When publishing Facebook Ads, you obviously want to see the best results possible. However, if they aren’t even being delivered in the first place, then this can be a little bit difficult.

 

There are a number of reasons why your ads might not be delivered, and most are fairly straightforward to fix. If you want to know the reasons why your Facebook Ads aren’t delivering they’re being rejected in the first place, don’t worry, we’ve highlighted the most common reasons below, as well as how to fix them!

 

You’ve reached your spending limit

 

Let’s start with a simple problem that seems silly, but one that actually affects many businesses. When running ads, you will have to set a spending limit that runs across the whole ad account. When this limit is reached, your ads will no longer be shown on Facebook.

 

The good news is that this is very easy to fix. All you have to do is go to the Billing & Payment Methods tab in Ads Manager, where you will be able to see your current spending limit. Simply edit, reset or remove the figure and your ads will start delivering again.

 

Your ads aren’t scheduled correctly

 

Again, this problem might seem like something you’d spot immediately, but it is a surprisingly common issue. If you’ve scheduled ads for a specific time and date, then Facebook will only run them during that timeframe.

 

If you have a campaign that is scheduled to run in the future or one that has already passed its end date, then all you need to do is change the specified time.

 

Your ads violate Facebook’s policies

 

This issue is slightly more serious than the previous ones we’ve looked at and trickier to fix as a result. If your ad doesn’t meet Facebook’s advertising standards, then it will be rejected outright. This happens to a lot of businesses because Facebook is extremely strict with what they will allow on ads.

 

Restricted or prohibited content, such as depictions of violence, weapons or vulgar language are the easiest issues to spot, but sometimes things like misleading ads, fake offers or even irrelevant landing pages can see your ads rejected.

 

Brands or businesses that are advertising for special purposes, such as political campaigns or social causes, will be limited purely because of their grouping, so make sure this is correct before querying rejected ads.

 

If you’re not sure why your ads have been rejected or believe they have been marked incorrectly, then you can appeal to Facebook. They will then reinstate the ads if the appeal is successful.

 

In the case that your ads are still rejected, you will have to make the required changes. Facebook will give a reason for why your ads were rejected initially, such as inappropriate copy or content, so you will have to change the offending aspects and then resubmit the ads.

 

 

The ads have limited engagement

 

Making your ads as engaging for users isn’t just desirable for their experience, as Facebook can hinder your campaigns if they aren’t connecting with your targeted audience. This is why you need to pay attention to your Ad Relevance Diagnostics.

 

This will allow you to see the Quality, Engagement Rate and Conversion Rate for your ads. Essentially, you can use this to quantify how good your ads are when compared with others in the same audience, whether they are as engaging and ultimately determine if they are getting competitive conversion rates.

 

When looking at your scores, you should target ads with a ‘low’ ranking, as getting these into the ‘average’ category is more beneficial than moving ones already rated average into the above-average section.

 

Using the diagnostics, you can see which specific areas need work. For example, if you are having trouble with conversion rates, then you need to focus on your post-click experience, such as the landing page you are directing users to, or even re-examine your targeted audience.

 

The ads are stuck in review

 

We’ve already covered how Facebook reviews every ad before they go live, but what if you’re having issues with the process itself? Facebook advises that the review process should take 24 hours, but that it may be longer in some cases.

 

On holidays such as Christmas or Black Friday, Facebook will be inundated with ads to review, so the process may take longer across the board. Unfortunately, there isn’t much you can do to speed the review process up. However, there are preparations you can make to ensure this isn’t an issue.

 

You can schedule your ads ahead of time, which means that they will already be reviewed at the point you need them live. However, if you make changes to the targeting, creatives, optimisation or billing event, then they will need to be reviewed again.

 

Let Social Nucleus Help

 

As you can see, a comprehensive knowledge is required to ensure Facebook ads are simply being delivered. We haven’t even mentioned how to optimise these ads for best results or the importance of having a cohesive, multi-channel marketing strategy. The short of it is that it’s very complicated to run effectively on your own, especially when you’re dealing with all the other aspects of owning a business.

 

With that in mind, why not let the experts help? At Social Nucleus, we have an account manager, digital specialists and a creative time who can oversee every aspect of your Facebook Ads marketing. We work in Scrum formation, which means you’ll get a dedicated team who will work to ensure your ads are providing the best results possible. . If you’d like to take your advertising to the next level, get in touch and start connecting with your audience now.

Black Friday is almost here, and it’s arguably the biggest event for eCommerce store owners. It’s one of the easiest times to maximise conversions and drive sales, but to do so effectively, you need to allow room for preparation and planning.

 

Today’s post is going to walk you through some of our top industry tips and secrets that you can implement, before, during, and after Black Friday.

 

Before Black Friday

 

The period before Black Friday is arguably the most important. You want to make sure your strategy is planned, and this involves creatives and the channels you want to focus on.

