5 Marketing Myths You Won’t Want to Fall For

5 Marketing Myths You Won’t Want to Fall For

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. 😜

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.

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

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

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.)

—-

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.

Your Guide to Boosting FB Engagement

Your Guide to Boosting FB Engagement

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.

Don’t Let the Algorithm Get You Down

Don’t Let the Algorithm Get You Down

“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

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?

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!

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

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.

Reflecting on 2023 So Far

Reflecting on 2023 So Far

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!

Are FB Custom Conversions Back?!

Are FB Custom Conversions Back?!

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?

New Ideas for Ad Graphics

New Ideas for Ad Graphics

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!