 Are you an established e-commerce business with consistent organic reach? Are you considering whether you should start running ads on Facebook and Instagram to bring your product in front of more of your ideal customers? If you're on the fence and wondering whether it's time to go ahead, here are a few reasons why you should definitely consider running Facebook and Instagram ads for your e-commerce business.
1. Your audience is on those platforms According to statista.com, "with roughly 2.8 billion monthly active users, Facebook is the most popular social network worldwide. In its local market in the United States, Facebook accounts for over 60.5 percent of monthly social media visits." In the UK alone, as of February 2021, Facebook had over 50 million users, and Instagram (owned by Facebook) accounted for approximately 30.57 million users. With these kinds of numbers, it's obvious that wherever you are in the world, and no matter what product you sell, you'll find plenty of your ideal customers on these platforms. And missing out on the chance to be there and promote your product could cost you! Running ads on Facebook and Instagram allows you to reach an audience that you wouldn't otherwise be able to influence. So whether you are an established business or a start-up in whatever industry or niche, paid social on Facebook and Instagram could prove to be a great growth strategy for your business. 2. Paid social is great for market research As I always say to my clients, in order to find out how your audience reacts to your product, you first need to start driving traffic to your website. It's only when you achieve regular and consistent traffic to your website that you can really start to observe and make sense of your ideal customers' behaviours. For example, through the data you obtain via the Facebook Ads Manager, you can see where drop-offs are happening. Are people getting to certain pages on your website and then moving away? Are they adding your products to their baskets but not checking out? Google Analytics may give you some useful information. But through paid advertising, you'll definitely gain access to better insight. You'll also be able to easily spot any issues in your sales funnel or customer journey. And once you have it, you can use this information to make changes that could have a significant impact on your bottom line. In a nutshell, by collecting and analysing data at the back of your ad campaigns you can see how your website is performing, how well the user journey flows (or doesn't), and really understand whether your product and positioning are enticing to your ideal customers. Put simply, without running ads, you just wouldn't be able to access this know-how. 3. Facebook and Instagram have fantastic analytics tools When you run ads on Facebook and Instagram, you can benefit from all the data collected and used by the platform. As I say to my clients, you have full control and visibility of your spending, your ROI, and the performance of your ad campaigns. By regularly checking the reports and data provided by the Facebook Ads Manager, you are able to see exactly how your campaigns are performing. This allows you to either turn off and stop any ads that aren't working or scale those campaigns that are definitely converting well for your business. In addition to this, the tool is highly effective and intelligent. It continuously learns from and adapts to user behaviour. In other words, Facebook knows your audience better than you do! If you aren't running ads on these platforms, you're not just missing out on the chance to get in front of the biggest audience available on any social media platform, but you're also leaving data on the table that could make all the difference to your business. Facebook has access to your audience's browsing and purchasing habits. And you won't be able to benefit from that unless and until you start running ads. 4. Facebook and Instagram have great targeting capabilities When running ads via the Facebook Ads Manager you can segment your audience and decide who you want to target. You can aim your campaigns at demographics in specific geographic locations or age groups. Facebook allows you to target your social media followers, your email list subscribers, and people who have purchased from you in the past. You can also target users by behaviours, interests, life-events, hobbies, and more. And Facebook does this for you with great precision and accuracy. It's also why I recommend all my clients to always opt for 'automatic placement' when running ads. This means that instead of making the decision to run your ads only on Facebook or Instagram, for example, you leave the decision to the tool. This can be extremely beneficial for your business. And that's because, as I mentioned earlier, Facebook is privy to data you have no access to. Also, the Facebook Ads Manager allows you to re-target users who have visited your website or abandoned their purchase. You can encourage these prospective customers to buy from you by presenting them with incentives, offers, or discounts. Once again, this is something you wouldn't otherwise be able to do. 5. Paid ads on Facebook and Instagram are great value for money While I recommend you have good organic reach before you start running paid social media ads, organic reach alone will not deliver the results and figures you want. Not anymore. Paid advertising, on the other hand, can. And you can hit your targets without breaking the bank. When I say this, I'm not suggesting you should only spend £50 here and there. Or that you boost a post for £5 a day once in a while. But if you are serious about Facebook and Instagram advertising, you could get some fantastic results fairly quickly. If that's your goal, I would recommend you set aside a budget of at least £750-£1,000 per month. Comparatively speaking, paid social is a lot cheaper (and more targeted and effective) than any other type of advertising. Think TV, magazines, or radio, for example. Running ads on platforms like Facebook and Instagram is also cheaper than using Google Ad Words or LinkedIn Ads. And it will get you in front of a huge audience that you wouldn't otherwise be able to reach. Considering you're always in full control of your spending and the performance of your campaigns, what have you got to lose? Would you like my help with Facebook and Instagram ads for your e-commerce business? If you are an established e-commerce business and have experienced success in selling organically so far but are ready to take your business to the next level and start running ads on Facebook and Instagram, get in touch. I have recently become a Facebook Marketing Partner, and I'm confident I can help your business level up with paid social. If you are looking to outsource your ad campaigns, you can find more about the way I work here. I also offer a FREE 30-minute strategy call to help you decide if I could be a good fit for your business.
