Using Facebook Ads to Build Holiday Business

Using Facebook Ads to Build Holiday Business

Facebook Ads can be a powerful tool in helping you build business during the holidays. For a rather small investment, you can specifically target people you want to reach with your message. Whether your message be related to sales or recruiting, Facebook Ads can help you reach the right people and build your business.

The easiest way to get started with Facebook Ads is to use Facebook’s built-in Ads Manager. To get there, click the wheel icon in the upper-right corner of any page on Facebook, and click Create Ads.

Next, you’ll choose an objective for your ad. If your goal is to increase the Likes on your Facebook Page so that you can build your community and engage them through a series of posts filled with content as well as promotions, choose “Page Likes.” You might choose “Clicks to Website” if you want to point your ad towards a sales or recruiting page on your site, or a custom landing page designed to capture visitor information. If you are going to be hosting a special event for the holidays (an open house, a table at a bazaar, etc.) you might want to choose Event Responses, and set up an Event on Facebook with the details of the event. If you’ve set up a special Offer on Facebook, such as a special discount on a product, you might choose Offer Claims. Choose the type of result you want for your ads, and select the objective from the list.

Once you’ve made your choice, select the options that make sense for you. In this case, we’ve chosen Clicks to Website. Note that we are adding additional tracking by using bit.ly (a link tracking service) that will enable us to count the number of clicks that our link gets. (For advanced users, you can use Google’s URL builder in conjunction with Google Analytics to track the source and medium of your links, and tie it to specific campaigns that you can track within Google Analytics. Shorten the tracking URL that the URL builder creates with bit.ly, and use that URL here.)

Next you’ll choose images for your ads. You can select up to 6 images, and Facebook will create up to 6 versions of your ad with each of the images.

Now it’s time to write your ad. Connect your Facebook Page to your Ad, and then write your ad copy. (Depending on the type of ad you choose, you may have slightly different options here.) You can choose to place your ad in the News Feed, the Right Column, or both. By default both are selected. If, for example, you want to remove the Right Column, simply select “Remove.” For tips on creating your Facebook Ads, read this post. (Facebook has recently changed its ads interface, but this post still has some useful information.)

Your next step is to make choices about who you want to target with your ads. You can choose geographic location, gender, age, interests and more. If your advertising budget is limited ($5 or $10 per day) try to keep your advertising target market small. You may also wish to target people whose friends are connected to your Page, as they may be more likely to engage with your ad because their friends already like you.

Targeting is the most important part of the ad process. Especially if your budget is small, be very specific about the type of people you want to reach. You may wish to limit your geographic area to where you actually live and can service customers, and be very specific about the interests, education level, etc. of the people you want to reach. If you’ve never done an ideal customer profile, now is the time to start. What does your most profitable target look like? What are their interests? What is their lifestyle? The more specific you can be, the more likely it is that you will reach them through your ad campaign. Experiment with this to see which target markets give you the best results.

Your final 2 steps involve creating a campaign and deciding how you will pay for your ads. Now mind you, you must have a billing source associated with your Facebook profile (personal account) in order to advertise.

First you’ll create a Campaign with a daily dollar limit associated with it. For example, you might create a campaign called “Holiday Sales” and add a daily spend limit of $10 per day for that campaign. All the ads you create will be lumped together under this campaign. You can create as many ads as you want for the campaign, but you will never spend more than $10 daily for this campaign. Once you reach that spend limit, Facebook will no longer display any of your ads that day.

Next you’ll decide how much you want to pay for your ads. If you Optimize for clicks, you’ll only get charged for the number of people that click on your ad. This is our favorite method. If you Optimize for impressions, you get charged for the number of times Facebook displays your ad, regardless of whether or not someone interacts with your ad.

You may want to choose “Manually bid for clicks” and then enter a dollar amount you’re willing to pay up to for clicks. Keep in mind that this is a bid, not a set amount. You will never pay more per click than the amount you specify, but you may pay less. Facebook recommends a range for your pricing bid. If you want to ensure your ad is displayed, you may want to work on the high side of this bid.

After you have made these choices, review and place your order. Once Facebook approves your ads (can take up to 24 hours) they will begin to run within the Facebook platform. It is important to continually monitor the success of your ads, and write new ones as needed.

Facebook Ads can be an excellent way to build your holiday business by helping you connect with more people. Start with a small daily amount, and monitor the success of your ads daily. This can be an excellent way to grow your business.

