Paid advertising can be a burden for small businesses, especially massage therapists. More than likely, your budget doesn’t allow for big spending on major ad campaigns. This is where Facebook can help; it’s a great way to test out the advertising waters without breaking the bank. Running a Facebook ad campaign will generate more page likes, drive viewers to your website, and create new clients. Additionally, advertising on Facebook is not only cost-effective, but it’s also easy. You don’t need to be a marketing mogul to reap the benefits of Facebook ads. Simply follow the steps outlined here to get started.

STEP ONE: Open the Ads Manager Page

You don’t need a business Facebook page to place ads on the social media site. While it’s always a good idea to have a separate page, it’s not a requirement. Here’s the process:

1. Log into your personal Facebook account.

2. Find and click on the “Create Ads” button from the drop-down menu at the top right of your screen.

3. You’ll see a pop-up that says “Welcome to Facebook Advertising.” Click “Get Started.”

STEP TWO: Create Your Campaign

Under this step, you’ll determine and set your advertising goal. First, edit the name of your campaign. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy; it just needs to be easy for you to remember so that you can stay organized in all your advertising efforts. Next, decide what you want your ads to do. Facebook gives you the following options from which to choose:

• Boost your post

• Promote your page

• Send people to your website

• Promote conversions on your website

• Get installs of your app

• Increase engagement in your app

• Raise attendance at your event

• Get people to claim your offer

If you don’t have a Facebook business page, then the first two options don’t apply to you. Also, you may not have an app, so you can disregard the options related to those.

Additionally, in order to raise attendance at an event, you need an actual Facebook page created. The same goes for getting people to claim your offer; in order to utilize this objective, you need to have an offer posted on Facebook. Eliminating these options leaves you with sending people to and promoting conversions on your website. Once you click on one of these, Facebook will prompt you to enter a URL, and then you’re ready for step three.

STEP THREE: Create an Account

This part is simple – it’s where you tell Facebook who and where you are. You’ll enter your name, country, and timezone. Then it’s on to the fun stuff: narrowing down your target audience and streamlining your budget.

STEP FOUR: Create Your Ad Set

During this part, you have the option to choose exactly which group of people you want to reach. This is perhaps one of the most crucial steps in any advertising, but especially on Facebook. With approximately 170 million Facebook users in the United States alone, it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle. By designing a specific target audience for your ads, you’ll have a more successful campaign. Some of the criteria Facebook offers for you to create the perfect target audience include:

• Age

• Gender

• Location

• Interests

• Behaviors

You can also get as detailed as choosing people with certain lifestyle qualities, such as whether or not they are married.

Once you have the “who” of your ad set determined it’s time for the “How much will this cost me?” question. Facebook offers various ways to work their advertising into your budget, so you can pick the method that works best for you. You can create a successful campaign to target your local market for as little as a dollar a day. Choose from the following options, and then you’re ready to design your ad.

• Pay per day

• Set up a lifetime budget

• Optimize with page clicks

• Optimize with number of impressions

STEP FIVE: Create Your Ad

This is where you get to let your creative juices flow. Come up with catchy text, determine what links to add, and select images. If you do have a business Facebook page, you can link to it in your ad, as well. Finally, Facebook gives you the chance to utilize a call to action button if you so desire. You can ask users to shop now, book now, learn more, sign up, or download.

Put some thought into where your ad links. You want to make sure there is a compelling reason for someone to book with you. Equally important is having online booking options so it’s easy for someone to book with you. Plus, booking appointments is why you’re placing the ad in the first place right!

Don’t let designing your ad intimidate you. Even if you aren’t advertising-savvy, you can have a great ad design, since Facebook breaks the process down into a few easy steps.

STEP SIX: Review and Place Your Order

You did it! You created a Facebook ad campaign with very little time and no hassle. Take a few extra minutes to review everything and make any changes you deem necessary. Once you feel satisfied, place your order and wait for your phone to start ringing with new massage clients!

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