“My ads aren’t converting like they should be! Why??????”
There’s nothing more frustrating for a Facebook ads manager than seeing your ads fall flat and not knowing why. It makes you want to hide in the closet and never log in to Ads Manager again. Okay, maybe it’s not THAT bad, but it’s frustrating when your ads aren’t converting like they should be and you have no idea how to fix them.
Ad optimization is one of the key things you need to know when you’re running ads. Being able
to successfully optimize ads and keep campaigns running smoothly will allow for a more
profitable end result.
So let’s dive in to look at ad optimization and how to make it work for you no matter what platform your Facebook ads are shown on.
Ad Optimization
When I want to quickly see how ads are performing, there are two key performance metrics I look at right away to see if I need to hop in and optimize. Those two performance metrics are the Click Through Rate All and Click Through Link Rate.
Ideally, the Click Through Rate All should be around 3%, depending on your niche or offer. Less than 3% indicates that the targeting or images need to be adjusted. This is measuring how well your ad is stopping the scroll for end users and catching people’s attention. If your CTR All
isn’t at 3% then try A/B split testing the audience and the images until you hit that metric. Again, this is just a general rule of thumb, some industry numbers are very different.
HOT TIP: Change one thing at a time until you start to see a better outcome. If you go crazy and change tons of stuff, it’ll be super hard to know which change got you better results so you can replicate it for next time.
The Click Through Link Rate should be roughly 1%. The Click Through Link Rate shows how well the copy and call to action is resonating with the target audience. This is measuring the percentage of people clicking the link to go to the landing page. A rate below 1% indicates that you should consider re-writing the copy or changing the call to action.
HOT TIP: Make your ad copy and CTA so simple that a child can figure it out. Most people scan through their newsfeeds pretty quickly. You only have a short time to catch their attention and move them to action.
Instagram has grown amazingly quickly. The platform now boasts over 100 million users! It’s no wonder that Instagram has gained such popularity as a Facebook ad placement. I always run Instagram as a placement for all my own and my clients’ ads, and I often find that they’re equal to or cheaper than Facebook placements.
I also use the Click Through Rate All and Click Through Link Rate to gauge the effectiveness of a campaign – but be careful! Although optimizing ads for Instagram is similar, the KPI and the performance data benchmarks are a little different than Facebook’s. Here’s what to look for when it comes to Instagram ad metrics:
Click Through Link Rate should be roughly .5%.
Click Through Rate All should be around 1%.
If your stats are falling short, time to review your ads. Remember, Instagram is a very visual, image-based platform, so you want to make sure you have strong, stunning images for your ads. Keep your copy clear and concise and your call to action so easy a child can follow it. Try changing one aspect of the ads – the copy, image or call to action. Keep testing until your results improve.
Happy testing!
Landing Page
Ads are only one part of a successful campaign. One of the biggest mistakes I see (and one of the first things I check for and advise my clients on) is a poorly executed landing page.
“But Jess, if my ads are amazing, do I REALLY need to worry about my landing page?”
Ummmm, yeah you do. A landing page, in other words the page a person is taken to when the click an ad, can be the make or break of your Facebook ad campaign. A great landing page converts more leads for less money. That sounds like a win-win!
A bad landing page can leave people feeling lost, confused, or disinterested. Nobody wants that. When it comes to a well-converting landing page, here are the conversion rates I shoot for:
- 60% conversion rate for PDF guides or checklists.
- 50% conversion rate for webinars and challenges.
But how do you know if your landing page is working well? Facebook Ads Manager makes it really easy to see how your landing page is performing. To find out if your landing page is falling short, simply use this calculation:
Number of Leads / Landing Page Views = Landing Page Conversion Rate
Now that you know what to look for and how to successfully optimize ads, you’re going to have a happy you (and a less stressed out you!). Don’t get discouraged if change doesn’t happen overnight. Try changing one thing at a time, like the ad copy. If that doesn’t work, try changing the image. These skills take years to perfect and acquire, and as you put them into practice,
you’ll gain confidence and innate intuition on what will work in your industry.
The most important thing is that you start – starting now puts you miles ahead of everyone else who says they’re going to start tomorrow!