Digital Queens

In this episode, Sarah discusses the top mistakes people make when running Meta ads and provides valuable insights on how to avoid them. She emphasizes the importance of understanding ad success benchmarks, testing ads organically before running paid campaigns, optimizing landing pages for mobile devices, defining the ideal customer, and conducting rigorous testing to improve ad performance.

Key Takeaways:

• Understand ad success benchmarks to set realistic expectations for your ads.

Welcome to episode 71 of The Social Circus! I'm your host, Sarah Thomson, and we're now in week three of Meta Month. In this episode, I want to discuss the top mistakes that people make when running Meta ads. As a small business owner, it's essential to spend your advertising budget wisely and avoid wasting money on ineffective ads. Meta will gladly take your money, whether your ad is successful or not. It's up to you to understand why your ad may not be performing as expected. So let's delve into the common mistakes and how to avoid them.

Mistake 1: Not Understanding Ad Success

Many people don't understand what ad success looks like. They lack knowledge of the benchmarks and metrics they should be aiming for. It's essential to have realistic expectations and know what to measure in terms of click-through rates, conversion rates, and other relevant data. To help with this, there is a document that provides benchmarks for Meta ads by the industry. Understanding these benchmarks allows you to assess whether your ad is underperforming or if there are other factors at play, such as issues with your landing page or sales page.

"Most people think that if I haven't made a sale, my ad isn't working, and that is simply not true. It can be other factors for that." - Sarah Thomson

Mistake 2: Not Testing Organically

Before running ads, many people fail to test their offer, product, or service organically. They skip the crucial step of gauging interest from their audience before investing in paid ads. Testing organically allows you to gather valuable feedback and determine if your offer resonates with your target audience. It's important to have a significant number of visits to your landing page or sales page before making any judgments about its effectiveness.

"If your page that you're wanting to run an ad to has not had traffic through it of at least 100 visits, which is like an absolute minimum, you cannot then say, does this page work? Does it convert? Is the offer interesting to my audience?" - Sarah Thomson

Mistake 3: Neglecting Landing Page Optimisation

One common mistake is blaming the ad for poor performance when the issue lies with the landing page. It's essential to test your landing page on mobile devices since a significant portion of Meta ad traffic comes from mobile users. Ensure that your landing page renders well and that buttons, images, and other elements are optimised for mobile viewing. Neglecting mobile optimisation can lead to low conversion rates and wasted ad spend.

"Landing pages are often a big culprit for poor-performing ads, and people don't think to look at those. They go straight to their ad and think about what isn't working in my ad, and why is it not working?" - Sarah Thomson

Mistake 4: Poor Audience Definition

Understanding your ideal customer is a fundamental aspect of marketing. However, many people make the mistake of thinking their product or service is ideal for everyone. It's essential to define your target audience and tailor your ads to their specific problems and needs. Trying to market to everyone leads to a diluted message that fails to resonate with anyone. Break your audience into logical groups and create ads that speak directly to their unique challenges.

"It is never true that your product or service or offer is ideal for everyone. It is never true. What you need to know is for your ad, who is your audience? And your audience is always those people who are most likely to buy the product." - Sarah Thomson

Mistake 5: Lack of Testing

Testing is a vital component of running successful ads, yet many people neglect it. To optimise your ads, you need to treat them like science experiments. Change one variable at a time and track the results. Testing different elements such as images, headlines, and call-to-action buttons allows you to identify what resonates best with your audience. Rigorous testing helps you refine your ads and improve their performance over time.

"One of the biggest mistakes is that most people don't do testing of their ads, and if they do, they do inadequate testing and they don't also have those benchmark data to use." - Sarah Thomson

Implications and Potential Impact

By avoiding these common mistakes, businesses can significantly improve the performance of their Meta ads. Understanding ad success benchmarks, testing organically, optimising landing pages, defining target audiences, and conducting rigorous testing all contribute to more effective advertising campaigns. These strategies can lead to higher click-through rates, improved conversion rates, and ultimately, increased sales and revenue.

The impact of implementing these best practices can be transformative for businesses. By aligning ads with the needs and preferences of their target audience, businesses can create more compelling and relevant messaging. This, in turn, increases the likelihood of attracting and converting potential customers. Additionally, optimising landing pages for mobile devices ensures a seamless user experience, leading to higher conversion rates.

Conclusion and Future Outlook

Running Meta ads successfully requires a strategic approach and a deep understanding of your audience and their needs. By avoiding the top mistakes discussed in this episode, businesses can maximise the effectiveness of their advertising efforts. It's essential to set realistic expectations, test organically, optimise landing pages, define target audiences, and conduct thorough testing.

As the advertising landscape continues to evolve, businesses must stay up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices. Meta Month has provided valuable insights into the world of Meta ads, and businesses should continue to educate themselves on the ever-changing advertising landscape. By staying informed and adapting their strategies accordingly, businesses can leverage Meta ads to drive growth and achieve their marketing objectives.

