Facebook Ads for eCommerce: How to Increase Sales

If used strategically, Facebook ads will get you more customers. The key is knowing which types to use. This can vary from a website’s target audience and the stage a user has reached in a sales funnel. You can also use retargeting ads to bring back lost users and increase the likelihood of conversions. By proper targeting, you can effectively nurture leads and drive sales.

So let’s focus on the strategies that you can apply when using Facebook ads. You will also learn about the ads and how to use them for your eCommerce business!

5 tips for successful Facebook ads for eCommerce

While Facebook ads are one of the most cost-effective methods to advertise, the key is knowing how to use them. Here are some tips to help you be successful:

1. Focus on strategic segmentation

Targeting the right people is a must when advertising. A great ad placed towards the wrong audience will fail to yield results. So the best thing to do is find the right audience and segment them. Segmentation can be into the following groups:

Location and timing

When it comes to Facebook ads, location and timing are two crucial elements that can have a significant impact on the success of your campaign. Targeting the right location of the target audience can help you reach the right customers and increase conversions. For example, targeting people living in a specific city or country or targeting people who are currently traveling to a specific location.

The timing of posts can also have a significant impact on people's responses. The best time to post ads can vary depending on the occasion or holiday. For example, placing ads during Black Friday can help you take advantage of the increased shopping activity during this shopping event. You are likely to see a rise in sales, so make sure to optimize this by placing ads at the right time.

Additionally, timing is not only limited to special occasions; it also applies to the general timing of the day, week, or month. For example, posting ads in the middle of the week can be more effective than on weekends, or posting ads during the afternoon can be more effective than during the morning.

Behavior

Track user behavior to understand which customers need your products most. This can be done by looking at the needs and shopping patterns from previous months or years. It gives you an idea of when you need to put out more ads about when customers are more likely to purchase a product.

You should also focus on the right segment of your target audience: for example, those who want to buy your product, who have already purchased something at your site, or those who have abandoned shopping carts. You can actually find different types of behavior:

• Research users
• First-time customers
• One-time buyers
• Repeat buyers
• Active users
• Cart abandoners
• Price-sensitive
• Brand-loyal clients

You can track customer behavior by:

• looking at how frequently a user clicks on an ad, goes to your site, and shares ads
• gathering data on user or customer actions on your site (visited pages, checked products, etc.)
• gathering information about users’ pain points
• creating a database with customer behavior
• using Facebook's built-in tools like Facebook Pixel and Facebook Analytics or third-party analytics tools

By analyzing user behavior, you can properly target potential customers and improve the performance of your campaign. For example, you can offer a discount for people who have abandoned their shopping carts as they are price-sensitive users.

Retargeting

Sometimes people may click on an ad but not proceed to complete the purchase on your website. These people have shown interest at some point. So it means you can regain their attention. Retargeting ads are designed for this group of users. It helps to add an incentive to get users to buy your products during retargeting.

2. Create videos

Videos have a higher priority when it comes to advertising. So take advantage of Facebook's video ads. People are more likely to view feeds when they log in. So having video ads is a quick way to get the necessary attention.

Aside from this, videos have a higher user engagement rate: according to Insivia, viewers feel they can return 95% of a message through videos as opposed to 10% through written text. So adding videos can increase your conversion rates. 

There are several formats to use while creating videos. Examples include:

• GIF
• MOV
• MP4
• MPEG
• MPG
• OGM
• OGV

The aim is not just to create random videos. It has to be unique and captivating. This will help you stand out from the competition. The best thing is that you can create high-quality and original videos from scratch at an affordable price by using creative production tools like Sparkle by Madgicx. Make sure to keep videos simple, memorable, and short (you can evoke the reaction you’re looking for in less than 15 seconds). Any captivating videos are more likely to be shared and gain your business more publicity.

3. Make engaging stories

The story feature from Facebook is an amazing way to interact with users. All you need to do is create interesting stories. It should be something relatable and useful for users.

Try to understand what your target audience is into before posting stories. This is a way of ensuring that all ads posted on your story will have a positive response. Stories have moved beyond and are available on Facebook Messenger and Instagram, so these ads can be seen by users on all platforms.

4. Optimize landing pages

Another way to keep users glued to your brand is by using other platforms in conjunction with Facebook ads. One such platform is your website. While ads give your brand the necessary attention, people should be able to get additional information. That is why your ads should lead them to your website's landing pages.

The presence of a landing page alone does not guarantee customer loyalty and increase sales. The pages and ads won't drive sales if your site is buggy, unclear, confusing, or loads too slowly. You can create, design, publish and optimize pages for your business website by using a landing page platform. By optimizing your site, you will improve the overall experience and create a user-friendly solution that is both visually appealing and easy to navigate.

Additionally, as an eCommerce store owner, you have to track outbound clicks on your ads and compare them with your sales. If the CTR on your ads is great but your sales are low, it's time to optimize your landing pages. When optimizing pages, do not forget to check your content. Quality content is the key to success and bringing more users to your site, encouraging sales.

