friendly tool EVER for non-designers. 

(A muchhhh bigger step up from Microsoft Paint.)

And, these days, Canva has several AI features that save us SO much time I can’t even explain. From the background remover (never show me Photoshop again) to the auto layout adjustments, Canva makes our lives a lot easier… and our ads a lot prettier. 

Inshot / iMovie / CapCut / Reels templates: 

A TON of the ads we run for our clients involve videos — whether it’s a shorter story-type Reel or a longer, more multi-layered file. While there are a lot of options for editing videos out there, we’re ad experts…. not video ones. 

That’s why we’re always turning to Inshot, iMovie, CapCut, and even Reels templates to simplify things. AI features like captioning, noise reduction, and stabilization are key to making your videos look professional, which is key to ensuring that they perform well on ads.

Grammarly:

Look, this might seem like a “duh” — but can I just tell you that poor grammar WILL impact your ads performance? Because it will. Utilizing a simple AI tool like Grammarly is a 10/10 way to make sure that spelling errors and poor structure won’t alienate your readers OR make you look silly.

(Plus, it’s literally just a plug-in on your computer. Such an easy tool! We use it constantly.)

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At the end of the day, AI can be a BIG benefit to your time management and content creation when you use it right. Promise. Try out one of these tools and lemme know what you think!

Here for you, always.

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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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Don’t Let the Algorithm Get You Down

Don’t Let the Algorithm Get You Down

by | Sep 25, 2024 | Facebook™ Ads, Strategy

 

“UGH, the algorithm.”
“I can’t grow because of the algorithm.”
“The algorithm hates me.”

I could go on, and on… and on.

And, guys, I’m pretty sure that ANY business owner you ask has said at LEAST one version of it.

(I certainly have.)

But, here’s what I’ve learned: we all give the algorithm WAY too much power. Way too much. (And then some.)

In reality, there IS an algorithm — but all it is, at the end of the day, is a string of code that Instagram uses to organize feeds and Stories.  That’s it. It doesn’t have morality, it doesn’t get angry, and it doesn’t hate you.

Promise.

So, let’s chat about it (and stop letting it get us all down).

 

How does the Instagram algorithm work?

 

On a high level, the Instagram algorithm uses a variety of things — user interactions, engagement, content type, recency, relationships, etc. — to, ideally, show the right content to the right people. It learns from your activity (and from that, your ideal audience) to categorize your content, it showcases certain things, and helps you to find new things and people, too. 

Since Instagram wants you to create engaging content, it’s going to (more often than not) reward the kind of content that’s original and entertaining — but that, I think, is where we all tend to get tripped up. See, I’m sure ALL of us have had the experience of creating something we thought was SO. GOOD., only to see it…

…flop.

That’s the hard part.

But, it takes me back to what I said up there. At the end of the day, all the algorithm REALLY is just code and tech — no morality. No anger. No hate. I promise.

So, all of that being said…

 

How do you not let the algorithm get you down?

 

There are a few focuses I think all business owners should have when it comes to the online content world — especially if you’re stressing over the algorithm. Here they are;

  • Have a solid brand sense: At the end of the day, it can be really easy to lose yourself in the social sauce — which is why having a strong sense of your brand is so dang important. When you’re aware of, proud of, and tuned into your mission, vision, values, and everything in between, it becomes a lot easier to see if you’re creating content JUST to create it, or if you’re doing so purposefully. When you know you’re aligned, it’s a lot harder to stress about the algorithm. (Promise.) 
  • Build a marketing team: So often, we try to do everything and then some in business — but why?! Not everything is our job or our zone of genius, and when we ACT like everything is our job/our zone, we end up panicking about things that don’t matter… and doing the wrong things in the name of “fixing” them. This is why building a marketing team (or simply finding marketing friends you trust!) and getting strategic advice. Keeping up with social media is a FULL-time job, literally. 
  • Test and study: The real truth of the matter when it comes to social media is this: the algorithm will seem to “like” some things you do over another. (That’s just the way it is.) For example, carousels are having a *moment* on Instagram. All the “dumps” and “camera roll crumbs” and oodles of people posting a long line of images have caused IG to make carousels 20 images instead of 10. The platform is literally encouraging you to make aaaall the carousels. Next month, the platform might refocus on reels (hint* it’s testing vertical feeds, instead of square placements… very similar to another very-closely-related-video platform). Instead of getting fixated on ALL the change ALL the time, just be aware of it! Then, you can see what performs well — and create repeatable content formulas that lean on that!

 

Alright, friends — you have it: encouragement, advice, and some good ole’ fashioned SOLIDARITY. Because, trust me. I get it, and I’m here for you…

Every time. 

11 Must-Try Reel Ideas for Ads

11 Must-Try Reel Ideas for Ads

by | Sep 4, 2024 | Entrepreneurship, Facebook™ Ads, Strategy

 

These days, you kiiiinda can’t grow your following (or your engagement) on Meta and Instagram without Reels. Whether you’re running Facebook ads, posting on IG for fun, or in the middle of a launch, a Reels strategy is a *must* for driving clicks.

But, as we all know… the creative process is hard. And, sometimes, we ALL run out of ideas!

However, you know me — and I simply *refuse* to gatekeep.

So, just for fun, I’m sharing 11 MORE Reel ideas to use for your next Facebook or Instagram ad campaign.

 

11 Reel Ideas You Need In Your Next Campaign 

 

  1. Level up your visuals by adding your own brand fonts and colors inside of Canva, Capcut, or Inshot. Instagram is starting to roll out more features that actually feel like Canva, (ie. adding stickers, collages, more font options, etc.) so keep an eye out on that! 
  2. Spotlight a good ole’ before-and-after moment that encapsulates the transformation your product or service provides.
  3. Share a hot take or unpopular opinion you have in your industry. Be ready to engage your audience in the comments!
  4. Give your audience a BTS look inside of your process (or spotlight something specific, like a discovery call or a workday!)
  5. Show off your team with an intro reel! (It can also be really fun to spotlight your customers, too.)
  6. Do a rapid-fire Q&A. 
  7. Showcase social proof with overlaid images on top of your video.
  8. Try out B-roll Reel ideas (we have even more ideas and examples, here)!
  9. Utilize teasers for your next launch that align with your launch strategy itself. Start to show sneak peaks behind the scenes of what you’re working on. Include people in the process so they’re super primed for your launch!
  10. Do you package a product? Show it off! 
  11. Showcase your customer pain points as one-liners in your Reel text — and then break down your solution in the caption.

 

Want to keep elevating your Reels?

If you want to keep your Reels effective, engaging, and exciting (the goal alllllways, of course!), there are a few best practices you can follow! First, focus on the HOOK — AKA, what’s going to suck viewers in? You can really rock your hook strategy with a lot of our Reels ideas, and you can always go back to the old faithfuls, too: clear copy, bright lighting, and well-filmed video. It’s amazing how much of an incredible hook it can be simply to have a high-quality video in itself.

Once you’ve nailed that down, layer in the fun things — like trending sounds, jokes, or transitions — to add detail and depth to your Reels. And, most importantly, please (pleassse!) give your Reels — especially those you’re using in ads campaigns — a clear CTA. People need to know where they’re supposed to be going next, or they’ll keep scrolling. It’s that simple. 

And, there you have it! When your Reels ideas are paired with the right audience (and the right captions!), you can ensure that your content is doing what you’ve intended for it to do.

I can’t wait to see you SHINE, friend.

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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