 

• A warmup

 

In the weeks leading up to Black Friday, it’s likely that customers are going to be less willing to splash their cash. This is a great time for you to push brand awareness campaigns to drive people to your website. You want to get people talking about and sharing your brand before the big day.

 

Doing this also allows you to build a bank of vital customer data that you can utilise before the event. It’s a great way to get an idea of the people clicking on your ads and to re-engage any cold audiences.

 

• Optimise your site for conversions

 

Before Black Friday, you want to make sure your site is optimised for conversions. User experience, site speed and the checkout process are all areas you want to look at.

 

Your site needs to be fast, and easy to navigate as slow websites are almost guaranteed to lose you the sale.

 

Making sure your checkout process runs as smoothly as possible is also crucial to Black Friday success. Ensure there are no sign-up options or unexpected shipping fees. Aim to make the customer journey as smooth as possible to ensure they follow through with their checkout.

 

Something people forget is to optimise their site for mobile. Most customers shop on their phones, so if your site isn’t up to speed, you will lose sales. Ensure you have a responsive design; easy site navigation and a one-click purchase feature.

 

• Pre-approve your paid ads

 

Getting ads approved on Facebook can be a tricky process as it is and becomes even harder and longer during the Black Friday period. We recommend having your ads built and send for approval at least two weeks before Black Friday.

This gives you enough time to make any necessary changes for them to be approved and run smoothly.

 

During Black Friday

 

Once all your preparation is done, the hard work isn’t over. There are some things you need to be doing throughout the event to keep on top of sales and conversions.

 

• Keep on top of website optimisation

 

As customers are driven to your website, you’re likely to receive feedback. It’s important that you listen to this feedback, especially if it concerns site problems which you should fix as soon as possible to retain sales.

 

Perform regular site audits to ensure your customer’s journey is as smooth as possible.

 

• Optimise paid ads

 

Optimising paid ads daily is a vital part of maximising success, even outside of Black Friday. We suggest looking at metrics such as CPM (cost per thousand impressions), CTR (click-through rates), and ROAS (return on ad spend).

 

By measuring these key metrics you’ll be able to effectively analyse your copy, content, audiences, and strategy and realign your findings with your marketing efforts.

 

After Black Friday

 

• Increase customer loyalty

 

After Black Friday, it’s time to focus on retaining customer loyalty and retention. This can be done in a few ways.

 

Firstly, try retargeting ads on paid social channels. Offer customers discount codes and showcase your benefits and USPs. How does your product evolve with the customers and why should they come back for more? Do you offer any add-on products? Now is a great time to push them.

 

You can also increase customer loyalty through your email marketing by offering customers a code to use on their next purchase, encouraging them to come back.

 

• Cyber Monday

 

Making the most out of Cyber Monday is just as important and great for maximising sales before the Christmas period begins.

 

Firstly, you can create a dedicated landing page for your Cyber Monday promotions. By doing this, you provide customers with an easy and stress-free experience in finding the best possible deals. Doing so can also benefit your website in terms of SEO optimisation.

 

You can also increase your ad spend. Doing so makes sure you capitalise on your digital strategy as much as possible.

 

Finally, make sure your email flows are built and ready to send. Although customers were aware of your Black Friday deals, it doesn’t harm to let them know about your Cyber Monday ones. Try adding a hint of exclusivity by letting them know this discount is only for them.

 

 

 

So, there you have it. Our top tips for smashing your Black Friday sales.  It can be a stressful time for marketers but if correct preparation and planning are in place this is a great time to capitalise on some extra sales

 

Not sure how to execute your Black Friday strategy? It’s not too late to get in touch and see how we can help! Book a call with our ad experts today.

 

The advent of social media has made it easier than ever to connect consumers with brands, public figures and more. However, with such an overwhelming number of profiles and pages available online, it can sometimes be a bit tricky for these prospective consumers to find the exact business or figure they are looking for.

 

That’s why knowing how to verify a Facebook business page is absolutely crucial for anybody looking to cement their online presence. If you’re struggling to do this yourself or don’t understand why you even need to, read on, as we’ll explain everything below!

 

What is a verified Page?

 

Let’s start with the basics; what exactly is page verification? Well, whenever you search for a profile or brand on Facebook, you’ll probably find numerous results all with the same name. If a brand is verified, it will carry a blue tick next to the page, which shows that Facebook has registered it as the authentic presence of that brand. This means that any page you see on Facebook with a blue tick has been certified by the social media platform and any posts, stories or other communications come directly from the brand.

 

Why is it important to verify a Facebook business page?

 

As we’ve mentioned above, there may be many other businesses out there that are shown on the same result page as your own. If your page is verified, then potential customers will immediately identify that this is an authentic, trustworthy profile, whilst also making your page stand out from other, similarly named brands.

 

It’s not just the customer psychology standpoint you should pay attention to though, there are several tangible benefits to verifying a business page on Facebook. The first, and perhaps most important of these, is that a verified page will appear at the top of search results when a user enters a search query.