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Why hire me as your paid social expert
If you're an established business owner looking for an e-commerce specialist, you may be wondering how to find a paid social expert who will be a good fit for your business. So here are a few reasons to help you make an informed decision before you hire me to help with your social media advertising.
1. I am open and transparent Transparency is at the core of what I do. When I work with a client, I don't hide anything - I don't hide data, opinions, or results. I regularly monitor the performance of your ads and update you with weekly emails and detailed monthly reports. If there's anything I feel we need to discuss in between our scheduled touchpoints, I will get in touch for an update. During discovery calls, I often hear from prospective clients who have been burnt by paid social strategists in the past. While they might have been provided with data and regular reports, business owners often tell me they weren't sure what to make of the information. For me, what really matters is not only that you receive the data, but that you also make sense of your campaigns. Because that's the only way for you to be able to make more informed decisions going forward. The data shows you a picture of how your ad campaigns are currently performing, and my job is to help you make sense of it. That's also why I never talk in jargon. Instead, I always explain things extensively and in plain English. I have no interest in confusing you with terminology or pieces of information that you're not familiar with. For me, it's all about giving you clarity and understanding. Here's what some of my existing clients said about my approach. "Isil helped to work with me on-site optimisation, to focus primarily on increasing conversions. Her suggestions were detailed, insightful and also (crucially!) straightforward to implement. I would definitely recommend Isil's site audits." Laura Franklin-Hollier, co-founder at Persephone Beauty. And also, "Firstly I finally get the data and statistics. Isil explains things in a way that anyone can get (finally someone who speaks my language), she genuinely wants to help and get you the best and most cost-effective results. Thank you again Isil for giving me some much needed guidance where others have failed." Kimberley Barnard, from Kimberley Barnard Coaching. 2. I believe in testing When running ad campaigns testing is fundamental. Looking at your data helps me to see how your content, your engagement, and any strategies we're employing are working for your product. It's only through testing that we can get a clear picture of what's driving success for your brand and what isn't. Without testing, observing, and analysing the data and tweaking accordingly, you can't make informed decisions. And the best decisions, I believe, are always data-driven. When working together, I help you test different formats to see which ads are more effective, so you can determine what type of content to use for each type of promotion. When running your ads, we can tweak different elements:
3. I invest in my personal development When you're working with me as your paid social expert, you are also investing in my experience and knowledge. I have an extensive background in Retail, which can be incredibly useful when working in the e-commerce space. But also, I invest in my own personal development. This means that I:
As an example, I recently took Facebook’s Media Buyer exam, and I am now certified by Facebook - the Blueprint certification is the highest accreditation they offer. And this is the feedback I received: “Congratulations on becoming Facebook Certified! Thanks to the time and energy you’ve put in, you have demonstrated advanced proficiency in Facebook Certified Media Buying Professional and are in the unique position to showcase yourself as a Facebook marketing solutions expert.” Facebook. My agency has also become a Facebook Marketing partner, which is awarded to companies who meet the highest standards of performance and service. This means I get access to some cool tools and benefits to fuel my clients' growth. Also, below are some kind words that one of my clients shared about me: "Facebook is such a fast-moving and ever-changing platform, and Isil was on top of all the latest developments, which was exactly what I needed to get up to date with. I highly recommend her as a social media specialist and all-around friendly and professional person to work with." Melanie McDowell, Conference Producer at Business Forums International UK. 4. I give you your time back Speaking to clients, I know that running your own ads can feel stressful and overwhelming. Putting your ads together, testing, looking at the data, and optimising your campaigns is time-consuming. But if you're not familiar with the platforms or ads manager functionality, these tasks can also feel frustrating and confusing. Prospective clients often tell me they're tempted to give up on advertising. And when you've tried to run ads on your own and ended up feeling anxious and stressed - wondering if you were wasting time and money - that's understandable. But it doesn't have to be this way. When you hire me as your paid social expert, you have the peace of mind of having a dedicated consultant fully taking care of your ad campaigns. Because running your own business is busy enough as it is - you certainly don't need running ads added to the mix. By leaving ads management to me, you get to free up more of your precious time to take care of the things that really matter in your business. Let me do what I do best, so you can focus on the things you do best - running your business. 