Did you know more than 1.5 billion people use Facebook, everyday? Now, tell us, which is the largest platform to sell your products and services, a sure shot if we may add? Facebook! Ta-da
Facebook users come from different walks of life; while most of them use the medium to connect with friends, nearly 40% of the Facebook population comprises of companies of various sizes, needy freelancers and bloggers.
Yes, freelancers! Facebook is a huge platform for people struggling with freelance jobs and businesses.
Facebook Ads could be your best ally if you are still finding it difficult to promote your freelance business. We know many potential freelance business owners who have marched past many competitors proudly with the help of Facebook Ads for business promotions.
Today, we shall discuss how freelance business can use Facebook Ads for promotions. With right strategies and targeting techniques, you can easily reach your niche audience and generate positive leads.
It’s Important to Realize That Facebook Ads are Passive in Nature
Lots of freelancers who dip their feet in paid advertising end up making mistakes. Facebook is not meant for Business alone. So, you won’t find active users, as in the case of Google AdWords, who are searching for services and products you offer.
For instance, in Google AdWords, if you start an Ad campaign targeting ‘Fashion Designers’ in Sydney, Australia, then anyone who searches with the same keyword and sees the ad is your audience.
But that’s not the case with Facebook Ads. Ads here are usually shown to people who aren’t actively looking for them. It’s a passive ad platform like LinkedIn, Instagram etc.
However, Facebook’s witty knowledge about their users can help freelance businesses to run ads on those user profiles from Sydneywho like a local fashion boutique or a particular brand of clothing page.
A Facebook news feed sponsored post might be in your audience, but most certainly not in the mindset you want your audience to be in. Most of these ads are mentally erased by users, whose focus shift more on their friend’s profile pic.
So, what should you do to improve marketing? Before you jump in and start building ads and pages, you need to know what you want your audience to do.
These tips on ‘how to promote your freelance business with Facebook ads’ should help you to get started.
1. Who Are Your Audience? Know Them
Create an ideal client, like an Avatar. The Avatar is an imaginary representation of your client – his age, interest, likes, dislikes, favourite pages, location, gender and other distinguishing factors that identify him.
An Avatar helps you to target ads to a particular demographic. Location plays a vital role when trying to make your business more personal and one to one. If you have plans to meet clients, then location should matter. Your client avatar should also represent your product or service.
Let’s say you are a freelance make-up artist, specialised in weddings, baby showers and engagement makeup and styling. You client Avatar should be: age – 22 to 35, interest – weddings, baby showers, clothes, make up, fashion, accessories, etc., location – your city or state (if you can travel), gender – female, dislikes – divorces (pun). We are sure you have got the idea.
You have to keep the client model close to your business promotion strategy so it is easier for each ad to reach your core market faster.
2. Who Are You? Let Your Clients Know You
Now that you have a perfect client in your mind and you know which area you have to target, it’s time that you let your clients know you. Before anything, know that you are a freelancer; you are neither a company nor a big brand. Not every household recognises you.
But you have to build a brand around your name through Facebook Ads. For that you need to appealingly introduce yourself.
The famous published author, Mark Dawson, had an extremely successful Facebook ad campaign so much so that the campaign resulted in one million book downloads.
So, if you want to follow Dawson’s lead, then instead of relying on text ads, use Facebook photo and video ads to create awareness. Videos and photo ads are more engaging, get almost 104% more comments and 53% more likes than text ads.
But you should make sure that your video length is cut short to 1 minute for immense user engagement. Also link these ads to your website for more traffic drives and increased mailing list.
Tip: When you make video and photo ads, instead of promoting your skills, educate your audience why they need your service.
3. Use Facebook Custom Audience to be Precise
You should also use ‘Facebook Custom Audience’ for your marketing campaign. Custom Audiences are those clients whom you have already reached through email lists, app activity, website traffic and Facebook engagement.
Create a list around those people who have already signed up for your emailing list in your website. These clients are already interested; they just need a nudge to use your services.
All you have to do is upload your list of email addresses to Facebook Business. You can make them like your Facebook Page through your ad.
Like we said earlier, you have to engage your audience and build a bond. Your Facebook Ads should solve problems and not talk about random solutions.
Don’t talk about your makeup styling options, for instance. Explain how each makeup style suits different face and outfit
4. Who are the Lookalikes? Create Similar Audiences’ List
Use your custom audiences to find your Lookalikes Audiences. It is a feature in the Facebook Business App. To use that, go to Audiences -> Create Audiences -> Create Lookalike Audience.
This feature analyses your custom audiences, Facebook page& conversion tracking pixel and finds users who match your audience avatar. Once Facebook finds people who are similar to your Custom Audiences, it will display your ads to them. This will help you to reach more targeted Facebook Users. It’s not only economical but also less time consuming.
Once ads reach target group, engage them on your Facebook page and send them to your website to grow your email list.
