Choose the Right Facebook Ads Campaign Objective
How Do You Choose the Right Facebook Ads Campaign Objective For Your Goals?
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So, you’re taking the plunge into the world of Facebook advertising. Exciting times, right?
Before making one of the biggest mistakes a lot of businesses make when first starting out, get comfy and read on.
It's not uncommon to hear small businesses say “Facebook ads don't work” which immediately sparks a weird obsession in me wanting to get to the bottom of it.
I'm sure you figured out their ads didn't work because of the objective they chose.
Let's simplify this process and break it down step by step, to ensure you know how to choose the right campaign objective for your ads and don't end up disappointed.
Facebook Campaign Objectives
In my opinion, Meta doesn't make things easy to understand. I've been running ads for clients for almost 3 years and I still have some difficulty understanding what the heck they're talking about. 🙄
My intention in this article is to explain it so it makes sense to everyone including the “non-techy” folks.
The first step: Have your ultimate goal in mind before you go into your ads manager.
What's your main goal?
Some common goals are:
- People to purchase my products
- Hire our company to do a service
- Let consumers know we're here
- Grow our email list
- Come to our webinar
- Increase website traffic to boost blog post SEO
- Get more foot traffic into our store or restaurant
- Engagement on my posts for social proof
Choosing The Right Facebook Ads Campaign Objectives
Please Note:
Facebook is changing constantly and it seems every time I open up Facebook ads manager i'm looking at a completely different screen. That's my way of saying what you're seeing here might not look like yours but the gist will be the same.
Facebook Campaign Objective
Okay, onto the fun part!
Facebook gives us 6 main objectives to choose from, with each one broken down into more specific categories. and while that’s super generous, it can also be a teeny bit overwhelming.
The 6 Main Objectives in Ads Manager
- Sales
- Leads
- Engagement
- App Promotion
- traffic
- awareness
Watch this screen recording to see what Facebook ads manager looks like
Traffic Objective
This Facebook campaign objective is self explanatory. You would choose this if your goal is to get potential new customers either to your website, app, e-commerce store, blog post, podcast, or foot traffic to your physical store, because you know if the right people show up they will love your product or service.
- Audience– this objective works well for your top of funnel or cold audiences
- Cost- Budget Friendly
- What you need-Where to send audience
- level– Beginner
Awareness Objectives
Awareness is all about getting people to remember you. You can think about this in terms of a billboard or commercial. It's a good option for the top of the funnel stage and to use your data as retargeting for conversion campaigns.
My favorite way to use this brand awareness objective is to select video view and then create a custom audience of people who watched it.
In “non-lingo” terms: this objective is good for people that aren't aware of your business yet. After running these ads for awhile, you can check your metrics and save all the people that watched your video.
Then, create a new ad with a sales or leads objective and show it to the people who already watched your video, because essentially they already are interested in your business.
- Audience– all audiences but great for top of sales funnel or broad audience
- Cost– Budget Friendly
- What you need-(Optional) Video
- Level– Beginner
Engagement Objective
Engagement ads are all about the specific actions of Page Likes, Shares, or Comments. Facebook will show these ads to people that are most likely to engage with content.
If you're looking to test out certain headlines or need social proof this is the objective I would choose.
- Audience: You can target anyone and take the reporting metrics and create custom audience for retargeting
- Cost: Budget Friendly
- What you need: Just the ad and where you want engagement; website, app, messenger, page, ad
- Level: Beginner
Sales
If you're wanting people to make a purchase, this main objective is what to choose.
Sales ads are optimized in Facebook's algorithm to show your ad to people that are most likely going to purchase.
This type of ad has a conversion objective meaning the potential customers will take an action to move along the funnel and hopefully, convert to a customer
- Audience: People who are warmed up and ready to buy
- Cost: Typically the most expensive type of ads
- What you need: Meta Pixel installed, Event Set up, (optional-Conversions API)
- Level: Advanced
Where are you sending them to achieve your goal?
When you choose your objective there's an additional choice, which is where do you want your potential clients to land? There are many choices, but not all available to everyone depending on your account.
If you don't have an app, or a catalog of products, a few of these don't apply.
A few options are listed below:
- Website
- App-do you have an app you want people to download or products in an app
- Website and app
- Messaging
- Call
Leads-Off Platform
Lead Generation is the objective to choose when you're trying to get your target audience to give you information such as names, email addresses, and phone numbers.
I divided these between Off and On Platform, meaning are they going to stay on Facebook, or end up on your landing page or website.
- Audience: Can be cold or warm audience-depends on your goal
- Cost: Depends on type of audience and call to action
- What you need: Meta Pixel, Events set up (Optional-Conversions API)
- Level: More Advanced
Leads- On Platform
If you're trying to build an email list, lead generation ads are my favorite campaign objective, and I've had good results using these ads with clients.
They are perfect for a smaller business that don't yet have a website or Facebook Pixel installed because everything will happen on Facebook, so there's no tracking.
You will need to create a lead form- called “Instant Form” on Facebook, and share a free offer in exchange for their name and email address.
App Promotion
This objective is if you have an app you're wanting to promote. I've personally not ever used this campaign objective so I don't have first hand information.
Learn more from Facebook Business Help
Frequently Asked Questions
If I'm just starting out, which Facebook campaign objective should I choose?
For beginners, starting with the Awareness objectives like Brand Awareness or Reach can be a good way to introduce your brand. As you become more familiar, you can explore objectives that align more closely with specific goals.
Are video ads more effective than image ads on Facebook?
It depends on your audience and goal. Video ads can be highly engaging and share a lot of information quickly. However, image ads can also be impactful if they're well-designed and have a clear message. Test both to see what resonates best with your audience.
How do I ensure people don't just visit my website but also take action, like making a purchase or signing up?
This is where Conversion Campaigns come in. By using the Facebook Pixel, can track user actions on your site and optimize your ads to encourage desired actions, purchases or sign-ups.
How can I increase foot traffic to my physical store using Facebook ads?
By using objectives that target local reach and foot traffic, and by creating engaging content that offers in-store benefits or promotions, you can encourage online users to visit your physical location.
What is the Facebook Pixel and why do I need it?
The Facebook Pixel is a piece of code you place on your website. It tracks user behavior, helping you understand your audience better, retarget effectively, and measure the of your ads.
Why is understanding my target audience so important in Facebook advertising?
Understanding your target audience ensures that your ads reach the right people, making your campaigns more effective and providing a better return on investment. It's like speaking directly to those who'd be most interested in your offer.
To Sum Up:
The first step in choosing the right Facebook Ads Campaign objective is to know your goal for the campaign. Whether you just want people to become familiar with your business or brand, or you're wanting sales on your website, choosing the right campaign objective is crucial to having a successful ad campaign.
Now that you've learned about the 6 different objectives , how to know which one to choose based on your goals, audiences and budget, you're more equipped to get better results!
I want you to be a business that says “ads helped my business grow” and not the businesses that end up being disappointed because they chose the wrong objective and wasted their money.
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