Do you use Facebook Ads? How successful have they been for you? What advice would you give to someone trying them for the first time? Would love to read your experiences in the comments below!

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3 Sure Ways to Stay Laser Focused

3 Sure Ways to Stay Laser Focused

Because you are your own boss, you can usually establish your own work schedule and daily agenda. As wonderful as this can be, it can also be challenging to resist all the distractions that come your way. These distractions can stem from your personal life, the abundance of convenient technology available at your fingertips (checked your Facebook and Twitter feeds lately?), or even the feeling of being overwhelmed with how much you need to accomplish. In order to keep these distractions to a minimum, follow these tips for staying as focused as you possibly can.

Establish clear and concrete goals or benchmarks. Yes, this means putting them in writing. Keep a file on your computer listing your goals along with realistic deadlines. This list can be short term (daily, weekly) or long term (monthly, yearly). Find a system that works best for you to not only make the most of the hours in a day, but also to reach your overall professional objectives. For instance, a music teacher who gives private lessons from his home studio wants to expand his business by acquiring five new clients each month for the next six months. His list of goals includes seeking referrals from existing students and giving free weekly workshops at the town’s youth center. By referring to these goals regularly, he will be on his way to achieving it in his desired time frame.
Track your results and continually make adjustments to reach your target. When you do become focused, it is important to stop and evaluate your progress every so often. If you fail to do this, it’s possible you may not be using your time as efficiently as possible. The music teacher trying to acquire new clients finds that seeking referrals has been more successful in helping him find new students than his workshops have. So he decides to cut down his workshops to once a month instead of once a week, and invest more time in following up with his referrals. Tracking your results will allow you to make the most out of your time and increase your chances of reaching your goals.
Have someone hold you accountable. Even the most disciplined person can give in to distractions and lose focus. To prevent this from happening, reach out to a trusted family member, friend or colleague to hold you accountable. Find a creative way to do this that will help your cause. For example, while training for her first 5K race, a novice runner decided to post each of her morning runs to her best friend’s Facebook timeline. If she was ever late in posting or didn’t run at all, her friend sent her a motivating message via Facebook and text. This simple task kept her focused and motivated to continue because she knew someone else was expecting something from her. Increase your chances of success by holding yourself accountable.

These tips for staying laser focused can be customized to fit any of your professional and even personal goals. Establish clear objectives, track your results and make adjustments, and find someone to hold you accountable. What else would you add to our list? Please share your ideas below!

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Five Ways to Keep Customers When Prices Go Up

Five Ways to Keep Customers When Prices Go Up

Throughout the course of your business, you will undoubtedly be faced with the prospect of increasing your prices while making sure you don’t lose your customers. As long as you are truthful and you maintain your high quality products and customer service, you can rest easy with the knowledge that your clients likely aren’t going anywhere. If you find yourself in the situation of having to increase prices, here are some tips.

Give an honest explanation for the increase and thank them for being loyal customers. It won’t take long for customers to notice a price increase, especially for items that they buy on a regular basis. The most important thing is for you to be honest. For example, a local business owner who designs and makes window treatments (curtains, draperies, etc.) gets most of her materials from out of state. Because of a recent increase in gas prices, her distributor is charging more for shipping. In order for her to maintain her profit margin and keep her business afloat, she must increase the price customers pay for both her supplies and services. Customers will understand and most likely relate to your reasons, so don’t keep them in the dark. Instead, thank them for understanding and show your appreciation for their loyalty. They won’t want to bring their business elsewhere if they know you sincerely care.
Offer another lower price item. There will be times when a customer is unable or unwilling to pay the higher price, so in this situation you may want to offer an alternative. The window treatment designer offered her customers a similar fabric that is less expensive for her to buy, so she is able to pass that savings on to her customers. Again, be honest about what you are offering and why it is a lower price, but be sure to emphasize that it is of the same quality that your customers have come to expect.
Add more value to your existing items. This is a great way to keep your customers happy despite the price hike. Add value to your items by offering an extra service or perhaps a discount on a future purchase. Listen to what your customers want, and be creative in finding ways to make them happy. In most cases, they won’t mind spending a few extra dollars if they know they are getting more for it, instead of less.
Show how the increase gives them more for their dollar. When the window treatment designer explains the reasons for her price increase to her customers, she also makes a point of explaining that without the price increase, she wouldn’t be able to offer as wide of a selection of fabrics. This is a big selling point for her because her business is among only a handful of those like it in the region, and by far the one with the most choices. So for customers who are willing to pay the higher price, they are getting an expert who can offer them exactly what will be best for their needs.
Demonstrate how the increase in price is not to increase profit. If you have been honest in your explanation and fair in your increase, it will become apparent to your customers that you are increasing your prices out of necessity, not greed. All too often, we read in the newspaper how large corporations are posting record profits, even in times of economic distress. Show your customers that your small business is unlike those corporations and that you need to increase your prices to maintain your business and livelihood. They will likely agree with you and understand the reasons for your actions.

