We have discussed in some of our previous articles about the role of Facebook™ advertising for B2B industries. The fact remains that many marketers have the preconceived idea that social media marketing for B2B begins and ends with LinkedIn.
In reality, decision-makers are tired of the continuous onslaught of LinkedIn ads and InMails. By contrast, while they browse Facebook™ they are less likely to bump into a business proposal with every private message and friend request. This makes them less edgy and more inclined to pay attention to an ad that promises to solve some of their work-related problems, be it a new ERP software suite or an integrated platform for employee management.
Facebook™ Ads Really Attract Decision Makers’ Interest
One reason why Facebook™ ads for B2B work so well is that most of them blend seamlessly with the type of content the user is accustomed to seeing – content tailored to their likes and interests. The key advantage of this social media platform is how much it knows about its users. And you, the marketer, have access to some of the most detailed selection criteria for ad audiences.
This is the secret for those ads that seem to read the user’s mind (“I was actually looking for this kind of product”). By contrast to B2C customers, B2B buyers don’t just forget about the decision to make a purchase – it is their job to attend to this issue. So, most of the times, a click will lead to a sale – if your ad is compelling enough to warrant that click.
Let’s look at some of the most effective B2B ad campaigns on Facebook™ and understand why they were so successful.
1. SharpSpring – an Arresting Image and a Smart Question
Source: https://www.beacondigitalmarketing.com/blog/b2b-saas-marketing-facebook
That is not what you’d pick for a “serious” B2B ad, right? And that’s exactly why it works. It’s different and intriguing. That photo of the hand sticking out of the sea is sure to stop any Facebook™ user from scrolling.
The question also fits the image to a dot – and what it is remarkable about it, and the entire ad copy – is that it does not promote a product. What it offers is a promise of help – finding a way to choose the best marketing automation system. That’s a very smart way of getting a busy marketing manager for a large corporation curious enough to click on the ad.
2. Zenreach – Clear Customer Definition and Human Interest
Source: https://www.impactbnd.com/blog/7-inspiring-b2b-facebook-ad-examples
This ad has all the ingredients to attract a small to mid size business owner operating in the hospitability industry. The copy is precisely addressed to them. The image features the ideal of any bar or restaurant owner: happy customers chatting around a table laden with food and drinks.
And the message is guaranteed to get them to click – they are promised a way to bring back not just a few customers but thousands of them.
3. Hotjar – Don’t Say How It Works, Show It
Source: https://blog.leadfeeder.com/facebook-ad-examples/
We all know how important it is to understand the way users interact with websites. Marketers know it. Sales managers know it. But they want to understand how X, Y or Z solution will actually help them understand the website visitors’ behaviour, behind the smart and snappy ad copy.
So Hotjar has included in its ad the image of an actual use case of their website analytics tool. The image shows a website as seen by a visitor on a laptop screen and right next to it a hot map of what the visitor is looking at and clicking on as captured by the tool. You can’t be more explicit than this on how your product works and helps customers achieve their goals.
4. SaneBox.com – You Can’t Go Wrong with a Before/After Image
Source: https://www.impactbnd.com/blog/7-inspiring-b2b-facebook-ad-examples
The before/after photos combo has become a classic staple of advertising. It starts from showing the potential customer that you understand their problem and that you have a solution for it – and show how it works.
This ad is compelling visually by the strong red/blue contrast. And the copy has a powerful human touch: “save your inbox (or your sanity)”. It treats B2B clients as human beings and not corporate robots and this is very appealing to them.
5. Airtable – Share Their Pain, Provide a Solution
Source: https://blog.leadfeeder.com/facebook-ad-examples/
When you read the headline of this Facebook™ ad, you can almost hear the collective sigh of relief of countless executives and professionals. The promise it makes is backed by the simple and compelling visual: a laptop screen displaying a neatly organised database, one that you would actually enjoy working with.
By sharing the potential clients’ pain point and providing a simple and efficient solution to it, there is no wonder that this ad got lots and lots of clicks from qualified leads.