Does Facebook advertising work?

Whether you're a local tradie, an online retailer, or a service-based business, Facebook advertising offers targeting tools and ad formats that can suit almost any goal or budget.

With over 3 million Kiwis active daily on Facebook, and together with some sophisticated advertising features recently added to their platform, Facebook remains a highly effective and powerful advertising medium for all businesses. It’s very accessible to small businesses and now supports features that allow some very nice targeting options including localised geo targeting down to 3km.

Facebook advertising is ideal for small businesses wanting to drive relevant traffic to their website for the purpose of generating leads and sales enquiries.

The cost of advertising on Facebook is also very competitive compared to other forms of online advertising and can produce some attractive cost per conversion rates.

Doesn't necessitate a strong organic program

A lot of businesses discount doing Facebook advertising because they believe it will require a strong organic program in Facebook and the don't want this added burden. While you do need a Facebook page, you can successfully run your FB advertising without organic activity and normally we would terminate ad traffic to the website rather than the FB page.

Facebook Ads work really well for mobiles

More than 90% of kiwis on Facebook access it on mobile. That means your ads are being seen during everyday moments - while people scroll during their commute, relax at home, or take a break at work.

This also makes Remarketing campaigns in Facebook ideal and a great way to to present your brand and proposition to previous visitors to your website.

How much do Facebook ads cost

You can advertise on FB from as little as $10 per day and having a big organic presence in FB is not a prerequisite, although you do require a FB page. Facebook advertising is highly complimentary to running Google ads and an ideal channel to extend your online presence. Its fast becoming a must target channel for generating leads and enquiries and you should at least have some of your budget dedicated to FB ads.

Boost your organic reach with ads

Many of those businesses that invested heavily in their organic Facebook programs are now frustrated and struggling with much lower organic reach. The advertising options provide the best way to more comprehensively reach followers and other target audiences.

Flexible audience targeting options

FB provides a good demographic spread with over 50% of users being over the age of 40 and its slightly more female centric than male. Below are some of the audience targeting options and these can be used in combinations to better reach your audiences:
• Location (by area/city, down to suburbs or a 3km radius)
• Age brackets
• Gender
• Language
• Relationship/marital status
• Parental status
• Income
• Interests (e.g. home improvement, fitness, travel)
• Behaviours (range of options based on online behaviours such as online shoppers)
• Custom audiences (e.g. Remarketing lists and email databases)
• Connections (including followers that have liked your page)

If you are not familiar with the FB ad platform, its worthwhile getting some expert help to determine the best targeting options.
See our managed Facebook advertising services for small businesses and some examples of Facebook advertising we have managed for customers.

Alternatively see FB’s advertising guide

Ad format options

Facebook supports a wide range of ad types:

• Single Image Ads – Clean and simple, perfect for promotions or announcements
• Carousel Ads – Multiple images (or videos) users can swipe through. The ads can appear on desktop in the right hand column and within the main feed and on mobile in the main feed
• Video Ads – Great for storytelling or showing products in action. These ads are growing in popularity.
• Lead Ads – Collect contact info without users leaving Facebook
• Dynamic Ads – Automatically show the right product to the right person

Tracking & conversions

By installing the Facebook Pixel on your website, you can track conversions, measure ROI, and build remarketing audiences. It’s a must-have for any Facebook advertising campaign.

Some best practice tips

• Use engaging and interesting images
• Keep headlines short and concise (4-6 words long)
• Ad copy descriptions should be clear and to the point and 12 – 18 words long
• Use a call to action (see more, buy now, sign up etc)
• To avoid ad fatigue, have variations of ads and rotate them every 2-3 weeks

👉 Need help setting up or managing your Facebook campaign? Contact us for a free consultation. We help small and medium Kiwi businesses grow with results-driven Facebook advertising strategies.