Avoid These 2 Mistakes to Ensure Successful Social Ads

Do you ever think about not spending more money on social ads? Maybe you don't feel like your ads are generating any interest. Well, you're not alone: 62% of small business owners say Facebook ads miss their targets. Stop wasting your time and effort creating ads that fail!

But wait, why even bother reading this article if social ads fail so often? Here's the deal: out of all of the business-to-consumer companies using social media, 97% of them use Facebook! It matters and it works. Let's explore two steps to get you on the road to fail-proof ads today.

NO. 1: AUDIENCES MATTER! TALK TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE.

The first step to successful ads is nailing your audience! Sure, the easy way is to simply target by age, location and some simple demographics. But what many marketers don't realize? There is way more opportunities to make sure you're talking to the right people.

Let's say you're considering marketing a tour to the Holy Lands. Start by doing some research into people who typically travel to this area by checking:

• Destination visitor stats. Is there a particular age visitor that eclipses all other ages?
• Your own past traveler stats. What other common interests do these group travelers share?
• Reach out to people who have traveled to this region to better understand their reasons for choosing the destination.

The next step is to build an avatar of the perfect client. Ask yourself these questions:

If you're talking to the wrong people, your ad simply won't perform!

NO. 2: WORDS MATTER! CHOOSING THE RIGHT WORDS.

Recently, social ad platforms have figured out that some words sound too personal in an ad and end up sounding "creepy" to some readers. The bottom line is that by avoiding these words, or at least using them less often, Facebook will reward you with greater reach. I've been doing this for a couple of weeks and have noticed a difference.

Tune in for the list of words to eliminate or at least reduce in future social ads and posts:

Lastly, the subtle art and science of social ads involves never giving up! There are always changes to the ad platforms, adjustments you can make and the ever-changing sentiments of travelers to help guide you to the best ad campaigns for your business.

Written by Catherine Heeg, an international speaker and trainer who focuses on social media marketing strategies for the tourism and hospitality industry. Join the conversation and connect with her at www.cmsspeaking.com and socially.