“Promote this post!” Anyone who maintains a Facebook page for their business has probably seen this suggestion almost every time they post something new. For as little as just a few dollars, Facebook make sure that post is featured prominently in the newsfeeds of your followers, people they’re friends with, and others who might be interested in your page.
It’s a great way to help you build your audience and attract more attention for your business. However, all Facebook does is to put your content in front of more people. It’s up to you to make sure that content is interesting and worthwhile, in order to attract their attention. And the best way to do that is with videos. So here are five ways to use Facebook video ads to build your online business.
- Build Interest with Exclusive Facebook Content. The first thing you need to do is give people a reason to look at your Facebook page and videos. One of the quickest ways to do that is to provide them with something they can’t get anywhere else. The Facebook Live feature is a great method for providing your followers with exclusive video content. Make announcements. Unfortunately, you can’t promote those videos to people outside your follower base during a livestream, but you can do so afterwards. You can also make video announcements, product reveals, event coverage, and much more. Facebook loves videos and by offering your video content on Facebook exclusively, you can draw more people to your page.
- Make It Timely. What is everybody talking about right now? What are the important events and happenings in your field or industry? By keeping your finger on the pulse of what people care about right now, you can join the conversation and make your brand’s voice heard. This goes for both recent and upcoming events. If there’s a conference or convention coming up that’s important to your industry, make a video to let people know you’ll be there and what you’ll be doing. If there’s a recent news event that has everyone’s attention, make a video sharing what you think, what it means for your industry, what your company is doing to help, etc. The possibilities are limitless.
- Target Ads. People post a whole host of important information to their Facebook profiles, from their age and gender to their geographic location to their current place and field of employment to things they like or are interested in, and much more. And with Facebook targeted ads, you can use that information to reach a very specific group of people with your content. Find people who live in your company’s area and who have specific interests related to your industry, and create a video ad targeted specifically to them. It’s a great way to find people in your target demographic, capture their attention, and get them interested in your brand and what it has to offer.
- Retarget Ads. In addition to the ad targeting method mentioned above, Facebook also has a feature called retargeting. This is where you ingrain your brand into the minds of your audience over time by staying on their radar. If someone visits your site, you can use retargeting to put video ads for your brand/company in their Facebook feed. Create videos designed to show them things to like about your company and entice them to come back, to Like your page, and ultimately to buy your products or services.
- Connect Through Social Media. You’ve successfully captured your audience’s attention. Now what? The next step is to connect with them on a personal level, in order to find out what they’re looking for and how your company can help them. And that can be done through social media as well. Facebook’s live chat feature enables people to message you with their questions or concerns, and lets you talk to them and provide answers. You can even import the Facebook chat feature onto your website, so that people can ask specific questions as they browse, and you can help them in real time.
These are just a few of the ways you can use Facebook video ads to help you build your online business. How will you use videos to help you build a following for your brand on Facebook—and beyond?