5. I get you results I run a boutique agency, which means I only take on a limited number of clients. When I decide to work with you, I am fully committed to you and your business. I treat your budget as I would treat my own. And I do that because I'm determined to get you results and a return on your investments. I dedicate the time and effort required to make your advertising successful because I'm committed to your growth and want to see you achieve the best possible results. Building strong relationships based on mutual trust and respect with my clients is fundamental for me. I don't see myself as a one-off advisor who will step into your business only to disappear a month or so later. Instead, I consider myself as a long-term partner for your company. And I like that all my existing clients see me this way. It's why I tend to work with established e-commerce businesses for a minimum of 3 months and often longer. After all, being your paid social expert for a month or so wouldn't give us enough time to test and tweak. The real results come month after month. Only when we build more data around your campaigns, we start to understand what really moves the needle for your brand. Every business and every product are different, but I can help you figure out what works for your specific audience. Would you like some help with your social media advertising? If you are an established e-commerce business and are looking to hire a paid social expert to run ad campaigns for you, you can find more about the way I work here. I also offer a FREE 30-minute strategy call to help you decide if I could be a good fit for your business.  Are you an established e-commerce business with previous experience in running social media ads? If you're looking for some help with your social media advertising and are considering hiring someone to take the stress out of the process to help you reach your sales targets with high-performing social media ads, I can help. In this blog post, I outline the exact process I follow with my clients when it comes to my Facebook and Instagram ad management service.
1. Discovery and research The initial phase is all about finding out more about you, the client. After an initial discovery call where I find out about your business, your goals, and any previous experience and success you may have had using social media ads in the past, I send over my proposal. In order to give ourselves enough data to make informed decisions, I generally recommend we work together for an initial period of three months. Following your approval of the terms of us working together, I share a detailed questionnaire for you to fill in. This helps me find out more about your business and your targets and goals when it comes to marketing and advertising. This then allows me to complete further research and analysis and understand how your competitors run their ads, for example. But it also helps me analyse what has worked or not worked for you in the past and why you may not be getting the best return on your investment. Thanks to my digital marketing and retail background and my experience of working with established e-commerce businesses, I can help you understand why your website isn't converting, for example. Or why your bounce rate might be high or why people might be adding products to their baskets but not going through to checkout. With the information I collect during the initial questionnaire, I pull together various customer personas to test who is interested in your products and at what cost. In summary, I help you look at your e-commerce store as a whole. What's key is that we tackle any issues before we start running your ads. That way, together, we can get the best value for your advertising budget. 2. Audit and strategy Before I start running your ad campaigns, I will ask you to provide me access to your Business Manager account. This allows me to:
Once I've gathered and analysed data from your account and your previous campaigns, I will share my findings and discuss the relevant next steps with you. Depending on your budget, I will also advise on an ongoing social media advertising strategy. 3. Campaign setup and execution As soon as I have your go-ahead, I am ready to start creating, running and managing your ad campaigns. In order to do this, we will need:
Decisions and recommendations should always be guided by data, which is why I test different sets of audiences, creatives, and ad copy for you. This allows us to understand what give the best best results and make informed decisions. If you want to find out more about what makes a good social media ad, head over to my blog post: How to create the best Facebook ads for your e-commerce business. 4. Campaign management and optimisation Managing your ad campaigns can be time-consuming for business owners and entrepreneurs. But in order to achieve optimal results, regular management and monitoring are necessary. This is why as part of my commitment to you, I access your account on a regular basis (often daily) to ensure your campaigns are working. If I find that any ads are underperforming, I will remove them. I will also test new audiences and provide recommendations to enhance performance. In other words, if your ads aren't working as well as they could, I will either rectify the situation or contact you if necessary. I pride myself on being open and transparent. I run a boutique agency with a limited number of clients, so I can give your business the attention it deserves. This is why I will treat your ad budget as if it were my own. If I find any bottlenecks (such as issues with landing pages, seed audiences, or budget limits) I will pause the campaign. My aim is to discuss any issues with you at the earliest opportunity. 5. Insight and reporting Alongside campaign management, reporting is at the core of what I do. To ensure that you are making the most of your advertising budget, I provide monthly reports as well as weekly email check-ins. I include valuable campaign metrics and results to keep you updated on how your campaigns are progressing. If I identify any issues that require discussion before one of our scheduled checkpoints, I will arrange a call with you. That way, we can talk through any next steps and actions required. Are you interested in my Facebook and Instagram ad management service?If you are an established e-commerce business owner and are considering working with me, you can find more information on my Facebook and Instagram ad management service here. Or, you can book a FREE 30-minutes strategy call here. If you'd like to find out about any of the other services I offer, you can head over to my Work With Me page or download my Price Guide. Please note that prices may vary, depending on your available advertising budget.  