Tag Archives for " facebook ads "
The current formula for Facebook ads seems to be:
1. Find some photo of you on holiday somewhere. Preferably with your kids, spouse, or even some other random person. (It doesn’t matter too much, as long as the person is cool or attractive.)
2. Write out a sob story of how you were ‘down and out’, eating bread out of the gutter, sending your kids to school in rags.
3. Switch from sob story into the ‘revelation’; the moment you finally cracked the code to unlimited effort-free riches.
4. Explain how you now enjoy unlimited freedom working from anywhere in the world, earning unlimited amounts of cash.
5. Tell me that, merely in exchange for my email address, you’ll share the secrets you’ve uncovered to live your luxurious lifestyle.
6. Finally, talk down to me some more by telling me I would be ‘insane’ not to ‘change my life’ with this rare and one-time opportunity.
I understand the structure of why ads are constructed in this way. Stories do help to gain and keep attention. But the reality is that most people on Facebook don’t want to read your sob story. At least not to begin with, and not in a patronising, arrogant Facebook post.
The fundamental problem is that the story is used as a gimmick. The motivation of the advertiser isn’t to help me. The motivation of the advertiser is to manipulate me (or in my case, make me really angry), gather my email address, and make a fast buck.
You have to wonder… if they were so happy with their luxurious beach lifestyle, why would they bother?
When you tell stories in your marketing you have to examine your motivation. Are you looking to manipulate people? Or are are you genuinely trying to help, first and foremost?
I see a lot of the former, and not much of the latter.
On Sunday I received an email from Facebook. Subject: ‘Ad Account Disabled for Policy Violation’.
“I wonder who that is…” I wondered.
I have access to a number of client’s Facebook accounts. None of whom do anything shady, but some are more overtly in the ‘make money online’ industry than others.
I was shocked then to find out that the disabled account was none other than… mine!
No reason why. Just a message saying, “Your ad account has been disabled for promoting ads that violate our Advertising Policies.”
Whoever has caused this must be taking crack, because I’m not violating any policies. I haven’t had any ads disapproved recently. I haven’t even run many ads for a while.
My Facebook ads strategy currently consists of a Facebook page likes campaign. I then periodically boost posts to my page subscribers. Usually my goal is engagement – there isn’t even an offer. Or at best, a soft one.
So I lodged an appeal. Yesterday, I had a message back, and an apology. ‘Ad account re-enabled. Sorry for the confusion.’
Then today – another email. Ad account disabled again. Violation of advertising policies. Again, no explanation.
To say that I’m furious is an understatement. I was speculating with a client yesterday that Facebook are basically either evil or incompetent. The exchange I’ve had with them indicates the latter, but I haven’t completely dismissed the former.
Fortunately Facebook ads aren’t a core part of my marketing right now, but they easily could have been.
“Watch yourself,” is all I’m saying. Diversify your lead generation. Facebook’s incompetence could strike at any time.
The final instalment of ‘Things They Don’t Tell You about Facebook Ads’ is a 7 minute video… where I snoop on other people’s ads.
If Facebook ads are part of your plans, I suggest doing this on a weekly basis.
Grab a paperback copy of Maze Remarketing: The 80/20 Approach to Profitable Multi-Channel Retargeting Ads. Just 1 penny plus cost-price worldwide shipping.