Tips For Running Your First Local Facebook PPC Campaign

Facebook is critical for any local marketing campaign. In this post, we're sharing 7 important facebook ppc tips you need to know.

Keyword(s): facebook ppc

If you could reach even just the smallest iota of the people who are Facebook members, would it skyrocket your local business into the success stratosphere?

Whether you want to challenge a chain store or just add to your customer base, consider making Facebook PPC a part of your marketing plan.

Yes, the main use of the social media site is free, but when you’re ready to optimize your business page and reach out to people in your local area, stick the click!

Facebook PPC 101

Before you rush to upload, share, pin, and promote, let’s get a couple of things ready.

You’ll need these items for your Facebook page because your prospective customers are going to be expecting them!

• A profile picture and cover photo (note: these are different – one is the long, thin image that goes across the top of the page and one is the small square in the bottom left corner and appears on all of your posts)
• Hours of operation
• Content plan (see? We’re not expecting you to be fully stocked with quality content YET!)

The ABCs of PPC

Facebook is pretty common knowledge to everyone online, whether you’re an active user or not. But PPC? Not always so much.

PPC is short for pay per click and it’s a way some business people advertise.

The back end (the part you pay for but don’t actually see much of) involves Facebook leaning on its incredibly fine-honed system of algorithms and data capturing to determine when best to show your ads.

In your case, you’re going after locals, so of course, Facebook isn’t going to waste visitors’ time or your advertising budget by showing your ads to those who can’t take advantage of your product or service.

Instead, the social media targets users in your area (a specific zip code, city, mileage area, etc).

The One-Click Trick?

Sometimes, things really are as simple as they seem.

When you set up Facebook PPC, the ad you purchase appears to the right of the regular list of search engine results.

Your ad catches someone’s eye? 

The person clicks and is taken to your Facebook page (or the page you designate when you create that Facebook PPC ad).

According to Facebook PPC, paid social advertising leads to 25% more conversions than regular social networking posts (status updates, etc).

Plus you get to take advantage of tools for tracking and testing, too.

Big or Small: Facebook for All

Whether your company is a business of one (you!) or one of the biggest in your local area, Facebook can be the great divider.

Not just because all of your prospective customers are using it, either.

Facebook lets you customize your brand and advertise all in one place that your target is already going/using.

Other types of advertising, such as direct mail, television, sponsorship, and blimps (OK, scratch that last one) has so many moving parts.

You have much more control with Facebook and putting PPC to work for you.

Be Aware!

Part of becoming the king of the kingdom with your local business is to maximize every avenue that reaches to where your customers are hanging out.

Facebook offers local awareness ads in conjunction with PPC. These ads include:

• Map card
• Call Now icon
• Get Directions button
• Messaging (people can click to send you a Facebook message, even if you are not “connected” and even if they are not a “fan”/”Like” your page)
• Learn More button (magically transports them to your non-Facebook website, blog, contact us page, or other preferred destination)

PPC for You and Me?

Still feeling a bit like paying per click is reminiscent of bad or just plain icky business practices like keyword stuffy or redirects?

It’s OK. Fortunately, PPC is fairly cheap to start out with so you won’t really lose anything by trying, and you may just find out there are benefits to matching your advertising needs to what Facebook PPC offers: 

• PPC improves your reach. You may land customers who you would never have been able to meet with just regular Facebook posts and updates.
• PPC is super fast. Weeks of design, uploading, and coding aren’t required. You can launch your ads quickly as well as change them to adjust to the times. Want to offer a holiday special or target something seasonally? PPC is perfect because it moves with the times.
• There are so many analysis possibilities. You can track clicks (or misses) and conversions, and adjust on the fly! For example, if you notice people are just not clicking on one ad but a similar ad is attracting new local traffic in droves, you can immediately tweak the poorly-performing ad and have something new in its place within minutes. Just try to do that with a print ad!

Another benefit of Facebook PPC to keep in mind is that your ads (and possibly, your livelihood) are not dependent on the ever-changing rules and regulations of search engine optimization (SEO), which can be a real wild, wild west. 

You don’t have to take things like SEO and rankings into account with these ads because they’re paid. You’re not trying to game the system. You’re playing by the rules, and PPC can help you come out a winner.

Is It Reliable?

You need to give good thought to how much of your advertising budget you want to commit to Facebook PPC.

Some studies have shown that PPC marketing doesn’t always hit the mark and advertisers sometimes suffer from fraudulent clicks (illegitimate users, sometimes in “click farms,” clicking on your ads, which you then have to pay for).

This can bog you down into dealing with evaluating every single click for click fraud. Facebook will need to do the same, and then the two of you have to do battle if you don’t come to the same conclusion.

There are independent third-parties who are available to evaluate the clicks, but of course, this costs money (and time), too.

Basically, just keep all of this in mind. Or talk it over with an expert. You’re not alone, even if you are the sole proprietor of your business.

Is It Clicking Yet?

If you thought running a local Facebook PPC campaign was as easy as posting a status update, we wouldn’t be surprised if you’re feeling pretty overwhelmed right about now.

But don’t worry, we are here to help. We love to help, because we eat, breathe, and sleep Facebook PPC. And we’re happy to talk, with NO pay per click (that’s free!)

Click here to arrange a meeting with a Facebook pay per click expert. You’ll get quality one-on-one time with the experts who are going to get your campaign on track.