Are you a business owner and want to boost your sales with social media advertising? Perhaps you want to start creating Instagram or Facebook ads but have no idea about what would work for your brand? In this step-by-step guide, I share how to create the best Facebook ads for your e-commerce business. 1. Write engaging ad copy that inspires your prospective customers The words you choose for your Facebook ad have the potential to make or break the success of your ad campaign. But what makes for engaging, inspiring copy? Let's look at this example from Boden.  You'll notice that the ad copy is short, concise, and to the point. When it comes to e-commerce and buying products from the internet, people aren't interested in reading long text. Truth is, they're on social media (Facebook or Instagram, for example) to connect with friends and family, check what else is going on in the world, or generally looking for entertainment and inspiration. So when crafting your copy, bear this in mind and aim to create something short and snappy. You want your ad copy to be entertaining, engaging, and inspiring. But how exactly do you achieve that? First thing first, include a 'hook' and an offer. The 'hook' is that initial section of your copy that stops the reader in their tracks. Your job here is to grab your prospective customers' attention, make them stop scrolling, and look at your ad instead. In order to do that, you may need to get a bit creative. Contrary to what a lot of e-commerce business owners might believe, your ad copy isn't the place to list all your product features. Because let's face it - that doesn't make for the most dazzling or interesting read, does it? Instead, aim to inspire people.
 What do you include in your ad copy?If you're looking for some ideas or inspiration around what to include in your ad copy, try with:
Using words and phrases your customers use isn't the only thing to think about when deciding how to craft your ad copy, especially because the wrong choices could make all the difference between your ad being approved or rejected by Facebook. Let's look at the example below from one of my clients, Laura De Zordo Jewellery. 
Generally speaking, when you're selling a product, multiple images tend to do a better job at showcasing your product than one single picture will. Within Facebook's Business Manager, you can also combine multiple photos together to create a slideshow video, so that's yet another option for you to test out in your ads. As for what type of photos you should include, professional photoshoots of your product aren't the only option. Sometimes lifestyle and more 'native' shots that show your product in use or 'in action' can contribute to making it look more appealing and within reach. More than anything, it looks less like an ad and more like a friend recommending something they bought, so try a combination of both. 3. Include a strong Call To Action (CTA)It goes without saying that the best Facebook ads for your e-commerce business should also contain a strong Call To Action (CTA). Think along the lines of:
When thinking about your CTA, it's important to be clear and direct. Also, never give your customers too much choice, because, as they say, "a confused mind never buys". So be absolutely clear and focused on what you want your customers to do next - give them one thing to do and make sure that translates into the text of your CTA buttons. 4. Decide on the best ad placementThe decision around where to publish your ad (i.e. which social media platforms) depends on where your ideal customers tend to be the most active. Within the Facebook Business Manager, you can select the platforms you want to push your ad onto:
If you do opt for the 'Automatic Placement' option, do check that the visuals you have included in your ad work for Instagram too. The last thing you want is for a video to be cut off or for your product to sit at an odd position within the ad. So before hitting the publish button, do make use of the Ad Preview feature and check that your creatives work. Would you like some help to create the best Facebook ads for your e-commerce business?When it comes to best practice and recommendations around creating high-performing ads, rules change frequently. If you're an established e-commerce business looking to get better results from your Facebook or Instagram ads, get in touch. I offer FREE 30-minute strategy calls that are perfect if you need help with your Facebook Ads Management, would like an audit of your Facebook Ad Account, or need support with Shopify.  If you have an online store and advertising on Facebook, you might have hear about the speculations about the impact iOS 14 will have on ads. The reason for that is, in iOS 14, app users will be given the option to opt in or out of tracking. That’s a major change that will reduce the amount of data that’s collected by Facebook.
How many users will opt in, how many users will opt out, we will see. Personally I prefer seeing ads that are relevant to me, so I will opt in. However, because of the privacy concerns, a lot of people might opt out of tracking. We are all expecting to see the impacts of this over the next few weeks. Facebook shared these guides about the upcoming changes that will affect advertisers. https://developers.facebook.com/blog/post/2020/12/16/preparing-partners-ios-14-mobile-web-advertising/ https://www.facebook.com/business/help/331612538028890?id=428636648170202 “Apple has announced changes with iOS 14 that will impact how we receive and process conversion events from tools like the Facebook pixel. Businesses that advertise mobile apps, as well as those that optimize, target, and report on web conversion events from any of our business tools will be affected.” This means Facebook will not be able collect data to understand what a conversion is, the targeting may not be as effective and the reporting will be affected, too. What actions should advertisers take now?
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