5. Show prices 

It is always a better idea to include the prices of products in ads. It gives people an idea of how much they need. This is better as opposed to speculation. It may deter someone from contacting you. You can indicate the exact price and try to avoid any decimals.

With this strategy, you can get more conversions. Not revealing the price might discourage users from clicking on an ad. That's because many people feel that the price might be high when not indicated in ads.

Best Facebook ads for eCommerce and examples

You can find different types of Facebook ads that startups and big companies apply to reach their target audiences and achieve their goals. Each type of ad below has its own features, advantages, and best practices. It is crucial to use the right option that corresponds to your business needs and requirements. So what are some of the best ads to use on Facebook?

Dynamic ads

This type of ad allows companies to automatically show personalized ads based on users’ browsing or purchasing requests and other online behavior. This type of ad connects users to your website. Once users log into Facebook, they can see products from your catalog.

One way to use Dynamic ads is to target people who have left items in their abandoned carts with ads showing them the exact items they viewed on your website. This is an effective way to retarget potential leads and encourage them to complete their purchase.

Collection ads

A collection ad has several images or videos that users can see in a set sequence. It is a good way to show multiple images or products in a single ad, making it easy for users to browse, choose and purchase.

If you have a large product catalog or you wish to promote multiple solutions at once, this type would be particularly useful. Additionally, this option is valuable as it was specifically designed for mobile devices.

Video ads

This type of ad features a video that can range from a few seconds up to 240 minutes long. It can be created to promote and show your products or services in action. There are different ways to use Facebook videos. You can also share testimonials and provide a brand's story. It can be a series of still photos or graphics. The main point is to grab attention and increase engagement.

Messenger ads

Facebook Messenger has a high level of user engagement. This type of ad can be a valuable tool for eCommerce businesses, as it provides a way to reach an engaged audience through personalized interactions. It is focused on personal interaction with users and potential leads, which also increases engagement in campaigns through conversation.

Additionally, these ads allow for automation and direct purchases within the application. The messages could be automated by bots and respond to customers’ inquiries till providing the direct support. It is also a convenient and trackable way to connect with customers.

Lead ads

With lead ads, you can create campaigns by using fill-in forms that will help your business generate leads. They allow users to fill out fields within the ad, making it easy to collect contact details from name to email and more. It increases the possibility of connecting with potential customers and generating more leads.

You can also target a certain audience based on demographics and interests, attracting proper customers. This type can also be optimized for mobile devices and automated to offer follow-up messages or emails. The main thing is that it helps save time and resources.

Testing Facebook ads

When it comes to ads for eCommerce, testing is huge on Facebook. The primary elements you should test are your creatives and audiences. By testing these, you can optimize your campaigns for better results and increase conversions.

It is important to understand which elements to test according to your business needs and know each level of the campaign structure. You can test many different elements, starting from graphics, headlines, and primary text to different lookalike percentages and campaign objectives.

However, you should test one element at a time. It's crucial to know what to test on each level:

1. Creatives — you can test creative ad copy, different graphics, headlines, primary text, calls to action, and other elements of your ad.
2. Audiences — you can check lookalike percentages, audience demographics, and locations to see which point shows the best results.
3. Campaign objectives — check conversions, lead generation, brand awareness, etc.
4. Auction-related settings: bid strategy (highest volume, highest value, cost per result goal, bid cap, or minimum ROAS), budget (ABO for ad-set budget optimization and CBO for campaign budget optimization), placements
5. Landing page — as we mentioned above, you can check web pages to see which ones perform the best.

You can do this by using A/B testing. Simply go to the Ads Manager and pick the desired campaign. Then test it with A/B testing. It helps you choose the campaign that is likely to be successful. Additionally, Facebook offers a built-in system in the Ads Manager, which you can use, but it has its limitations. You can also build your A/B tests yourself once you gain more experience.

The most important thing here is to remember that testing is an ongoing process. You have to run tests, analyze the results, optimize based on your insights, and then run tests again. This cycle of testing and optimization is the only way to succeed with Facebook ads for eCommerce. With the right strategy and a data-driven approach, you can optimize your campaigns for better results, gain leads, and increase conversions.

Final thoughts

Never underestimate the power of Facebook ads. They are a great way to promote a brand and increase sales. All that you need is to know the right principles and what works best for your business. Make sure you understand who your target audience is and use the right tools. It is crucial to segment users into groups according to priority. Also, target users at the right time, as this affects customer engagement.

Focus on incorporating videos into your ads. Use stories to interact with users at each stage. Make sure videos and stories are interesting. Facebook allows you to create quality content that will help you increase sales. Investing in Facebook ads coupled with the right tips will build your brand and profits.

If you are tired of manually adjusting the ad performance, you can try Madgicx as an all-in-one ad optimization solution. It has all the tools you need to succeed with Facebook ads for eCommerce, and you can try it for free!