TESTING YOUR FACEBOOK ADS

TESTING multiple versions of your Facebook adverts allows you to see which ones are working well and how to improve their performance.

There are plenty of different ways to test your ads. Some prefer the split-testing feature on Facebook. Others prefer duplicating ads themselves. Then you get a bunch of critics who say that these methods are not efficient enough because Facebook chooses the winning ads too soon. They argue that you should test each ad at the ad-set level.

SubhanaAllah, it’s so confusing, especially for a poor beginner.

That’s why today I’m going to show you the *SIMPLEST* way to test your adverts. Yes, it might not be the best way to test your ads, but it’s a great place to start.

>>> First, get specific on your target audience.

You could do this by uploading customer data like email subscribers or previous purchasers onto Facebook and analysing the Audience Insights like a hawk.

However today, I’m going to assume you’re a complete newbie and don’t have any data at all. In that case, get specific on your target audience’s age, gender, where they live and any other aspect related to your business.

1) Create the Ad Set

Facebook has three different locations to write your text: The Text Post, Headline and Description.

Write three sentences with your keywords and place them in these three different locations. Select one image or video for now and setup the advert.

Duplicate the advert at the end, this time switching the placement of the short sentence around in the three locations. Keep repeating this process until you’ve created every possible combination (that’s six versions).

Now select those six ads, duplicate them and simply change the image. You want to test about 4 different images and 2 different text versions so you get a total of 4 X 2 X 6 = 48 ads.

2) Begin Testing

Run all those ads at once, each at a daily budget of $1 or more. Pause the ads that are not performing well (those that have a high cost per acquisition, CPA) and keep running the ads that are performing well.

3) Scale Horizontally

The next step is to duplicate the whole ad set (each with 48 ads) and change the targeting for each new one. So for example, you could target another interest like a different sheikh if you’re selling to Muslims.

>>> Experts also recommend that you test ad placements and ad platforms.

For example, a simple Facebook Page Like advert might work better on the side rather than in the newsfeed. And a certain video might perform better when viewed on desktop rather than on mobile.

In that case, you could run an ad set specifically for desktop users, and another ad set specifically for mobile users. Test to see which ads run best on which platforms.

4) Analyze your Results

a) The CPM is the cost per 1000 impressions. If the CPM is high for a particular ad set, it usually means that either the target audience or the content are not up to scratch.

>>> Compare it with other ads to determine which interests and what type of content is working well for your target audience, and run with those ads.

b) The CPC is the cost per click. If the CPC is high for a particular ad set, it usually means that your target audience are not taking enough action.

>>> The solution to this is to adjust your call to action. Be more assertive and tell them the next step, “Click here to get your FREE guide.”

c) If the time on your site is only 10 seconds or less, it might be because you are reaching the wrong audience or the ad and the landing page are not congruent.

>>> Test different landing page layouts, try different images and use different text for the header and main copy.

d) If the conversion rates are low, it is usually because your offer is not good enough.

>>> Make the offer more irresistible by hitting more pain points and playing with emotions of how they feel right now and how would it feel like to be where they want to be.

>>> Directly ask your audience what they want and what challenges they are facing. Carefully observe their use of language, and use the same words in your text.

Compare the results of these four metrics for each ad and ad set until you have a clear understanding of what exactly is working well and what isn’t.

Give it at least 24 hours for Facebook to optimise the ads properly before deciding to kill an ad that is not working.

***Extra Tip***

Don’t rush to kill an ad straight away because its performance is low. Different ads can work better on different days depending on issues like politics and even weather. Simply pause the ads and try them out another day.

That’s how to test multiple different adverts.

Nabila S Ahmed 
#entrepreneurialmuslim