 

This can be especially useful for brands that have numerous sub-pages for specific sections of their brands. It allows users to determine which of your pages is the ‘main’ one, and also ensures it has the most visibility to drive traffic from a general audience.

 

Another positive that comes from having a verified Facebook page is that you’ll have access to new features Facebook might preview ahead of other, unverified public pages. As you can see, there are many critical benefits to verifying your business page.

 

How do I verify a Facebook page?

 

To verify your page, just follow these six simple steps:

 

1. Click this link and fill out the form, or you can navigate to Settings and select Page Verification under the General tab.
2. To get started, make sure you tick the ‘Page’ box and not ‘Profile’, as you’ll be verifying a business page. Choose the page you want to verify through the ‘Select page to verify’ option. Remember, this has to be done by an admin of the chosen page’s business manager.
3. After this, you’ll need to supply Facebook with an attachment of an official document. This could be a utility or phone bill, a certificate of formation, articles of incorporation or any tax documents relating to the business.
4. Fill out the relevant boxes beneath, describing your brand, its audience and why you should be verified.
5. Then provide up to five social media accounts, articles or any other links that will show that your page is in the public interest and is deserving of a verification badge.
6. Click send and the review process will begin. You’ll be able to track the status of your request on the page shown after initially submitting the form.

 

What to do if you can’t verify your business page?

 

If you’re having trouble with verifying your page, don’t panic! This is likely due to an error in the information you submitted. It could be as simple as submitting the wrong type of official document and you can check on this link which documents are accepted in the country your business resides in.

 

Another issue you might have is if the document you sent over is self-filed. Facebook won’t accept these, as the documents must have been certified by someone outside of the organisation, with an official seal or signature. It could also be a problem with actual upload as if the file is blurry, low resolution or corrupted, Facebook won’t accept it. There are many reasons why your page might not have been verified initially, but the good news is that it’s probably just a small issue that can be fixed pretty easily.

 

Need help with your digital marketing?

 

We hope this blog has helped you answer some of the questions around Facebook verification you might have. Of course, this is just one of many things that can have a huge effect on your brand’s online presence. There is a huge number of other considerations you need to make, from branding to ad messaging and audience targeting. If you don’t know where to start, making sure all of these aspects are the best they can be is vital.

 

At Social Nucleus, we can help with all aspects of digital marketing. We have a dedicated creative, with both graphic designers and copywriters, that can help take your messaging to the next level. We also have account managers and digital specialists on hand to make sure your ads are being seen by the right people. If you’d like us to help your business grow, get in touch and start connecting with your audience now.

When you engage someone in a conversation, you can influence the decisions they make. Great conversations are often key to a great marketing campaign and that’s why, with the correct execution, Messenger ads can be the core of successful conversions.

What are Facebook Messenger Ads?

Facebook Messenger Ads are advertising options that either start instant-message conversations with customers or appear within the Messenger app.

There is a huge variety of different ad placements you can choose from, with the ultimate goal of starting an instant message conversation with a prospect. Messenger ads are the best way to connect directly and more importantly, privately with your customers. This interaction often leads to above-average conversion rates.

Let’s have a look at some of the different Messenger Ad options available to you:

Ads that click to Messenger

 You can use standard Facebook display ad placements to start a conversation with your prospect. These ads will appear in the newsfeed, but your CTA button will open up a Messenger conversation, as opposed to taking them to your website for example.

Sponsored messages

This placement allows you to send a sponsored message directly to people who have already chatted with your business via Messenger.

Messenger stories ads

Similarly to Instagram, Messenger story ads are full-screen mobile experiences that appear in the Messenger app. These ads are only available alongside Instagram stories, however.

Messenger inbox ads

Messenger inbox ads appear in the chat tab within the Messenger App. When a user clicks on your ad, they are sent to Messenger with a call-to-action. This will take the user to the destination you chose during the ad creation.

 

Key attributes of conversations

 When it comes to creating effective Messenger ads, there are a few things you should consider before creating your ads. 

• TOV

When you create an authentic voice for your business, people are more likely to engage with you and that goes for all ads, not just Messenger. When thinking about the tone of voice you want to use for your Messenger ads, here are some things to consider:

• How will your voice translate to Messenger?
• Is a conversational approach preferable?
• Should a helpful assistant lead people through your experience?

These are the top 3 things Facebook suggests for creating an effective TOV.

You should consider using a character as the personality for your conversations. This could include bringing a spokesperson to life or partnering with a celebrity.

• Expressive ideas

Your ads are more likely to resonate with people if you show, rather than just tell. Facebook offers a one-of-a-kind experience that can really engage people.

Photos and videos are one way to bring your ads to life using expressive ideas. You could use them to share instructional or exclusive content to up engagement.

• API

With Messenger, you can use API to connect people to your server. You can use this to interpret, connect and unlock new ideas. Using the API and your server, Messenger can act as a virtual switchboard, connecting the people who message you.

You could also use Messenger as a remote control. People can send requests that lead to real-world actions. They could send a gift to a friend, control, or a robotic device.

