Have the Facebook “likes” for your business page slowed down to a screeching halt?  Are your analytics reports and attempts to drive traffic to your company website falling flat?  Maybe it’s time to convince your CEO or Marketing Director that there is a cost associated with social media marketing aside from your salary and time.  Facebook Ads and Sponsored Stories are great ways to ask for more likes and share an offer that will drive people to your company website.

Facebook Ads are located to the right of your timeline.  They can link to your business page or to your company website.  The most successful ads have an offer to entice people to click on them.

Sponsored Stories are designed to blend in and be a part of the conversations in your timeline.  This is a great way to promote your most popular posts from your business page, and ask for more likes.

Facebook Ads and Sponsored Stories can be purchased in a simple 4-step process:

1.      Choose what you want to advertise by selecting a destination for your ad.

2.     Design your ad by uploading a photo and writing short and catchy copy.

3.      Choose who you want to target.

4.      Decide your budget and schedule your campaign.

Many factors like age, location, and interests will determine how many people your ad will reach, and much it will cost to reach them.  A good way to convince your higher ups that you need a social media marketing budget is by showing them case studies and live examples of successful  campaigns that utilize Facebook Ads and Sponsored Stories.  You can also create a mock ad and show them exactly how many people their ad will reach to help determine a suggested budget.

What have you done to convince your boss that you need an advertising budget for social media?  What tactics worked or didn’t work?

Category: ROI, Social Media Marketing 101