By being honest with your customers and adding value to your products and services, you will maintain your clientele despite your prices going up. Your customers will appreciate your honesty and will remain loyal if they know you sincerely appreciate them in return. What are your ideas for keeping customers while raising your prices? Please share your comments with us!

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A Simple Way to Make More Sales

A Simple Way to Make More Sales

When you are in the process of making a sale, your enthusiasm and adrenaline kick into high gear. These may help you close the deal, but they can also hinder your progress. The most important thing to remember about making a sale is that the sale should never be a one-sided presentation. Think back to your school days. Were your favorite teachers the ones who lectured on the material the entire time or the ones who engaged you with thoughtful questions and hands-on experiences? It is most likely the latter, since we tend to grow bored and stop listening if there isn’t a dialogue involved.

In order to prevent your sales presentation from becoming one-sided, focus on keeping your customer engaged with questions. These questions should elicit more than “yes” or “no” answers. They should allow a dialogue to take place and give you an opening to present more information. For example, you’re about to demonstrate the effectiveness of your all-natural carpet cleaner on your sample red wine stain. Ask the customer, “Have your children or pets ever stained your carpet so badly that all the scrubbing you’ve done just won’t get rid of it?” When the customer answers yes, ask them to tell you that story. This shows that you are interested in what the person has to say, and that you are not simply giving a generic presentation. Continue asking questions throughout your presentation, and customize it based on what the customer shares with you.

If you have asked the right types of questions and have followed up with related ones, you have learned a bit about your customer. Use this information and keep referring to it while you interact. When you asked the customer to tell you the story about the carpet stain, you notice she mentioned that she has a newborn baby in the house. When you get to the part in your presentation where you tout your product’s environmentally friendly ingredients, emphasize the benefits of reducing the amount of chemicals her baby is exposed to. This might lead her to ask what exactly is in your carpet cleaner, and the conversation continues. Remember that the more questions a prospective customer asks, the more likely you are to make the sale. Think of this as time well spent, as it is an investment into your business. Take the time necessary to grasp every opportunity you can to continue the conversation and lead the prospect to ask more questions. You will be sparking and maintaining interest in your product or service, which will likely lead to a sale.

By simply focusing on your customer, engaging him or her in the presentation, and investing your time well, you will certainly find yourself making more sales. Enjoy this part of your business; interacting with others is fun and interesting work. Use it to your advantage while you help others find solutions to their problems with your products and services. How do you engage your customers while making a sale? Please share your comments below!

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On Board with DSEF:
Dr. Linda Ferrell

On Board with DSEF:
Dr. Linda Ferrell

DSEF’s Board of Directors brings to the Foundation a wealth of experience and expertise that helps it fulfill its mission both inside and outside the boardroom.

On November 4, 2013, Board Member Dr. Linda Ferrell, Professor of Marketing and Bill Daniels Professor of Business Ethics at the University of New Mexico (UNM), led a panel discussion at UNM’s Student Center for the Public Trust comprised of direct selling industry experts: Lori Bush, President & CEO, Rodan & Fields; Alan Luce, DSEF Board Member and Founder & CEO, Luce, Murphy, Fong & Associates; John Parker, DSEF Board Chair and Chief Sales Officer, Amway; and John Wyckoff, President, Dove Chocolate Discoveries.

The panel discussion, “Crisis Management Strategies and Implementation in the Direct Selling Industry: The Role of Ethical Leadership,” demonstrated to students how the industry supports ethical conduct and educates the public when ethical challenges occur.

We recently spoke with Linda about the importance of fostering ethical business practices and DSEF’s role in educating the public about the direct selling industry.

How long have you been involved with DSEF?

I joined the DSEF board in the Spring of 2009. I was very familiar with the work of DSEF through their strong relationship with the Academy of Marketing Science as well as their support of some ethics conferences that we were involved with. I also knew about DSEF from my work with the CUTCO/Vector College Advisory Board.