 

There are many ways you can use Messenger to boost your conversions and engage more potential customers. If you still feel like you need some help with your sponsored Messenger ads, get in touch today to see how we can help!

How to Improve Your Google Ads Quality Score

When it comes to PPC strategies, Google Ads is one of the most important tools at your disposal. The biggest search engine in the world sees 5.6 billion queries a day, and there are a plethora of brands all competing to ensure theirs is the one taking most of that traffic. An effect Google Ads campaign can be incredibly lucrative for any business, but you wonder how you can ensure yours are successful.

One of the best ways is by monitoring and improving your Quality Score. This is a measurement that can ultimately guide you to making better PPC ads and lowering the price of both clicks and conversions. Below, we’ll detail what it is and how you can improve your Google Ads quality score.

What is the Quality Score?

Simply put, the Quality Score is a metric Google uses to determine how your ads compare to other brands on Google. You’ll be given a value of 1-10, with one being the lowest and ten the highest. If your ads are relevant to a user’s search query and offer an effective answer, then you’re much more likely to get a high score. The Quality Score is useful as it can pinpoint certain areas of your campaigns where you may need to improve, such as keyword targeting and landing pages.

Why Your Quality Score Matters

The Quality Score isn’t just an arbitrary number, it’s Google telling you how effective your ads are in the eyes of the prospective customer. The factors it takes into account are key in maximising the success of your campaigns and there is a clear correlation between high-Quality Scores and both low-cost clicks and conversion. The cheaper the cost of conversion, the better your return on investment will be.

How to Improve Google Ads Quality Score

Check the Metrics

Three key elements are taken into consideration when evaluating the score; the expected click-through rate, ad relevance and landing page experience. Each of these is judged independently and given a rating of ‘above average’, ‘average’ or ‘below average’. Using this, you can see which parts of your Google campaigns need work. For example, if your landing page experience is below average, then you may want to focus on creating new ones.

Keyword Research and Targeting

Keywords are immensely important in driving SEO and organic campaigns, and Google Ads is no different. One of the metrics the Quality Score uses is ad relevance and this determines whether your ads are actually relevant to the keywords targeted. If your score is low in this regard, then there are a few things you can do to boost the rating.

The first is to constantly carry out keyword research. While some keywords may be effective when you start actioning your Google strategy, if you don’t seek out new ones then you won’t be able to build upon the initial success. Doing this will not only improve the quality of your own campaigns but may also provide entirely new audiences and angles that your competitors may be missing out on.

Tailor Ad Text

Tailoring ads to the specific search terms and keywords targeted is immensely important. A generic ad is far less effective than one which is made with the audience in mind. If a prospective customer sees ad copy that directly offers the answer they are looking for, then they will be much more likely to click through the link and possibly convert.

Make Ad Copy Engaging

While tailoring your copy to certain audiences and keywords is beneficial, you still need to craft engaging ad text that will entice people to your brand. First, consider what you want the end result of the customer journey to be and modify your call to action accordingly. If it’s simply purchasing a product, then something along the lines of ‘buy now’ is fine, but if you’re trying to get them to sign up for a free trial, then a different CTA is needed.

An effective way of getting people to click the link is by offering a financial incentive in the copy. Simply stating that there’s free delivery can be the difference between someone visiting your site or not.

Craft Effective Landing Pages

We’ve already mentioned this, but it’s crucial enough to warrant its own section. Landing pages are the place you direct your audience to. Because of this, if there are any issues, then they’re going to immediately stand out and put people off. One of the biggest problems is when a landing page isn’t directly connected to the ad they clicked on.

For example, that someone looking for a necklace has clicked one of your ads targeting the keyword ‘necklace’. If they were directed to a catalogue page for general jewellery, as opposed to a page focused on necklaces, they may leave the site quickly as the page isn’t relevant to their specific query.

This is the same for the messaging you use. If the tone and style of your landing pages are completely different to your paid ads, then this may throw people off. Consistency across all of your channels is vital for building brand trust with the consumer.

Let Social Nucleus Help

These steps can help raise your Quality Score and make your Google Ads much more successful. However, this is just one component of a marketing campaign and there are numerous other things you need to consider. If you’re completely neglecting Facebook ads for example, then there is a huge market you’re missing out on.

Of course, running all of these things at the same time is a lot of work, especially if you’re not an expert. If you’re struggling, then Social Nucleus can help! We have account managers, graphic designers and copywriters on hand to take care of every aspect of your digital marketing. If you want to find out more, get in touch and take your PPC campaigns to the next level.

Are you a Facebook ad user? If the answer to that is yes, then there’s one key tool you should start using right away in order to get the most out of your budget … the Facebook Pixel.

One of the greatest benefits of Facebook advertising is the ability to test, track and refine your target ads. The Facebook pixel is a data-gathering tool that helps make the most of your ads across both Facebook and Instagram. If you use Facebook or Instagram ads the pixel needs to be your go-to tool.

