Rok Hladnik is a Facebook Marketing expert and former newspaper CEO who started media buying as a hobby five years ago. Today, Rok has extensive knowledge and experience in digital marketing, advertising, and media. In this episode, he joins Jeromy Sonne to discuss the world of Facebook ad optimization and teaches listeners how to understand the statistical side of advertising.
Misconceptions about advertising and what it really is [2:07]
Advertising in the real world is more than just sitting around and brainstorming cool pitches, despite how it is portrayed in Mad Men. At its core, the success of advertising depends on statistics and being able to gauge what is behind the numbers.
Understanding advertising numbers as a beginner [4:10]
A few years ago, it was difficult to make predictions on advertising numbers because databases and relevant information were unavailable. In the last year however, Rok says, companies have improved a lot with their advertising blueprints. He suggests that beginners study these blueprints to understand what the numbers mean. Business owners can also join Facebook groups to be exposed to other advertisements but, he cautions, be wary of the credibility of information shared there.
How to set new clients up for success [6:57]
Rok’s first step in guiding new clients is conducting an audit process of their accounts to evaluate how much assistance they need. Next, he checks the copy and creatives to see the target audience and possible marketing angles. This can include creating new accounts if necessary. Lastly, he emphasises the importance of Facebook’s algorithm and how it works. Facebook’s algorithm shows ads to the people it believes the product would be most relevant to. As such, your test audiences should be as broad as possible yet as niche as possible. Rok recommends ‘sandbox’ campaigns where different audiences, copy, and creatives are tested to see what the winning ad will be. Campaign Budget Optimization (CBO) can also be utilized.
Advice to make sense of the ad information and take steps forward [11:58]
If a small business already has ads posted, they should use those posts as tests to see which ones attracted the best engagement and try to take further ads in a similar direction. Rok surmises that “the creative part is harder than the audience part.” He explains the elements of a good ad.
The ‘funnel’ concept [15:19]
The top funnel consists of customers seeing the ad for the first time, Rok tells Jeremy. At this stage, video creatives are best as it tells the viewer what the brand is about. The middle funnel is made up of people who may have engaged with the ad but are not visitors yet. Pictures are best here. The bottom funnel contains customers who came to the webpage but just did not finish the purchase. Engagement is not needed, only the push to purchase. Rok warns against niching audiences and structuring too much when making projections. ‘What works best is a combination of interests altogether.’ Facebook’s algorithm helps find the right customers if you give it sufficient broadness to do so.
Correct avenues to take in advertising [19:33]
You should test everything beforehand and periodically to see what works best, so a testing budget is imperative. Rok advises companies to figure out their best-selling headline and description because those two things are what people look at after the creative catches their attention.
RESOURCES
Rok Hladnik on Twitter | LinkedIn