What do you feel is DSEF’s value to the public and the direct selling industry?

DSEF helps to elevate an industry that provides so many entrepreneurial opportunities for individuals throughout the world. DSEF proactively sees opportunities and supports member needs. The development of ethics training resources, the education program with community colleges, and the commitment to elevate awareness of the opportunities that direct selling creates are phenomenal resources. I recently joined the ethics committee and see their work as very vital and relevant to helping member companies manage current and potential risks they may face.

How important is it for business leaders to support and promote ethical business practices?

It looks like we are going to survive the global financial crisis, but unethical activity by a few has had a far reaching negative impact on our economy. Ethical business conduct is the ‘glue’ that holds relationships together. The direct selling industry, more than many, understands the importance of a strong relationship grounded in exceptional products and promoted through dedicated and trusted distributors. To say that good ethics is good business and good for the bottom line is an understatement. Ethisphere’s Worlds Most Ethical Companies have outperformed the S&P over the past five years. Everything a company does to support ethical conduct in their organization is one of the best investments they can make. The days of seeing investments in ethics as an unnecessary expense are behind us!

What specific challenges do you see affecting direct sellers in the marketplace?

We still have yet to see the ultimate benefits of social media in supporting the goals of the industry. That along with the ongoing work of DSEF, DSA and others to inform consumers and educators about the strengths, benefits, and unique and entrepreneurial elements of the direct selling business model will continue interest and growth in the industry.

In addition, the ‘naysayers’ who threaten the integrity of the industry simply do not understand marketing and the direct selling business model. These attacks create opportunities for DSEF and others to clarify these inaccurate conceptualizations. The marketing function and relationships built look and work differently in a direct selling firm than a traditional business. This has been a great strength of the industry from its inception.

Thank you, Linda! It’s great to get to know you better, and we thank you for your support!

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Four Paths to Success

Four Paths to Success

There is no single path to success. Different people may make different decisions, but end with similar results. There are, however, some paths that provide a greater possibility of success than others. Here are some of these paths, along with actions you can take to follow them.

Build in certainty to your actions. You shouldn’t just blindly be going about your business, completing tasks and projects each day, without knowing what will happen as a result. It is comforting to know that certain actions have specific outcomes. For example, paying your bills on time will result in building and maintaining a good credit score. Use this approach in all aspects of your business when possible. What actions can you take that will have results you can count on?

Take calculated risks that will have a greater chance of positive results. Risk-taking is a necessary part of growing your business. Be smart about those risks by researching possible outcomes, preparing for a negative outcome, and analyzing the results once the action is completed. Let’s say you have some extra money coming in that you’d like to reinvest back into the business for marketing purposes. Investigate different marketing methods, such as how much they cost, how well they might reach your target audience, and how effective they have been either for you in the past or for others in your field. A risk doesn’t have to be dangerous if you do your homework.

Take action to follow a great idea only if others think it’s a great idea as well. You may come up with what you feel is a brilliant idea. This feeling is unique in that it sometimes can cloud our judgment, causing us to act too quickly. Make sure that before you act on an idea, run it by several people who are knowledgeable in your field and/or in business in general. It is becoming more and more common for entrepreneurs to crowdsource before taking action in their businesses. Use your network to your advantage of their collective experiences before acting on an idea.

Find something that is difficult or undesirable to do, and master it. There is bound to be some aspect of your business or some related niche that most others won’t take on for themselves because it is too difficult. Make yourself an expert in these types of tasks, and you will be able to edge out your competitors. While scoping out the competition, one local restaurant owner noticed that most other restaurants had very limited menus for people with dietary restrictions. In response to this trend, the restaurant owner decided to learn as much as he could about dietary restrictions and trained his staff to transform his business into one that specializes in alternative dietary choices. By making himself an expert in something that was too difficult for his competitors to deal with, he was able to make his restaurant one of the most popular spots in town.

Each of these paths requires a good deal of preparation. Find one that you can tackle right away for your business. Which path on our list will you take? Please share your ideas below!

Using Facebook Ads to Build Holiday Business

3 Sure Ways to Stay Laser Focused

Five Ways to Keep Customers When Prices Go Up

A Simple Way to Make More Sales

On Board with DSEF: Dr. Linda Ferrell

Four Paths to Success

On Board with DSEF:
Dr. Linda Ferrell