What does the Facebook pixel do?

The Facebook pixel is a piece of code that you place on your website and collects data from customers, helping you track conversions, optimise your ads and build more refined remarketing targeted ads in the future.

It works by placing cookies to track your users as they interact with your business both on and off of Facebook and Instagram.

For example, if you swipe up on a product you like the look of on Instagram, you can expect to see a targeted ad for that very thing the next time you open the app. This handy method of retargeting is only possible through using the pixel and is a handy way for us marketers to remind shoppers to come back and buy the items they’ve been looking at.

Facebook pixel standard events

There are 17 standard Facebook pixel events you use:

• Purchase: Someone completes a purchase on your website.
• Lead: Someone signs up for a trial or otherwise identifies themselves as a lead on your site.
• Complete registration: Someone completes a registration form on your site, such as a subscription form.
• Add payment info: Someone enters their payment information in the purchase process on your website.
• Add to cart: Someone adds a product to their shopping cart on your site.
• Add to wish list: Someone adds a product to a wish list on your site.
• Initiate checkout: Someone starts the checkout process to buy something from your site.
• Search: Someone uses the search function to look for something on your site.
• View content: Someone lands on a specific page on your website.
• Contact: Someone contacts your business.
• Customize product: Someone selects a specific version of a product, such as choosing a certain colour.
• Donate: Someone makes a donation to your cause.
• Find location: Someone searches for your business’s physical location.
• Schedule: Someone books an appointment at your business.
• Start trial: Someone signs up for a free trial of your product.
• Submit application: Someone applies for your product, service, or program, such as a credit card.
• Subscribe: Someone subscribes to a paid product or service.

The Facebook Pixel and iOS 14.5

Because of recent changes to third-party tracking in iOS 14.5, some pixel functionality has been disabled for Apple devices. One major change is that advertisers can now only set up a maximum of eight standard events and custom conversions.

Advertisers have had to change the way they think about the pixel as these changes have taken effect.

Why should you install the Facebook pixel?

1- Increase the ROI on your Facebook ad spend – Pixel data helps ensure your ads are seen by the people who are most likely to convert. This allows you to improve your conversion rate and your ROI.

2- Use Facebook conversion tracking – The pixel allows you to see how people interact with your website after viewing your Facebook ad. You will gain a deeper understanding of the customer journey ensuring you get the best conversion tracking data.

3- Create lookalike audiences – using the pixel allows you to use its targeting data, helping you build lookalike audiences of people who have similar likes, interests and demographics to those who have already interacted with your website.



So, there you have it, everything you need to know about the Facebook pixel. Still thinking you need some help setting up your pixel or getting to grips with its benefits? Book a call with our expert team to find out how we can help you get the most out of your Facebook ads.

Content marketing is that essential part of your marketing strategy that very easily gets stale if you don’t find ways to keep your audiences’ attention. Content marketing has transformed from an exciting new marketing concept to pretty much an essential powerhouse for every business. From Instagram content to writing a blog, content marketing is designed to show the world that you’re the best at what you do.

Today’s blog is going to look at five ways you can up your content marketing game this Q4.

Why is content marketing so important?

Before we get into the good stuff, let’s firstly look at why content marketing is so important. At the heart of every single digital marketing strategy is content. It supports every element of your strategy and can be repurposed across all platforms.

Creating high-quality content that is built into your campaigns is guaranteed to boost your conversions and smash your business goals. Consistent content is associated with a very attractive return on investment (ROI) and should never be a second thought.

How to up your content marketing game:

Incorporate social media – Today, social media is everywhere. Great digital content brings together your entire digital footprint under one umbrella. Whenever you create new content, find ways to tie it to your social media. Whether that’s snippets on Facebook, quotes on Twitter and images on Instagram and Pinterest. Doing so improves your social proofing, engagement, and brand image.

Update your blog – Writing and keeping up to date with a blog is a great way to drive traffic to your website and convert traffic into leads. Running a blog demands a lot of energy and stale blogs can fade into extinction quickly. If you don’t have time to run your blog yourself, working with a third-party content creation service is always an option.

Use mixed media – Relying exclusively on text for your digital marketing is a no-go. Research has shown that coloured graphics make people 80% more likely to read a piece of content. Venture out of your comfort zone and use videos, audio, images, or even infographics. Draw your visitors in and keep them engaged.

Establish a style guide – Customers are increasingly perceptive when it comes to brand awareness. Your customers can tell when messaging conflicts with your values, goals and styles. Putting together a style guide can help keep your brand image in check and allow you to effectively keep up your content marketing game. Your style guide should cover areas such as tone of voice, logo styling and colours, font preferences and overall content goals.

SEO optimisation – SEO optimisation continues to evolve and remains extremely relevant in today’s marketing world. It’s important to choose specific actionable keywords that benefit from low competition and high search volume. They’re a bit harder to find but valuable for your content.

