In a Facebook group, someone managing social media for a local restaurant shared their ad experience:
"I’m running ads with a £350 monthly budget, achieving around 220k impressions and 1.2k engagements. I post four times a week and create ads using the Ads Manager, setting objectives, budgets, audiences, and selecting existing posts to promote.
For each ad, I create a new campaign, ad set, and ad.
I’m paying £0.40–£0.20 per engagement, but I’ve seen others getting as low as £0.03. Am I doing something wrong? Most optimization advice online focuses on eCommerce, not local businesses like restaurants. I want to improve my ROI. Any suggestions?"
A community member responded with some valuable insights:
- Focus on Conversions: Engagement metrics like likes and shares are great for awareness, but if the goal is to bring guests into the restaurant, focus on conversions. Use the engagement data to create a custom audience and retarget them with enticing offers.
- Don't Compare Costs: Ad costs vary based on location and competition. For example, ads in New York will likely cost more than in smaller cities like Darwin, Australia.
- Optimize Quality Scores: Ensure your ads have high-quality scores to reduce costs and improve performance.
While these tips are helpful, they raise a critical question: Is there truly no way to optimize further?
The answer is clear—there’s always room for improvement. Let’s explore actionable strategies to refine your ad campaigns and maximize ROI.
How to Identify and Compete with Top-Performing Facebook Ads？
The first step to optimizing your Facebook advertising strategy is understanding what makes an ad successful. This means analyzing competitors’ ads and learning how to compete effectively.
For example, I used a Facebook ads spy tool called BigSpy to analyze ads in the "Restaurant" category. Here’s what I discovered:
- Visual Appeal: The top-performing ads featured mouthwatering food photography designed to grab attention.
- Engaging Copy: Captions like "Kapag intense ang craving" and "Indulge in our expansive selection of dishes" are used to connect emotionally with the audience.
- Effective CTAs: Common call-to-action (CTA) buttons include SEE MENU, LEARN MORE, and MESSAGE PAGE.
You can use BigSpy to dive deeper into your competitors’ strategies. Select your country (e.g., the United States), filter by media type (images or videos), and sort by user engagement (likes, shares, comments) over the last six months.
Pay attention to these details:
- Ad Longevity: Identify how long these ads have been running. Longer campaigns often indicate consistent success.
- Audience Feedback: Analyze comments to understand what users think about these ads.
- CTA Purpose: Explore how MESSAGE PAGE and other CTAs are being used to drive interactions.
By closely studying your competitors’ strategies, you’ll uncover insights to create ads that resonate with your audience and outperform the competition.
Create Content and Copy That Boosts Engagement
Posting content four times a week is a good start, but consistency alone isn't enough. The key lies in understanding your audience's preferences and creating ads that resonate with them. Here’s how you can refine your content strategy:
1. Analyze What Works
- Look at your previous ads to identify which creatives performed best.
- Use tools to explore successful ad examples in your niche. Analyze their visuals, copy, and call-to-action (CTA) strategies.
2. Craft Emotionally Engaging Copy
Great marketing copy goes beyond information; it connects emotionally and inspires action. Ads that evoke emotions or entertain are more likely to drive engagement, including likes, comments, and shares. Additionally, emotionally resonant content often gains traction with other media outlets, increasing reach through reprints or discussions.
3. Highlight Unique Features with Facts
David Ogilvy, the legendary ad writer, emphasized the power of facts over empty adjectives. A prime example is his iconic Rolls-Royce ad:
"At 60 mph, the loudest noise in this Rolls-Royce comes from its electric clock."
This short yet vivid sentence illustrates how specific details make ads memorable and trustworthy.
4. Build Cognitive Associations
Help users understand your product by connecting it to familiar concepts. People tend to remember information they relate to or recognize. For example:
- Highlight how your product solves common pain points.
- Use visuals and detailed descriptions to create mental images, making the content more relatable.
5. Leverage Social Proof
Customer testimonials play a significant role in influencing decisions. Collect reviews that reflect your customers’ core needs and showcase them in your ads. This builds trust and enhances credibility.
6. Use BigSpy for Inspiration
If you’re short on ideas, tools like BigSpy offer a wealth of advertising materials. Search for content in your industry, filter by engagement metrics, and adapt the insights to craft impactful ads tailored to your audience.
By combining emotional appeal, factual storytelling, and strategic analysis, you’ll create content that not only engages but also converts.
Choose the Right Marketing Objectives for Better ROI
Selecting the right marketing objectives is crucial for achieving your ad goals effectively. Here’s how to make informed choices:
1. Align Objectives with Goals
- Conversion Focus: If your primary goal is sales, prioritize conversion optimization. Facebook will then optimize your ads to achieve the best conversion results.
- Testing Multiple Objectives: If you’re unsure which objective to optimize for, consider testing different optimization goals simultaneously.
2. Exploring Alternative Objectives
Take the example of the restaurant owner mentioned earlier. They could explore objectives like engagement or reach to expand their audience. This approach helps mitigate audience fatigue, a common issue in advertising.
