For starters, one of the worst mistakes B2B marketers can make is ignoring Facebook™ as a source of good leads. While it is true that B2C pages and ads are prevalent, this social media network is an online forum where you can find purchasing managers, corporate buyers and other decision makers.
In fact, the fact that so many other B2B marketers focus their social media marketing efforts solely on LinkedIn is an advantage for you. Without so much crowding, your ads will stand out and you can achieve good results with a lower bidding price.
The Basic Rule for Facebook™ Ads
If you have not run many Facebook™ ad campaigns so far, here is the number one rule: the visuals are king, queen and court. Your ad must consist of 80% photo/video and only 20% text.
Trying to trick the ad analyser with text inside a photo does not work – and this may be one of the key mistakes many marketers make. Fortunately, this is not an expensive mistake: your ad will be simply rejected and you will be notified in this respect.
However, there are many other mistakes which will cost you money or failing to capture potentially good leads. Here are some of them:
1. Using Generic Stock Imagery for Ads
There is a funny video on YouTube mocking the exasperating use of stock photos in B2B marketing. There are also dozens of web pages making fun of unrealistic looking and overly used stock photos.
So, why do B2B marketers keep using them? The standard answer is: because they look professionals. But they also look impersonal and – frankly – boring. B2B customers are tired of being treated as robots attached to a corporate bank account. They want a personal touch. They want to see creativity, a friendly approach and, above all – authenticity in your marketing materials, including your Facebook™ ads.
2. Creating One-Size-Fits-All Ads
Here’s the deal: although your product solves the needs of various decision makers in various industries, you cannot send a generic message for all of them. For instance, you are promoting a software suite that helps plant purchasing managers and warehouse logistic managers manage stocks and implement FIFO.
You should create specific ads for each of these categories of potential buyers. You must show each of them that you know their industry, their organisation and their problems.
3. Focusing Only on Boosted Posts
It is so easy to boost a post on your Facebook™ page. A few clicks, set the budget and you’re done. But this type of promotion is not sufficient if you really want to use this social media platform as a powerful lead generator.
As a simple example, a boosted post does not help you with the remarketing efforts, after you installed the Facebook™ Pixel on your website. The Ads Manager section is more complex and ad creation takes more time. But you will not be able to get good results without some effort.
4. Ignoring Comments on News Feed Ads
News feed ads look like regular Facebook™ posts: users can Like, Share and comment on them. Many people leave comments on these ads to notify an issue – either the ad led them to a 404 page or they were looking for a specific product/information and they could not find it.
The fact that they took the time to leave a comment means that they are interested in the product/service you are promoting. Help them find what they are looking for and you may win a loyal client.
5. Failing to Create a Roadmap after the Ad Click
Your Facebook™ advertising efforts do not stop once a person clicked on your ad. Where do you take them? Is the landing page clearly connected to the ad in terms of visual elements and copy? Is the link working properly? Do you want to capture their email addresses before or after you offer them a freebie?
All these considerations are extremely important. B2B buyers are busy people. They will not spend a lot of time checking whether they landed on the right website and looking for the download button for the promised lead magnet on a poorly designed page. Instead, they will leave your site and you will lose a potential lead and pay for the click on the ad at the same time.