So, there you have it. Five ways to up your content marketing game. If you’re not happy with your content marketing game, step it up. If you don’t have the time, book a call with us and find out how we can help you level up your content, just in time for Q4!

In the world of digital marketing, optimisation is key. Whether it’s audiences, content or copy, knowing which aspects to focus on and which to avoid is crucial in creating an effective campaign. Because of this, A/B testing is one of the best tools at your disposal when you need copy that leads to high conversions and results.

If you don’t carry out the proper testing, then your campaigns will be uninformed and nowhere near as effective as they could be. For that reason, you need to constantly test to find what works for your brand. In this blog, we’ll detail how you can successfully carry out A/B testing on ad copy.

What is A/B Testing?

Essentially, A/B testing involves testing specific aspects of an ad or campaign, making variants of it to see the individual performance of each part. To illustrate, let’s imagine you are running an ad with three main components: copy, creative and a CTA.

If the ad is underperforming, you will obviously want to know the reasons why and also seek to replace it with messaging that will perform better. However, if you switch up all of the elements at once, then you’re not actually solving anything.

While you may see an increase in conversions, it won’t be clear which element of the ad that you’ve changed is the cause of the change. To carry out true A/B testing and truly optimise campaigns, you need to run multiple versions of an ad, with one specific aspect change.

So for one campaign, you would have several ad texts running, but with the same creative and CTA in each. This will allow you to refine your campaigns and run only the ad copy which performs best.

This can be hugely beneficial for a number of reasons, the most obvious being it can provide a huge increase in terms of your conversion rate. However, it also helps keep your campaigns fresh and relevant for potential audiences. By consistently carrying out A/B ad testing, you’ll be able to avoid ad fatigue.

How to A/B test ad copy

When it comes to copy, A/B testing is quite simple. You just need to test every element of your copy. This includes headlines, CTAs, copy length etc. Essentially, you need to make sure your copies are distinct enough to make a real difference in the audience’s eye. By doing this, you’ll end up with a comprehensive set of high performing ads.

Another crucial aspect of this is testing your landing pages. Ultimately, this is where your ads will drive prospective customers to. If you’re landing pages aren’t up to scratch, then this will decrease the chance of those visitors making a conversion. While there are a few general tips for making effective landing pages, such as ensuring they align with the messaging shown in your ad copy, the best ones will only come as the result of repeated testing and optimisation.

How To Carry Out Effective A/B Testing

Measure your Metrics

Of course, the whole point of A/B testing is to boost results and understand the data that’s driving the increase. So, before you begin testing, you need to first decide which metrics to measure and how to monitor them.

Let’s take conversions for example. If you’re tracking these, then the first thing to do is determine what conversion rate is ‘good for the brand. Some industries will see a lot more conversions than others merely based on the back of what they are selling, so there is no universal conversion rate.

After that, you need to work out how much it is costing to generate each result and whether that is a sustainable level for your business. To put it simply, it doesn’t matter how many conversions you are generating if they are costing more than you can afford. Because of this, Ad spend and ROAS, or Return On Ad Spend, are things you need to consider.

Give Tests as Much Time and Resources As Possible

Sometimes, businesses can neglect A/B testing, as they don’t view it as a true campaign, even if they generate results. This isn’t helped by the fact that many brands have to be meticulously careful when it comes to their budgets, so some don’t see testing as a necessary expense when compared with other components of the business.

The biggest issues come when campaigns don’t immediately produce results and are paused as a result, or if they aren’t afforded the proper spend in the first place. For A/B testing to be successful, you need to run them for around two weeks, with a decent budget. Stopping a campaign early or not meeting the necessary spend will just waste resources.

Test CTAs

CTAs are often overlooked in copy, despite the fact they are potentially the most important part of any ad text. Those few words at the end of your ad could be the final motivator for a potential customer to make a purchase.

It might sound obvious, but your CTA should tell the reader exactly what to do once they’ve read the ad copy. For that reason, you should be as specific as possible, but also keep it short and snappy, as this is much more engaging for potential audiences. Testing different CTAs, in both the content and copy, should reveal which ones will resonate with your audience.

Structure your Pricing

While you can’t change the price of your products in copy, you can test the structure of those figures. The easiest way to do this is with finance options. If your brand offers the ability to split the cost of a purchase with a platform like Klarna, then instead of saying a product costs £75, you could instead write it as ‘three interest-free payments of £25’.The price remains the same, but the audience interprets it as a great deal because of the phrasing.

This can be extended to discounts, promos and other financial incentives too. For example, if you have a bundle that offers a significant saving on a collection of products, you can use pricing to highlight the saving, e.g ‘Order now and get £100 of luxury cosmetics for just £50!’ It’s a relatively simple thing, but one that could see your conversion rates increase immensely.

Find Messaging that Resonates with Your Audience

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, you need to test certain words or phrases to see which ones perform the best in your ad copy. These are known as power words and are used to elicit certain emotional or psychological responses from audiences.

