#WBS004
SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY with Catherine Langman
Social media is an ever changing topic so we encourage you to please ask questions in the group, share useful articles you find and ask for help with any of your social media challenges or ideas.
As this is such a huge topic in this module we’ve decided to narrow down and focus on the one aspect of social media that can produce the biggest results for small businesses when executed correctly. We’re focusing on Facebook but the same approach of using compelling copy, images, targeting and calls to action can be easily adapted to apply to Instagram, Linkedin, Twitter, Pinterest and even Google Ads once you’ve learnt the basic principles of how to do it.
We’re going to focus on how to create compelling Facebook Ads that actually convert into increased traffic, leads and new customers!
We’ll have you identify your customer's core desires, and map out how your products or services can meet those desires. It's SUPER SIMPLE and it’s VITAL to the success of your Facebook ads!
Most people tend to focus on describing their service or product’s features at a more superficial level. What it is, what it looks like, what it does, how much it costs. But that’s not REALLY what people want.
Let’s dive deeper with a real-life example from one of my clients.
Let’s say you sell baby and kids’ sunglasses and you happen to sell the most expensive baby and kids sunglasses on the market. They’re the most expensive because they offer the highest level of UV/sun protection, and because they’re made to be pretty much indestructible. If you pitch this product in exactly the same way as all the other kids’ sunglasses on the market that are less than half the price, you’ve already lost.
Why is this?
Have a think about the Facebook ads you see in your newsfeeds. Usually they say something along the lines of, ‘Are you looking for a widget? We are proud to make quality widgets. Click here to buy yours today.”
Often, such statements are presented alongside a single product photograph (sometimes not even a good quality, professional photograph). How enticing does that statement sound? Does it even capture your attention when scrolling your Facebook newsfeed? Let alone click through?
I’ll tell you what it makes me think (this is if I actually notice it…). It makes me feel like I’m being sold to. I also have no idea what’s in it for me.
Obviously if I’d already tried the widget and loved it, I’d probably forgive the messaging and be happy to buy it.
Advertising like this allows your potential customers to assume your product or services features and benefits are EXACTLY THE SAME as the alternatives, so then their purchase decision is made purely on price.
Unless you run a deep discount business, you never want to differentiate your brand, services or products based on price. How else do you pitch your products or services then?
First of all, you need to understand HOW your customers buy.
Customer has a burning need, problem or desire and starts looking for a solution. Customer may have already tried various other solutions without much success. They are possiblyfeeling like a solution that works for her doesn’t exist.
Customer comes sees your ad at just the right moment. Your images show people just like this customer, happily using your product or service in situations that look very much like her real life. So far, so good. Then, they start reading your copy. They read about how your product or service was designed to solve a problem just like theirs. In fact, you can describe their situation PERFECTLY. It’s like you were just in their head!
They read about how the product or service can help the customer achieve their desired outcome (or solution). But not some generic, watered down version.
Again, the transformation is described EXACTLY how the customer imagines it. The customer sees HERSELF in your ad.
Your Facebook ad – your text, your images, your offer, heck, even your call to action – needs to attract, connect, educate and motivate action.
And the best way to do that is to inspire your ideal customers to believe that their dreams are attainable.
ASSESSMENT TASK #1
Who Is Your Ideal Customer? –
Social media advertising allows you to target your ads to your exact niche, this is much more cost effective than traditional advertising and when done correctly can bring you a powerful ROI (return on investment) because instead of targeting to everyone you can focus on the people who will really want your product or service the most!
Describe your ideal Customer:
TARGETING for your ad -
Use this information to help you select the keywords and choices you will use to target your ideal customer:
Location:
Age:
Gender:
Interests:
Demographics:
Family:
Values:
ASSESSMENT TASK #2
Develop your Product or Service Value Statement
You need to articulate HOW your product or service moves your customers from their ‘before’ state (their need, want or desire) to their ‘ideal after’ state (their ‘desired end result’).
The Value Statement should describe the transformation your product or service enables, AND do it in a way that is emotionally appealing. (NOTE: this last point is incredibly important because as consumers, we all make purchase decisions based on emotion, not logic!)
How to write your Product or Service Value Statement:
First, complete this fill-in-the-blanks statement: ______(your product/service name) enables ______(describe your ideal customer) to experience ______(their desired end results).
Then, I want you to answer these two questions with a short 2-paragraph story:
1. Start by describing your customer’s “average day”
2. Describe how your product/service CHANGES their average day.
For example, ‘I think I can guess how you’re feeling right now. Your baby is fussy and only sleeps if you’re walking around and holding him. You’re absolutely exhausted, running on empty, and you’re feeling very anxious that something is wrong with your baby. Imagine if a simple change to your baby’s nursery setup could provide the same soothing effect as you cradling him? Imagine if he could confidently settle and sleep all on his own? Imagine how you would feel, knowing your baby was happy, calm and settled?’
ASSESSMENT TASK #3:
Make a Compelling Offer
Your Facebook ad copy (the text you use in your ad) needs to do 3 things:
1. Show that you understand your customers RIGHT NOW,
2. Make them a promise to deliver their desired TRANSFORMATION (through your product or service), and
3. Prompt them to take ACTION. That means to CLICK on your ad!
So far I've talked you through how to achieve the first two points, but to get the click you really need to have a compelling offer.
Sometimes the offer is simply to achieve the desired transformation, and sometimes it's an incentive (like free shipping for instance).
Your task is to decide what ACTION you are asking people to take and write it in a short action statement that begins with "Click here to...".
Remember your first ad should appeal to their situation right now AND demonstrate how the product/service helps them achieve that desired end result. Be creative you could use video, written testimonials, images.
Create a Facebook Ad using targeting on your page and share as a screen shot and link in the 2017 Women’s Business School Facebook Group
*If you don’t have a Facebook Page yet you can create a sample ad on your own profile and share a screenshot in The 2017 Women’s Business School Facebook Group. (TIP You can post using the privacy setting for ‘only me’ so your friends won’t see it if you want)
Part B
SUBMIT your Assessment:
USE THE HASHTAG #SOCIALMEDIA and tag Catherine Langman to post the below reflectionin the 2017 Women’s Business School facebook group.
Write a 400 – 600 word reflection on your results. Together with either a screenshot of your ad or a link to the ad posted
1. Trial your ad for 7 days.
2. Observe & measure:
•Followers - how many facebook or instagram fans before you started compared to at the end,
•Engagement - how many likes or comments the post attracted
•Hits - how many click-throughs to your website happened
•Leads – how many new inquiries were generated
•Sales - how many sales were generated
•and any other things you noticed
3. Explain why you chose the image, content and call to action or offer for this ad.
4. Reflect on what you learnt from this campaign and ideas for what would you do differently next time.
OR
*If you don’t have a Facebook Page yet
Write a 400 – 600 word reflection on your results. Together with a screenshot of your ad posted in the 2017 Women’s Business School facebook group.
(You can create a sample ad on your own profile and share a screenshot in The 2017 Women’s Business School Facebook Group. (TIP You can post using the privacy setting for ‘only me’ so your friends won’t see it if you want)
1. Explain why you chose the image, content and call to action or offer for this ad.
2. Reflect on what you learnt from this exercise and any ideas for what would you do differently next time.