By Becky Dickinson
Last week we were lucky enough to be invited to Facebook in London for one of their events. Although this event was specific to the beauty industry, the majority of what was shared is handy advice for other industries too.
What makes creative stand out?
The heyday of Facebook Ads is over. With more and more companies advertising on the platform, competition is fierce and you need to stand out against the crowd. Facebook is more likely to show good creative to its users, so if a competitor has better creative than you, then they are going to do better!
The question is, what makes good creative? As the saying goes: “People don’t read, they scan.” If the image is intriguing, there is a high chance that customers will stop for at least a second and read the copy on your ad.
- Video – Facebook is really pushing video – video ads receive 10 to 30 percent more views!
- Instagram Stories – Tailor your creative for Instagram Stories, this is still an under-utilised ad so make the most out of it
- Mobile-first – Is your creative optimised for mobile? 96% of Facebook users access it on a mobile, so check what your creative looks like on that screen size
- Use different formats – Video, carousel ads, slideshows, gifs, static images – test different types of creative to see what works for your brand
- No stock images – Remember, people are not on Facebook to buy, make your ads look organic and flow with the rest of your content
Your Facebook ad copy is just as important as striking visuals, so don’t let this be an afterthought. People on Facebook and Instagram scan news feeds quickly, with a short attention span, so ad copy that’s short and sweet is key.
Just three lines of text show in a mobile ad, so don’t exceed this. Effective copy can boost your Facebook ad’s success by a huge margin, especially when it aligns well with your visual. Here are our tips on writing compelling copy:
- Keep it short and on point
- Keep your message clear – what’s the one thing your audience needs to know?
- Use relevant emojis depending on the message – they help catch the eye
- Ensure your ad copy matches your visual
- Use simple language that’s easy to understand
With all that in mind, you should find your ads standing out!
Micro influencers are more trusted
There was a lot of talk about influencers, and there have been numerous articles about the bubble bursting for influencers. Still, beauty brands are finding that micro influencers (people with 50k followers and under) are the most successful.
Consumers trust smaller influencers. They’re starting to move away from celeb-based purchasing behaviour toward the smaller influencers who they feel more close to, who understand their needs and concerns. For beauty shoppers and many other industries, shoppers rely on influencers and reviews for product information. Influencers can work, it’s just about finding the right person for your brand.
Friction is your threat
Amazon has become a huge success, their customer service and next day delivery give consumers what they want. Shoppers want speed, choice and convenience. Your brand needs to be fast, connected and reaching shoppers on their terms, on the go and where they want.
Reduce the friction your consumers encounter. The more friction you have (e.g. poor website, slow loading times, out of stock items, slow delivery, poor customer service), the less chance of success.
You need to be mobile optimised, now. You need the best website app and a friction-free experience. It’s not seconds that count, it’s nano seconds that count.
We are offline shoppers
Here are some facts for you:
- 60% of in-store shoppers are influenced by social media
- 61% of 18-34 year olds are swayed by influencers
- 81% of consumers purchased based on social posts
- Omni channel customers have a 30% higher lifetime value
Consumers no longer have one path to purchase (as we highlighted here). They consume online and offline, which means today’s customers want a borderless brand experience.
Omni-channel is the future of retailing. It’s what customers are demanding. Retailers must use multiple channels to reach the customer to create a seamless, more holistic retail experience.
One brand who is winning omni-channel marketing is UGG. They sell their boots through company-owned physical stores, retail partners, an e-commerce site and a mobile app. With all of these options available to consumers, it’s a seamless shopping experience. Its offerings include buying online and picking up in store; searching for in-store products online; loyalty points earned and redeemed across all channels; pricing consistency among channels; and three or more channels available for returns and customer service.
The race is being won by marketeers who create a friction-free experience for the omni-channel shopper – Facebook ads are just one channel!