The ones to use will depend on the industry, audience and brand itself. While some generic ones work, the best will be specific to the people you want to market to. A great way to test these is by coming up with a decent batch before starting work on any campaigns. After that, test them in several ads, combining them as you see fit. After a while, you will be able to see which power words perform best.

Let the Experts Help

While A/B testing is incredibly important, it can a time-consuming, difficult task to do on your own. You not only need to run the campaigns and track them, but you’ll also have to supply the copy and content variants required to do this effectively.

If you need help with A/B testing in marketing, then Social Nucleus can help. We have dedicated account managers, who will constantly test and optimise your campaigns, ensuring the ads are seen by the right audiences. We also have an expert creative, with copywriters and graphic designers, who will make killer creatives to be used in ads.  Get in touch with us now and level up your ad campaigns!

Another month down and so many great moments to look back on in the world of online marketing news. Today’s post is going to explore our favourite picks from the latest marketing news this month and hopefully you can take some inspiration from our choices to vamp up your next campaign.

The Bumble Brew

Earlier in July, Bumble opened their very own cafe named ‘Bumble Brew’ in New York. The stylish and on-brand cafe is said to combine the “convenience of casual all-day cafe by night with ambiance of an intimate restaurant and wine bar at night”.

The cafe was borne off the back of the success of their multiple bumble pop ups around New York and London in 2017.

Head of Brand Partnerships, Julia Smith said “At Bumble, we’re fueled by bringing people together to build genuine connections — both on and off the app… We’ve seen a resounding response to the Bumble Hive pop-ups we’ve hosted around the world and noticed a clear appetite for a permanent space where people could connect.”

After a year and a half of lockdown, this is the perfect time to launch something like this. People are keen to connect face-to-face after spending so much time apart, making this a very clever marketing technique.

It also highlights the importance of a multi-channel strategy. When it comes to marketing, brands often think online marketing is the way to go and often neglect other, more traditional forms of advertisement. Offline marketing is a powerful tool and should always be utilised where possible. Doing so successfully can have multiple online benefits that elevate brand awareness.

Kanye West Premieres New Album

Rapper, fashion designer and all-round enigmatic superstar Kanye West unveiled his latest album ‘Donda’ this week. West, who is never too far from controversy, has had an interesting few years musically, having cancelled the much anticipated ‘Yandhi’ amid a switch to a gospel-inspired Christian project.

West is known for his unconventional releases, often delaying or outright cancelling many projects, and this latest project has been no different. The rapper officially announced the album by teasing a song from it on a Beats by Dre ad featuring Sha’Carri Richardson, who has been in the headlines herself recently.

This followed weeks of teases by other artists, such as Tyler The Creator. The hype has steadily been building for a while now and it’s culminated in a huge event streamed live from Atlanta. An array of prominent rap artists appear on the album including Travis Scott, Pusha T and JAY-Z.

It’s safe to say this is one of the most anticipated albums of the year and it’s been a masterclass in marketing from West. While many had assumed a new project was on the way, the official announcement set social media ablaze and now there are legions of waiting fans, eagerly refreshing Spotify, Apple Music and more to see Kanye has dropped it.

To say all this anticipation has built up in just one week is extraordinary and shows just how effective a well-thought campaign can be. By unveiling the album alongside a recognised brand like Beats, followed by one of the biggest musical live events of the past two years, West has cultivated the kind of hype most brands can only dream of.

Adidas’ Liquid Campaign

In celebration of Adidas’ commitment to making the future of sports as inclusive as possible, they revealed the world’s first-ever liquid billboard in Dubai.

Ladies were invited to take a jump “Beyond the surface” wearing their new Burkini collection which aims to give a greater choice of swim apparel for all.

Amrith Gopinath, Adidas’ Brand Director said “Our belief is that nobody should be prevented from enjoying the benefits of being in and around the water, hence the recent launch of our diversified product offering for all women and our Burkini Collection”.

After commissioning a YouGov survey in 2021, Adidas revealed that only 12% of women in the UAE feel comfortable wearing a swimsuit in public. Adidas’ liquid billboard campaign is a great example of reactive marketing, benefiting from the support of thousands of men and women across the globe, whilst also inspiring women to feel their best in what they wear… of course driving sales.

Domino’s Pizza, Something To Shout About?

The phrase ‘there is no such thing as bad publicity’ has been heavily debated by marketers since time immemorial. This month, renowned pizza experts Domino’s have put that adage to the test, with their latest ad campaign.

The adverts in question revolve around their new group ordering feature on their app. This is presumably in response to the easing of lockdown restrictions and in anticipation of large orders from gatherings, parties and other social activities now permitted.

While the service sounds like a great new feature for Domino’s, the ads themselves have caused quite a stir. In them, a group of friends yodel to each other across a city, asking what they want to order. It’s a novel and fairly amusing idea on first viewing, but after just a few weeks, some are already tired of it.

Many have flocked to social media to voice their disdain over the ad, particularly viewers of shows like Love Island, where the ads have been played repeatedly.

