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How is that Facebook Ad working out for your business?
You’ve been running it for a while and you’ve been watching the recurring payment for the ad go out of your business account. You’re paying good money for it so it must be working, right? Well, maybe. It really might be the best ad ever and it's kicking butt. Perhaps you're seeing lots of leads and sales directly from your ad, and that is great news for you business. Or maybe you're in the other camp where you haven't seen any results so far.
Either way it's a good idea to test the ad out. After all, your business could be missing out on leads and/or sales and you have no idea. The more interest in your company the better! You'll also be sure that you are getting the best return on your investment. Let's talk tests.
Whoah....wait a minute, what are you talking about? What tests do you mean?
It is common practice to test different versions of the same ad to see what works best. The most popular is an A/B test, commonly known as a split test, where you would run two versions of the same ad with one difference. You can then compare the results from each ad and see which version is the best one to use.
What should I change on my ad for a split test?
To start with, try using the same text body but change the headline on version 2. Have a look at the response to each version to determine which ad generated the most engagement, and the all-important click-through results. This means the number of people who did what you asked them to. This could be to visit your website, sign up for a newsletter or even buy something.
You will have a good idea now of which headline grabbed your audience’s attention. With just one simple test you can already feel more confident in where your advertising budget is spent. You could try even more tests with different variations on the text body or action buttons and see what traction that gets you. There are lots of variables to try and each time you will learn something new.
How do I set up A/B (split) tests with Facebook ads?
Facebook makes it simple for you to try out A/B testing right in their ad center. Have a look at this guide shared straight from the horse's mouth itself. It offers a gentle introduction to how it works.
What else should I test?
I focused my attention on ad copy (the words of the ad) in this blog post. Testing doesn’t have to end here. This is just the beginning. You can test, test and test again to your heart's desire. You can test ads with different images, target audiences, placements and even platforms.
Beware of letting an ad sit there un-monitored for months on end, especially if you aren't seeing results. A couple of quick tests with your ad could generate more business for your company and all it takes is a few simple tweaks.