Thank you for joining me on this episode of The Social Circus. I hope you found this discussion on the top mistakes people make when running Meta ads insightful and informative. Stay tuned for next week's episode, where I'll be answering questions from the Blooming Biz Academy members about their common problems with Meta ads. Until then, happy advertising!

Quotes:

• "Test your concept organically before running paid ads to ensure it resonates with your audience."

Can you believe that Meta (Facebook) introduced ads in 2007. That is a long time and it means that this is not really a new form of marketing – it should be part of your mix.

Advertising is a type of marketing that always involves the spending of money. Many small businesses avoid paid ads in favour of organic marketing. This is a common misconception – that organic marketing is free. However, it still takes time and effort to create content, whether it is organic or paid.

The Shift to Digital

It is hard to think that 20 years ago most advertising spend was focused on the traditional mediums such as tv, print, radio and outdoor. Over time, we have watched digital marketing continue to erode the share away from these traditional advertising platforms.

The reality is that for traditional media, the market changed significantly and I am not just talking about social media. Lets consider how we spend our time. 20 years ago we may have all sat around as a family watching tv and tuned in during ad breaks. Now the whole viewing market has evolved and changed. We now have endless choice as to what to watch – think so many more channels, streaming services and apps for all the major stations. This has fragmented our viewing habits.

Add to this the rise in devices in our homes. Once upon a time we had a single tv and we had to agree (or fight) about what to watch. Now we all have our own devices with multiple tvs in our homes. There is no need to compromise on what we watch any longer.

All of this has had a negative impact on what we watch – this has made it harder for advertisers who rely on traditional media to connect with their audience.

On top of all these changes in our homes and habits, the time we spend on social media has been on the rise for years now. Our eyes are glued to our screens and we are addicted to the scroll.

These eyeballs on screens has meant good news for digital advertisers. The more time we spend on social media, the more ads that can be delivered to us.

It is anticipated that Meta will make around $120billion in ad revenue in 2023. This gives it around 13% market share of the digital advertising spend. Google’s share of this is around 28% with Amazon considered to be the other major player whose share of digital ad spend is around 7%.

So why should you consider running paid ads using Meta?

Running ads using Meta means you can get your ads in front of a huge audience. Every month Meta platforms reach almost 3 billion people (out of 8 billion on the planet). This means you can really get seen.

As well as have numerous placement options within each platform, you can push your reach with Meta ads allowing you to place your ads on Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and audience network. It is so much more than Facebook ads.

• Meta, originally known as Facebook, was founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg and three Harvard University friends.

•  Meta's growth strategy involved acquiring numerous companies to expand its reach and influence.

• To streamline branding and clarify its identity, Meta emerged as the parent company in October 2021, overseeing Facebook and its acquired brands.

• Meta's platforms are free for users, with revenue generated primarily through paid advertising.

Segment 5: Exploring the Metaverse

• Meta has invested $36 billion in developing the Metaverse, an ambitious concept with no operational prototype as of now.

• Facebook remains the dominant social media platform with nearly 3 billion monthly active users, surpassing even the global population.

• Meta is part of an elite group known as "The 4," along with Alphabet (Google), Amazon, and Apple.

• In 2023, Meta made a significant comeback with the launch of Threads under the Instagram brand.

Check out my podcast episode on Threads here

In today’s episode, I chat with Tracy Murray aka The Glasses Lady, who is quite well known around Perth for her positivity, zest for life, and passion for inspiring others.  

Tune in to hear what inspired Tracy to follow her dreams and start her own business. Saying “If you believe in the service you can offer someone, follow that talent, and passion and be inspired to do great things… be patient.”

Tracy offers a personalised service taking the time to understand your preferences, characteristics, and lifestyle needs, guiding you on a transformative journey of self-expression, to discover the perfect frames that enhance your features, boost your confidence, and embrace your uniqueness.

Sharing her experience of running a business, making all the decisions, learning how to use social media platforms… “Thank you Sarah”. The importance of networking and being part of the community. She also lets us in on what’s next for The Glasses Lady which is going to have a big impact on many.  

If you’re ready to be inspired to do what you love, you don’t want to miss this episode.

If you want to find out more about what The Glasses lady has to offer, or even help out with what Tracy has got planned next, you can connect with her here:

https://www.facebook.com/theglasseslady

https://www.instagram.com/theglassesladyperth/

http://www.linkedin.com/in/tracy-murray-the-glasses-lady

In today’s episode, I chat with Elsa Mitchell, Business Mentor and Podcast host of Bossy Bitch.

Hear how we met, and why we decided to collaborate since bonding over different life experiences.

Chatting about our upcoming event here in Perth. It’s at a great location, with incredible food… Hello, Morning Tea and Lunch! Fabulous for making connections, and a door prize you won’t want to miss. So much value in the one day!

We also chat about the power of stories, our vulnerability and real talk. We’ll be sharing more of our stories at our event.

Sharing some of the things we hear our clients struggling with, and tag team our top ideas on how to bring in some extra cash to make bank for Christmas. Here’s a couple to whet your appetite:

• Affiliate marketing with integrity

We’re stronger together!

