Facebook is an incredible resource for marketers—if you know what you’re doing! Our experts share the Facebook ad mistakes that can kill your ad and what to do, instead.
9 Facebook Ad Mistakes to Avoid
Ever scrolled through your Facebook feed and seen the same boring ad over and over, with cheesy copy and products that are totally irrelevant to your interests? We hate that, too.
As most marketing leaders already know, Facebook has a massive advertising scope, reaching 2.11 billion people and their user population is at an all-time high. That’s exactly why the emphasis on strategic, high-quality ads is growing rapidly. As Facebook's user base grows, marketing on the platform is becoming more complex and new features are constantly introduced to help marketers with their campaigns to create striking, original ads that sell. What this means for you: it’s now easier than ever before to make errors in advertising that could derail your ROI. We’re here to discuss the most common Facebook ad mistakes that your team should avoid at all costs.
Mistake #1: Cliché, Irrelevant Images
Images are a powerful advertising tool. They play the most pivotal part of every ad by grabbing user attention and they communicate thoughts and emotions to your audience in ways that words just can’t match. Having crisp, fresh, eye-catching images that clearly communicate your brand is essential for advertising your brand. Ditch all predictable stock photos or low-res images immediately.
Mistake #2: Boring, Salesy Copy
Real talk: Facebook advertising is a crowded space and you're one of many marketers trying to win over customers. Your ad may very well be the 5th, 10th, or even 20th one a user comes across in a single browsing sesh. To cut through the noise, ad copy needs to be original and informative. Using the same old salesy terms and catchphrases is one of the top Facebook ad mistakes that won't win you any points with today’s audiences. A CTA like “Hurry in today!” is so played out. Don’t do it.
Of course, writing original copy is easier said than done given the sheer number of ads that do the rounds on the platform. Including some of these features in your copy should help your team create a unique voice for your brand:
Humor
A light-hearted joke, a witty comment, a funny observation… you get the idea. If done right, and if it makes sense for your brand, having a bit of fun helps you immediately connect with your audience in a friendly way.
Surprising stat
Is there a crazy factoid or statistic that people just need to know? Including a headline-grabbing stat in your ad copy instantly increases the credibility of your product.
Emotional appeal
Your ads should appeal to users on an emotional level by telling a story, addressing a pain point, or making a promise. Emotionally shallow copy is one of the biggest Facebook ad mistakes marketers make.
Catchy question
Asking an intriguing question appeals to your audience's sense of curiosity and encourages them to continue watching your ad to get that answer.
Urgency
While your ad should be lighthearted and not too salesy, it should also include a sense of urgency to encourage users to click on your CTA.
Mistake #3: Wordiness
One of the more common Facebook ad mistakes among advertisers is mistakenly assuming that the more words, the better. Sure, your ad copy should contain useful information, but it’s important to remember that the majority of Facebook users are browsing on the platform for leisure and no one wants to read a wall of rhetoric.
Your copy should be quick, punchy, and straight to the point, containing enough info for the ad to provide value to users but not too much for it to become tedious or repetitive. Let your Facebook ad creatives fill in the gaps!
Mistake #4: Lack of Clarity
A key aspect to grabbing the attention of your audience is being very obvious about what you’re offering. Facebook users should have a clear idea of what your ad is about and what product you’re marketing from the get-go, with the rest of your ad serving the purpose of expanding on that information.
Successful ads explain what you are and what you do with ad copy and creatives working in sync to tell a story. This means that your CTA should be crystal-clear, too. For instance, “learn more” only makes sense if there’s a critical piece of the puzzle that’s missing and worth filling in. Combining a clear message with a clear CTA increases the odds of conversion.
Mistake #5: Not Standing Out from the Crowd
Since your ad is just one in a long line shown to members of your audience in a single day, it’s not just a matter of clever copy or crisp imagery. The ad as an integrated whole has to be one-of-a-kind to make an impression.
