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If you really want to be able to control the people that are coming into your orbit, there is no better way to do that than with ads. But running ads often comes with a lot of trepidation. Will I just be throwing money away? What if I reach the wrong audience? Can I really compete with bigger companies?
These are all valid concerns but while many business owners (especially newer ones) feel a lot of pressure to figure it all out alone, it doesn’t have to feel daunting. In this episode, Nicki is joined by ads manager extraordinaire Jackie Ellis, who explains how running ads can be an incredibly powerful tool when used strategically.
Looking for closed captioning or a transcript? Watch the episode on YouTube!
A Sneak Peek at the Episode
[1:51] Ads are something that a lot of business owners are afraid of, often due to bad previous experiences or being burned by agencies.
[3:25] We want the person receiving the ad to feel an emotion, but as the business owner or the ads manager, you have to make your decisions based more on the data.
[6:51] While there is a lot of value in understanding ads and your numbers, trying to master something that is a career on its own adds a lot of stress to business owners.
[8:55] Low budget ads may not yield significant results in terms of lead generation.
[10:18] Jackie advises not running ads until you have something to sell.
[13:27] It’s better to focus on one element at a time, rather than testing multiple variables at once. This way you can identify more easily what has worked or not.
[16:09] Crafting high converting copy is crucial for successful ads but as a business owner, you’re always at least 10 steps ahead of your customer. The way you talk about their problem and the way you think about their problem are not always the same thing.
[17:35] It’s not as simple as ‘ads either work or they don’t’. It’s important to test individual elements like the ad copy, the creatives, and the headline to see what’s working.
[22:19] The next level of testing would be testing your ads on different audiences. Your messaging is also more important than ever due to expanded Facebook audiences.
[26:28] Game-changing results come from developing strategies which are several steps back from the ads. That includes looking at who the audience is, how to speak to them differently, and how to get their attention.
[29:20] When it comes to the type of ad, you have to stick with what you are good at or comfortable with, or look at the data. Dive into what is working well for you.
[32:07] Facebook and Instagram ads are two of the most effective platforms for getting started with advertising.
Mentioned on this Episode
Must-Hear Takeaways
As with every episode, we highly encourage you to listen to the entire conversation! But, here are a few of the highlights:
“There are people out there saying, ‘grow your list, grow your list, grow your list!’ And it’s true: Facebook ads are one of the easiest and cheapest ways to grow your list for sure. But why would want to put money into grow your list if you’re not going to be able to make anything back? You’ve got to have something to sell.” – Jackie
“So many times when business owners run their own ads, they pop in there and they see ‘Oh my gosh! My ad cost is higher than normal.’ And maybe it’s just one day. Maybe it’s just that hour. But immediately, ‘It’s too high. I shut it off.’ That’s an emotional response. That’s not where we want the emotion. We want the person receiving the ad, seeing the ad, to feel an emotion. As the business owner, or as the ads manager, we have to make our decisions based more on the data.” – Jackie
“Don’t play guessing games with your ads. You’ve got to make decisions based on data, including budget. You can run ads for $5/day. It’s going to be very slow growth and it’s probably, in my opinion, not worth it. It’s not going to help you pick up the pace and that’s the whole point of Facebook ads—to help you accelerate a little faster.” – Jackie
“There is a lot of value in understanding ads, understanding what you’re trying to do, and understanding your numbers. But I think that there’s also a lot of stress on business owners to become masters at something that is an actual full career on its own.” – Nicki
“When we talk about strategies, I’m not talking about this little toggle in Ads Manager. I’m not talking about this little tiny feature or using this objective. That’s not a strategy. Those are tactics. Those come and go. They work and they don’t. The algorithm changes. When we’re talking strategy, we’re taking several steps back from the ads. Who is the audience? How do we speak to them differently? What are we going to deliver to them? How do we get their attention? What kind of hook is going to be interesting to them? These are the strategies.” – Jackie
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About the Energize Your Online Business Podcast
Are you sick of the stress, chaos, and risk of trying to keep up with the next big thing in digital marketing? And what about the confusion of trying to scale, build a team, and still try to make sure your business is worth the effort it takes to run it? You are not alone.
Join Nicki Krawczyk, a 20-year marketing veteran and owner of a multi-seven-figure-per-year digital training company and her co-host Kate Sitarz as they bust through the online business industry echo chamber to talk about how to make consistent, predictable sales and how to scale your business with simple and stress-free systems.
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