3. Addressing Audience Fatigue
Ad fatigue occurs when an audience becomes desensitized to ads, resulting in decreased click-through rates and increased costs per click. To combat this, expanding your target audience can refresh ad exposure and engagement.
Choosing the right marketing objectives not only aligns with your business goals but also optimizes ad performance over time.
Segment Your Audience for Targeted Campaign Success
Proper audience segmentation is the backbone of any successful ad campaign. Avoid creating multiple ads targeting overlapping audiences or lumping all ads into one broad audience. Instead, focus on strategic segmentation to maximize impact.
1. Know Who You’re Talking To
Think about it: who are the people most likely to connect with your ads? Here are some examples:
- Healthy Meals: If your restaurant serves nutritious food, focus on health enthusiasts or fitness lovers.
- Desserts: Have a signature dessert? Aim for dessert lovers—especially women, who tend to engage more with sweet treats.
- Fast Food: Running a quick-service restaurant? Target busy professionals or students who need something fast and convenient.
When you know your audience, you can craft ads that truly speak to them.
2. Balance Broad and Specific Audiences
Here’s a tip: your audience shouldn’t be so broad that your message gets lost, but it also shouldn’t be so narrow that you miss out on potential customers. The sweet spot? A combination of precise targeting and enough reach to grow your audience.
3. Test, Test, Test
Not sure what works best? Test it out! Facebook gives you powerful tools to refine your audience:
- Core Audience: Start with basics like age, gender, location, and even income level.
- Custom Audience: Retarget people who’ve interacted with your ads, visited your website, or are already in your customer list.
- Lookalike Audience: Use your current customers to find new people who share similar traits.
The more you test, the more you learn—and the better your results.
Why This Matters？
Your audience is the single biggest factor in ad performance. Splitting them into segments and understanding their needs allows you to create more relevant, engaging, and effective ads. And don’t forget, advertising is all about connecting with the right people at the right time.
Smart Budget Adjustments to Maximize Your ROI
Managing your ad budget can feel tricky, especially if you’re trying to maximize every dollar. Don’t worry—I’ve got some tips to help you stretch that budget effectively without compromising results.
1. Schedule Your Ads Smartly
Want to run ads only at specific times or on particular days? Here’s how you can make it happen:
- Set Your Total Budget: Make sure you select the option for a total budget (not daily).
- Pick Time Slots: During the ad group creation process, find the "time slot" section.
- You may need to click “Show Advanced Options” to see this.
- Choose the Time Zone: Decide if you want to use your ad account's time zone or align with your audience’s time zone.
- Select Days and Times: Pick specific days and time blocks (at least one hour each).
👉 Pro Tip: You can check ad performance reports using filters like “Time to Place (Ad Account Time Zone)” or “Time to Place (Viewer Time Zone)” to see what works best.
And don’t worry—you can always edit your ad group’s schedule later.
2. Conversion Time Windows Matter
Facebook uses a time window to measure conversions. Here’s what you need to know:
- Timespan: Choose a window (e.g., 1 day or 7 days).
- Action Type: Decide whether to track clicks, views, or both.
🛑 Heads-Up: Conversions that happen outside this window won’t count toward your ad optimization.
3. Budget Boosts for New Ads
Launching a new ad? Here’s a tip: start strong by increasing your daily or lifetime budget by 200% to 500%.
- Skip the “Accelerated Delivery” option—it focuses on speed over quality and cost.
- Once your ad reaches 10,000+ impressions, analyze the results to see if it’s hitting your goals.
You’ll often get reliable data within 48 hours, so you don’t need to wait three or more days. After that, you can scale your budget back to what you originally planned.
4. Testing and Observation
Testing is critical, but how long should you wait? Here’s a simple guide:
- Set your test period to at least 24 hours, but aim for 48 hours for better insights.
- For small-budget tests, define success criteria, like CPC < $0.50 or results tied to purchases or payment interfaces.
Testing might feel slow at first, but it’s worth it. With solid data, you’ll know exactly how to adjust your budget to get the most bang for your buck.
Your Facebook Ad Optimization Journey Starts Here
Optimizing Facebook ads isn’t a one-and-done task, but by following the key steps outlined in this blog, you can significantly boost your return on investment (ROI). From understanding what makes a successful ad to adjusting objectives, segmenting audiences, and strategically planning your budget—every step helps you achieve better results.
Remember, ad optimization is an ongoing process. Constant testing, analyzing, and refining are the keys to success. Different industries and audiences may require unique approaches, so don’t shy away from experimenting with new strategies!
Ultimately, successful ads are not just about placement techniques—they’re about deeply understanding your audience’s needs. Create compelling content that resonates with users, pair it with precise ad strategies, and you’ll stand out in a competitive market.
Now it’s your turn! Review your ad strategies, apply the tips shared in this blog, and keep optimizing. Your next breakthrough might just be one click away.