For example, if you’re selling women's clothes, your ad is likely to be the 10th fashion ad a user has seen that morning. Let’s face it, they're just going to scroll right past it no matter how gorgeous your clothes are. To make fashionistas sit up and pay attention, your creatives, images, and copy all have to be working in tandem to home in on your major selling point and what makes YOUR clothing brand different from all the others on the platform.
Mistake #6: Not Using Stories
Neglecting the power of story ads is one of the easier Facebook ad mistakes to avoid. According to an Ipsos survey, 62% of people said they became more interested in a brand after seeing it in a story ad. Use those stories, people! Stories offer viewers an immersive full-screen experience and the difference in ad placement compared to "Feed" ads give it a real sense of authenticity. Story ads also offer more room to get creative with your videos, images, and animations, generally leading to bigger retention rates for users.
Mistake #7: Neglecting Carousel Ads
Carousel ads allow marketers to show two or more images or videos within the same ad, each with its headline, copy, links, and CTA. It's pretty much like having multiple ads all rolled into one, which is awesome for your brand. Users benefit, too, since they can simply scroll through your carousel where you’re showing ads in any order you want. This great tool can be used to advertise different products, tell a sequential story, or flesh out an ad for a single product.
Here are the main benefits of using carousel ads:
Mix n’ match videos and images
Carousel ads let marketers show an image on one card and a video of the product on another to give audiences a better view and understanding of the product.
Can show different products
Why not show off several different products within a carousel? Or you might opt for variations of one product, like different flavors, styles, or colors. Carousels allow you to show whatever you want in a single ad and, best of all, marketers can show up to 10 different carousels!
Each carousel can have its own link and CTA
Aim to place a different link and CTA button on each carousel you advertise. This widens the scope of your advertising since you can link each product to your home page or each corresponding product page. This flexibility gives customers more options and increases your click-through rate.
Elaborate on a single product
Carousels let ads get into the weeds on a particular product. You can show different angles of a product or sequentially tell a narrative. With carousels, it's also easier to sell the benefits of a product or show a step-by-step process, like how to use it.
Ramps up engagement
Carousels tap into the natural curiosity of your Facebook audience. While it's easy to scroll past an image and even a video ad, the multiple ads in a carousel entice users to scroll to the next card to see what it displays. That’s why it's important to organize your carousel sequentially to encourage users to scroll to the end.
Mistake #8: Being Careless About Targeting
Facebook just doesn't help marketers create elaborate ads, but it also assists in ensuring your ads reach your desired audience through targeting. With Facebook targeting, you can get as specific as you want with your audience and Facebook will distribute your ads to users that fit that criteria.
Here are a few popular targeting options on Facebook:
- Custom audiences. Custom audiences is an extremely useful retargeting option that allows you to distribute ads to existing customers or leads.
- Location. Target users based on geography (city, state, country).
- Gender. Target users based on gender (male or female).
- Interests. Distribute ads to users with certain interests or hobbies (fitness, fashion, sports, etc).
- Finances. Target users within a certain financial class or income range who are more likely to purchase your product.
Mistake #9: Creating Blanket Ads
Your audience is made up of different people with different tastes, interests, and concerns, so why would you assume that one type of ad will work for them all? If you sell fitness gear and are targeting fitness enthusiasts, don’t assume that they all care about fitness in the same way. Maybe some of your customers will care about protein powder and supplements, while others will only be interested in running shoes.
One of the easiest Facebook ad mistakes to steer clear of is to create different types of ads with different tones, images, and moods that jive with different types of people.
Steer Clear of Facebook Ad Mistakes with Marketing Gurus
Facebook ads take up a significant part of your marketing budget, right? That’s totally fine if you’re seeing great results but more often than not, marketers make the same Facebook ad mistakes over and over that lead to ROI underperformance. Our advice? Enlist the help of marketing gurus.
We are Social Ktchn and making your ad stand out on Facebook and Instagram is what we’re all about. We are the mom-and-pop shop of paid social media ads and we help businesses achieve their goals through successful social media campaigns. We view ourselves as an extension of your team and your success is our success!