Meta Ads: reach people before they start searching

Facebook and Instagram ads let you reach people based on who they are and what they are interested in, not only what they type into a search box. They work well for introducing a business, promoting an offer or an event, and reminding people who already know you.

This is paid advertising, so it is separate from the organic social media work described on my Social Media Marketing page. Both can support each other, but they need different planning and different measures of success.

Campaign strategy

Choosing the right goal for the campaign, such as enquiries, visits or awareness, and shaping it around a budget you are comfortable with.

Audience targeting and ad creatives

Deciding who to reach, and writing and planning ads that suit them. This includes the message, the image or video approach and the call to action.

Performance optimisation

Watching results, pausing ads that are not working, testing variations and improving what does. Meta automates a good deal of delivery, so part of my role is giving it sensible inputs and judging its results with care.

Meta Ads suit local businesses, events, online shops and service providers whose customers use Facebook and Instagram. They work well when people need to be introduced to an offer rather than searching for it.

Ads interrupt people, so the message has to be relevant and respectful. I think about what the viewer was doing when the ad appeared and what would make it feel useful instead of pushy. I set a clear goal, keep the creative honest, and review the data before recommending more spend.