If you’re ready to Make Bank for Christmas, you don’t want to miss our live event in Leederville later this month. Here’s the link to get your hands on a ticket: https://onlinesocialbutterfly.com.au/make-bank-for-christmas-workshop/

Also, here’s where you can connect with Elsa

https://elsamitchell.com.au/

And, here’s the link to the book “Go Giver” by Bob Burg mentioned in this episode: https://a.co/d/0ARkr54

In today’s episode, I chat with one of my lovely client’s Priya, Founder of Punar – a word originating from the ancient Sanskrit language in India meaning “again”.

Priya and I have been working together for over 12 months, beginning with her pre- launch and launch phase of Punar.

Tune in as Priya passionately shares what motivated her to start Punar – the event that triggered her to live on purpose. Her incredible business journey so far to creating sustainable gifts and homewares ethically handcrafted by women using handloom fabric made with recycled yarn.

Punars purpose is to enrich lives of women weavers and their communities in India while solving the problem of landfill textile waste. The statistics she shares in this episode will surprise you. 

She also shares their ethical production process, and how Punar is making an impact on the planet, and more. As well as her plans going forward.

Here’s where you can connect and support Priya:

https://punar.com.au/

https://www.instagram.com/punar.co/

https://www.facebook.com/Punar.co/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/priyaravindra/

In today’s episode, I chat with Ally from Alyona Social. She starts by sharing her journey, and how she threw herself into her business with no plan b. Adapting her skills to the world of social media after giving up her day job.

Tune in to hear how Ally went from knowing very few people in Perth to establishing her brand, making amazing connections and becoming known as the “Reels Queen”.   

You’ll hear tips for overcoming the feeling of being scared when it comes to getting yourself out there - remember everyone is feeling the same, speaking on camera is not a skill you are born with.

If you have previously been put off by the dancing, pointing and lip synching of reels. Ally reassures us that 2023 is about keeping it simple, sharing the most popular reels content for this year.

Here’s where you can connect with Ally, as well as some of her offerings:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/alyona.social/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ally-polishchuk-972408147/

FREE ‘Six Steps to Speak on Reels’ guide - https://www.alyonasocial.com/speakonreels

 ‘Simple Sell Out Reels’ Masterclass - https://www.alyonasocial.com/masterclass

Instagram Business Strategy Sessions - https://www.alyonasocial.com/strategy

If you haven’t used ChatGPT in your business yet, it’s highly likely you will get left behind, simply because your competitors will be able to produce content a lot quicker. I encourage you to give the free version a go as it currently has so many features, but do keep in mind as the platform grows they are likely to add the features to the paid version.

I’m excited to share with you how I use it in my business, and why it’s one of my favourite tools.

I also share some prompts you can use to help you get started. It’s important you know to use these, so you don’t end up sounding like everybody else - remember the platform doesn’t know anything about you when you first join. Plus, other ways you can use ChatGPT to elevate your professionalism.

Once it understands your style, you’ll be blown away to hear how it can help you with social media posts, copy for your sales pages, launches etc...

Don’t forget to tag me @onlinesocialbutterfly and share in your stories so I know when and where you’re tuning in.

This episode was recorded and put live on Friday 7th July 2023, just 24 hours after the Threads App went live. Please note that some of this data is date sensitive.

In this episode, we dive into the launch of Threads, the latest app from Meta, which is generating a lot of buzz in the social media world. Threads is an Instagram app and is being touted as a rival to Twitter, offering a predominantly text-based platform.

Where I am in Perth, Western Australia, I downloaded the app at 5.46am and was not able to set up my account. Fast forward an hour or so later and I was on – my account is officially 437,912

According to the official Mark Zuckerberg profile @zuck on threads the first day for Threads was meteoric

• 2 million sign ups in the first 2 hours

Here is a summary of some of the features and limitations of the Threads App

• Increased Character Limit: Threads allows users to post up to 500 characters, compared to Twitter's 280-character limit for non-verified accounts.

Concerns and EU Launch: Meta's dominance in screen time raises concerns about spending even more time on their platforms. Threads has not yet launched in the EU due to regulatory uncertainty and strict data privacy laws.

• Why Threads is gaining popularity:
  

Join us on this episode as we delve into the world of Threads, exploring its features, limitations, and the impact it may have on the social media landscape.

In today’s episode, I chat with Shayla Burtin, Business Operations Strategist. Shayla generously shares the start of her business journey - why she started and how it’s evolved into what it is today.

Let’s face it, most of us are in business for the freedom and flexibility it provides, spending more time with our family, taking time off when we like. The reality of having all of this is also a huge challenge because we don’t always know how to make it happen.

Don’t make it difficult to take a break. Tune in to hear a few of Shayla’s strategies when it comes to taking time off, unplanned, or not. Including clear communications, calendar management, setting expectations and boundaries. 

If you’re looking for more flexibility and freedom in your life you don’t want to miss this episode!

If you’d like to hear more about the work Shayla does and how she helps her clients to get the freedom they desire, here’s where you can connect:

www.shaylaburtin.com

www.facebook.com/shaylaburtin

www.instagram.com/buildingherdream