On the one hand, trending on Twitter because so many people hate your ads isn’t the ideal response Domino’s would have wanted. On the other, this has probably brought the brand more visibility than any other marketing campaign they have ran over the past couple of years.

While there are no sales figures to analyse as of right now, the ads have certainly thrust Domino’s into the limelight. The sheer number of people who have engaged with the ad, coupled with the convenience of the new group ordering service, will surely translate into more conversions with the brand.

Boost Your Own Marketing with Social Nucleus

While you may not have the resources for pop-up cafes, live-streamed mega events or yodelling supergroups, you can still have engaging marketing campaigns for your own brand.

At Social Nucleus, we have dedicated account managers and creative teams, we’ll craft bespoke campaigns and target them to the right audiences to boost engagement and conversions. Get in touch now and take your marketing to the next level!

For businesses, running digital ads can be hugely beneficial but deciding which platform is right for your business can be tricky if you don’t know the specific benefits of each. Ideally, you want to run Google Ads and Facebook Ads, as they can work in tandem at every stage of the customer journey.

 

However, if you only have the resources for one of these, then you need to know the differences between them, as well as understand the specific marketing needs of your business. In this blog, we’ll go over everything you need to know about Google and Facebook Ads and guide you towards the one

 

The Difference Between Google Ads and Facebook Ads

 

When looking at these two platforms, the key difference we see is that of Google’s paid search vs Facebook’s paid social.

 

When advertising on Google, businesses must ‘bid’ on keywords, search terms and queries inputted by users. This will then see their ads displayed on relevant search results, with the aim of attracting those users to their brand. For every click generated, the advertising business will be charged. This is PPC, or pay-per-click, advertising and it’s a complicated field in its own right, but also a hugely important aspect of any marketing campaign.

 

With Facebook Ads, you’ll be engaging in ‘paid social’, i.e running ads on a social platform. Facebook is full of advertising opportunities, with a huge user base that logs on every day. Here, ads are displayed based on user’s interests and their engagement with a brand. This can cover a comprehensive set of targeted audiences, including retargeting those who have interacted with your brand but have not yet made a purchase.

 

In essence, the difference between Google Ads and Facebook Ads is that the former can be used to spread awareness of your brand to a broad range of new audiences, while you can use the latter to target prospective customers who are actively looking for something related to your business.

 

The Strengths of Each Platform

 

As we’ve already mentioned, the best campaigns will utilise both Facebook and Google. However, if you don’t have the resources to hand for this, you’ll need to decide which one is best for your current goals based on their unique benefits. With that in mind, let’s examine what each platform offers.

 

Facebook

 

Facebook is the largest social platform in the world, with over 2 billion active users every month. Because of this, it’s tempting to think that the greatest benefit this channel can off is the sheer size of the user base. However, while this can be hugely beneficial, Facebook Ads’ greatest strength is its granular targeting capacities.

 

With this, you can target incredibly specific audiences. Facebook users share a vast amount of information with the site, from life milestones like promotions and relationships to personal interests like hobbies. Brands can then target their ads towards appropriate audiences with near unparalleled precision.

 

For example, the introduction of lookalike audiences gives advertisers more powerful tools than ever before. With this, brands can upload information based on their own customers, which Facebook will then match with users on the site. This allows businesses to target new audiences that have the same interests as their current customers, which can generate new leads and purchases.

 

Google

 

While Facebook is the largest social media platform in the world, Google is the most used search engine and as such, offers a similarly massive audience to cater ads to. PPC ads are an extremely effective way to market your business to people searching for related terms.

 

One of the best aspects of Google Ads is that it isn’t necessarily the highest bidder or those with the largest budgets that are the most successful. This is because Google values ads that are relevant to the user’s search query over those who merely spend the most. To make the most of Google, you need to make high-quality ads optimised for the specific terms and keywords you’re targeting. Google uses Quality Score to determine the quality of advertisements, based on a variety of factors.

 

In current times, Google Ads blend into the SERP, or Search Engine Results Page, with only a small ‘Ad’ label in the top left to differentiate them from organic results. Because of this, many users simply assume the top links are the most relevant to their query. With that in mind, it’s clear Google can be a vital part of any campaign.

 

Which is Right For You?

 

The truth is that these two platforms should be viewed in tandem, rather than opposing or conflicting applications. To get the most out of your marketing, you should do everything possible to utilise both, as their inherent benefits are crucial in the modern age of digital marketing. Neither is really better than the other, so it’s down to personal preference when it comes to which you should use. If you want to target specific audiences precisely, then Facebook Ads is probably the way to go, while Google can help draw in people searching for things related to your business.

 

Manage Google and Facebook Ads with Social Nucleus

 

If all this sounds rather complex, that’s because it is! Determining which platform to use is one thing but knowing how to effectively market your brand on each is another matter entirely. At Social Nucleus, we can manage both Google and Facebook Ads for your business, from audience targeting to killer creatives and engaging copy. Get in touch now and take your campaigns to the next level.