Do’s and don'ts for direct response social media advertising

Social media is an incredible direct marketing channel, but if you aren't careful direct response ads can end up costing a fortune for very little return.

Here are some do’s and don'ts for direct response social media advertising.

Ensure your ads are directly relevant to the newsfeed content

If Promoted Posts are sitting alongside random updates of baby photos or selfies, consumers will either ignore them completely or be confused by their presence. Unless you're paying top dollar for every impression, it's likely people won't engage even if your ad appears in their feeds because it simply doesn't look real.

Don't just grab attention with celebrity endorsements or funny memes - ensure that the copy on your ad clearly states what action consumers should take next. If you direct people to your website, ensure it's compelling enough to get them to read further.

Avoid breaking the rules of Facebook advertising  to keep costs down

Facebook ads are all about being targeted so that you have a good chance of finding an audience interested in what you are selling. However, if you use direct response tactics then your ads might automatically be disapproved because they could be considered too 'sales-y'. For example, asking for likes or shares makes Facebook believe that all you care about is getting engagement instead of actually creating leads.

If you do want to ask people directly for information such as email addresses, phone numbers or positive reviews it's best not to include this in the copy of an ad because direct requests won't look natural. Instead, direct people to your website after they've clicked on the ad copy where you can ask for information in a more subtle way without breaking Facebook's advertising rules.

Don't be afraid of testing different direct response tactics

It's all too easy to get stuck with what works best for direct marketing in traditional media like TV and radio, but direct response social media has its own set of rules so it pays to test out different strategies to ensure you are getting the most cost-effective return per lead or sale.

If you aren't achieving solid results one month see if you can tweak your ads or social media posts by including slightly different phrases, offers or images with direct requests like 'call us now'. If that doesn't work test out direct calls to action within your social media posts instead of including them in the copy on an ad.

If you feel like it might be time to update your direct response social media strategy then contact me from here.