If your ads are getting viewed and clicked on but your sales just don’t follow, the problem probably isn’t your creativity or your product.
It might just be your target audience.
Many brands end up spending thousands a month or more displaying their ads to people that just aren’t interest enough, this could be because the targeting isn’t accurate enough, limited enough or precise enough. In this blog we’ll discuss how to make sure you’re getting your ads in front of the right people.
1. Your audience is too broad
Just because algorithms are smart doesn’t mean they’re magic, targeting all men ages 18 to 65 who like skincare is a shot in the dark. What you should be doing is narrowing it down to the buyer’s intent, for example “Eco-conscious” or “Price oriented”.
2. You’re not using lookalike audiences
One of the most common mistakes is not looking at your own customer data, this is why meta makes it easier for you with their lookalike audiences who help you reach more people that could be interested in your products or services. Its job is to finds customers with similar characteristics as your own current customer base.
A good source usually contains website traffic from 1000 to 5000 people, although quality is more important than quantity here. Meta then analyses the source to understand the characteristics and finds other users who share similar traits.
3. Your retargeting is repetitive or misaligned
Sometimes people open your website but that doesn’t mean they’re ready to buy anything yet, specifically if you’re using the same retargeting ad over and over again. Usually, a one size fits all carousel ends up being a waste of money (and trust). The problem here is that you’re not taking the client journey into consideration, the message they receive needs to be adjusted accordingly.
If a customer looked at your product and didn’t add it to their card, they’re probably in the consideration phase, this is where you need to gain their trust by showing customer reviews or product demonstration. If they added to cart but didn’t check out, then they might need a little nudge, this is when you could offer a discount with an expiration timer or show some gentle urgency (“Only 3 left in stock”).
4. You’re not excluding the right people
One of the most expensive mistakes you can do when it comes to advertising is failing to exclude irrelevant users. Most companies end up wasting the most money when they keep showing ads to the same people that have already seen it or bounced from it. This is also how you can cause negative brand perception by being overly repetitive.
What you should be doing in excluding people that have recently purchased (unless you’re trying to upsell), and the high frequency viewers who have seen your ad over 8 times and have not engaged, as well as any low quality traffic, any users that did not spend more than 3 seconds on your website are probably not the right fit.
Your messaging doesn’t match the audience
you’ve set up the right target, great. Now you need to make sure your messaging matches. You can start by creating copies that go to your audience based on their awareness level. For example:
Cold traffic: build curiosity and value
“Want to know how to fade acne scars? Here is how to fix it with our skincare routine”
Warm traffic: show social proof and options
“Side by side comparisons”
Hot traffic: they’re already on edge, give them a good deal
“Still thinking about it? Get 10% off today!”
You don’t need to be spending more money on your ads, you need to be more precise.
Most of the time when brands start to underperform it has nothing to do with the product and all to do with showing the ads to the wrong people, at the wrong time, with the wrong message. Take your time to make sure you’re targeting the right people and excluding any unnecessary dead weight.
Need help unlocking your ideal audience? Let’s talk.
