For the last few months I’ve been creating and running Facebook ads for some of my clients.

And during that time I’ve been paying a lot of attention to Facebook ads directed toward…shocker…businesses that want to advertise on Facebook.

A lot of them offer to show you their “magic secret” to Facebook marketing success. And of course what they really want to do is get you to buy their method.

Sometimes it’s as simple as you filling out a few blanks on a form and letting their “expert team” create Facebook ads “guaranteed to succeed”.

Well I hate to rain on your parade (I’m not feeling too bad about raining on theirs though). There are some ugly truths about Facebook ads…and I’m going to clue you in on them.

But stick around until the bad news is finished…and I’ll tell you why Facebook ads should still be a big part of your marketing strategy.

Ugly Truth #1: It’s All About Numbers

They say you have to kiss a lot of frogs to find a prince. Well on Facebook you have to kiss more frogs than most people realize.

Most Facebook ad experts will admit…once you read between the lines…that 1-5% of the Facebook users who see your ad might click on the action button. If you have a successful ad.

And if you’re lucky…1-10% of the people who click on the action button will end up being customers (more about that in a minute).

So if you want to sell 1 widget (or whatever product or service you’re selling) you may need one hundred “clicks”. Which probably means 10,000 people had to see your ad.

For each sale. And that’s for a successful ad

Ugly Truth #2: You Have to Pay to Play

Once upon a time you could use posts from your FB business page as your primary marketing tool.

Then…Facebook got smart. They made it harder to use the “organic reach” of your posts to build your audience. Plus they tightened the restrictions on posts vs. ads.

Why? Simple…Facebook wanted to maximize their revenue from ads. Like every business they’re in it to make money.

How does this affect you? Basically you need to pay Facebook money if you want to expand your customer base. It’s called an “ad budget”.

Otherwise you’ll just be advertising to your existing customers or…as I like to call it…”preaching to the choir”. Important to be sure but it doesn’t help you grow your business.

Ugly Truth #3: Your Facebook Ad Won’t Make Your Sale

When it comes to marketing on Facebook we all think of the ad.

Spoiler alert…the ad is just the beginning. All it does it get your potential customer curious about you..

Most marketing experts agree that it takes at least four contacts with a potential customer before they commit…possibly eight or more contacts. And the more expensive the product or service the longer it takes for someone to commit.

So after people click on your ad they need to go to a landing page with more information. Maybe a document they can download to help educate them about your company, product or service…or sign up for a newsletter or blog.

Then maybe you follow up with emails to ask them if they have any questions.

And when they’re ready to commit…give them the opportunity.

Ugly Truth #4: You Won’t Get It Right the First Time

I’ve had several people tell me “I tried a Facebook ad and it didn’t work. I guess Facebook just isn’t for my business”.

So let me ask this question…did you quit trying to ride a bike the first time you fell off?

Facebook marketing has a learning curve. Your first ad campaign probably won’t work. Mine sure didn’t.

Try different things and see if they make a difference.

For example: run the same ad but vary your daily ad budget. Start small (say $10 per day) then increase it to $15/day or $20/day. See if your response changes.

Or try running two different ads…or two different landing pages.

Facebook makes it easy to run what are called split tests (or A/B) tests where you vary one factor and keep everything else constant. It’s a good way to figure out where your audience really is…and what their hot buttons are.

Doing this takes time…more than running a single ad for a week or two. You need to learn what Facebook can teach you.

Don’t Be Discouraged…Be Smart

It’s easy for me to see how people get discouraged running Facebook ads. Especially when they’re already busy running their own businesses. No one wants to spend their valuable time and money on something that seems to be a waste of both.

The thing is…Facebook continues to be the one of the best places to connect with your potential customers. It just takes time and a little creativity.

In my newsletter (The Freelance Chronicles) I’ve discussed the reasons Facebook remains one of the best places to advertise: (Facebook Ads Deconstructed: https://mailchi.mp/48756efff2a5/the-free-lance-chronicles-nov22-2018-e-newsletter-533565)

• Lots of potential customers

• Low costs

• The Facebook user database and ad algorithm

The good news? You don’t have to be an expert in Facebook ads…find an expert to do the dirty work for you. Be an expert about what makes your business unique and let them translate that into a successful Facebook ad campaign.

Then you can forget about the ugly truths and focus on the sweet smell of Facebook ad success.