Facebook is a powerful business marketing tool which, if you have already checked out our free Guide to Mastering Facebook Marketing , you already know. You also know how important it is to have a Facebook business account. Having fans and “likes” and getting shares on your content is an integral part of spreading the message about your business.

But have you ever thought about running a Facebook pay-per-click (PPC) campaign?

What is Facebook PPC?

PPC, short for “pay-per-click”, is a form of advertising where if someone clicks on an advertisement that they see, whether it be on Google search, on a web page, or on Facebook, a business then pays a marketing company – like Google – for that click. If no one clicks on the advertisement, then the business doesn’t have to pay a dime, but still gets exposure simply by being present on Google, a web page, or on Facebook.

If you are at all familiar with the Google AdSense PPC campaign, then you’ll be familiar with Facebook’s campaign. Facebook’s PPC works in an extremely similar fashion. Much like Google, a business or individual can bid on certain keywords that are related to their business.

If you win the bid for a particular keyword, then you agree to pay “x” amount of money for each click that your PPC advertisement gets on Facebook.

How to Get Started with Facebook PPC

All you need to do in order to get started is click on the “Advertising” link that you’ll find at the bottom of Facebook. Once you click on that, you’ll be taken to a page where you then have the option to “Create an Ad”. When clicked, you will be taken to a fairly straight forward three-section form. This is where you will then begin to put your PPC advertisement together.

Start off by clicking on “Design Your Ad”. This is where you can choose where on your page users will be taken when they click on your ad, where you can add text and/or graphics, and you can also preview how your ad is going to appear.

Next, move along to the “Targeting” section of the form. This section is what really makes Facebook PPC worthwhile.  With “Targeting”, you can actually choose who you want to see your ad based on a number of factors, such as:

  • Age
  • Gender
  • Marital status
  • Facebook “interests”
  • Service area

As you narrow down your target market, Facebook will give you a general idea of the number of users who will be targeted with your campaign (though if you have no targeting at all, you can potentially reach 300+ million users worldwide!).

The last part of the form is where you add in the financial details. You have two budgeting options: a lifetime budget, or a daily budget. The lifetime budget will send the max amount of traffic to your site in the least amount of time possible. The daily budget will send traffic to your target site just a little bit at a time until your Facebook PPC campaign is over (this is best for any business interested in ongoing advertising).

Once the details are settled and the advertisement is approved, Facebook then offers you three different types or reports for you to track how well it’s doing: Responder demographics, Advertising Performance, and Conversions by Impression Time. You can also use other marketing tools to help gauge your campaign’s performance.

Is it Worth It?

Putting any kind of advertisement on Facebook isn’t cheap, no matter what keyword you’re using.  It’s expensive and it will take a huge bite out of your marketing budget.

With that being said, think about what else you would be spending that marketing budget on and compare the benefits.  Facebook is global, and allows you to reach a broader audience than ever possible in all of marketing history, and at a comparative fraction of the cost. These ads get high click through rates, and can be targeted so well that only your target audience is getting to see the ads. You’re essentially paying Facebook to find leads for you that you didn’t even know were out there.

Key Takeaways

Setting up a Facebook PPC campaign is so simple that anyone can do it.  It’s expensive and can potentially set you back some big bucks, but you’re potentially reaching 300 million people that you otherwise would not have access to. There are plenty of ways to generate leads on Facebook, but Facebook’s PPC targeting options are so specific that you can set up your campaign to find true, qualified leads in a short period of time. That, in itself, is of immeasurable value.

Need Help?

If Facebook advertising is something you are interested in but are having trouble getting started, contact us today to schedule your free marketing analysis.