{"id":22337,"date":"2019-11-21T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-11-21T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/honeybook.site.strattic.io\/?p=22337"},"modified":"2022-07-20T11:58:31","modified_gmt":"2022-07-20T18:58:31","slug":"are-facebook-ads-worth-it-i-tried-it-and-heres-what-happened","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hbbadmin.dev.reliablepenguin.com\/blog\/are-facebook-ads-worth-it-i-tried-it-and-heres-what-happened","title":{"rendered":"Are Facebook Ads Worth It? I Tried It and Here’s What Happened"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This post is part of our new Real Life Diaries of an Entrepreneur series. Copywriter Jess Jordana Paxson of <\/em>Jess, XO<\/em><\/a> pulls back the curtain on the ins and out of scaling her business. Since starting in 2018, she\u2019s quadrupled her monthly income by continuously trying new things. Follow along to learn what worked, what didn\u2019t, and what she\u2019s trying next.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In case you missed the rest of the series:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1 | What Nobody Tells You About Launching a Digital Product<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2 | Running Facebook Ads: Why I Decided It Was Time to Start<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Image by Sarah Lotus Photo<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Alright, I know this series is called the Real Life Diaries, so it\u2019s time for a total diary confession.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember how I started running Facebook ads last month?<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first time someone told me they saw my ad, I kinda panicked.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Me, out loud: \u201cOh, that\u2019s so awesome!!\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Me, in my head: \u201cOh no, do they think I\u2019m bougie for running ads? Does that make me weird? Too big for my britches? Foolish? Did they click on it and secretly judge me, orrrrr. OH NO.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I wasn\u2019t joking when I told you: Playing big is a MIND GAME. <\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

And, I\u2019ve had to really work on my <\/span>acceptance<\/span><\/i> of being more visible over the past month. Part of that means being <\/span>brave <\/span><\/i>and sharing the ins and outs of\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1 | The hurdles we\u2019ve faced while running these ads.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2 | The results! Seriously\u2026 guys\u2026 we\u2019ll get there. Hold your horses, Gina.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3 | A teardown of those results – the <\/span>real <\/span><\/i>inside scoop. I\u2019ll tell you why things are working (and even how much they cost!).<\/span> This will answer your question: Are Facebook ads worth it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, in this month\u2019s installment of The Real Life Diaries, we\u2019re gonna get a little nerdy (conversions, creative concept teardowns, growth strategies), a little deep (how it <\/span>feels<\/span><\/i> to be visible + celebrating unquantifiable results), and a little action-oriented\u2014because it\u2019s all about getting clear on how we can serve <\/span>more people<\/span><\/i>, BETTER.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ready? I mean, we\u2019re best friends at this point, so let\u2019s take a look inside my diary.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Hurdles<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We started out by running a straight up sales campaign. That means our ads were aimed to pique people\u2019s attention who needed what we were offering. Then, when they clicked through, it took them straight to a sales page.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At first, it was slow going. But, I knew when I started to get <\/span>questions<\/span><\/i> that we were getting somewhere.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s a really important thing to remember: Questions are a <\/span>good thing<\/span><\/i>. It means people want what you have, they just want to justify the decision before they buy.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think about it. When you have no interest in something, do you stop and ask a bunch of questions about it? No. You keep walking. Questions are your ticket IN. Don\u2019t be afraid of them!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, for context, in my business, we\u2019re working to push a wider audience to The Promptlate Shop.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Promptlate Shop<\/a> is my DIY copy solution to help business owners write <\/span>irresistible<\/span><\/i> copy for their websites.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s 50% prompts + 50% templates = 100% more connection and clients with your copy.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s a little peek inside!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Image by The Promptlate Shop<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Hurdle #1 |<\/b> The question I kept getting was, \u201cCan I see inside The Promptlates or try before I buy?\u201d<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Legally, this is a difficult request with a digital product. So, instead of letting them see inside of the paid version of the product, I decided to create a mini-version as a lead magnet.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I created mini-promptlates for the contact page of a website and an Instagram bio. I also wrote a blog post to explain <\/span>exactly<\/span><\/i> what\u2019s inside and why it was there. This helped people get a glimpse of the format of my product, and gave them the opportunity to get a result before they had to purchase anything.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, and I had my designer create some “peek inside” graphics, like the one you see above!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hurdle #2 |<\/b> Lots were initiating a checkout, but weren\u2019t actually purchasing.<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Now, this is natural. There is NO such thing as a 100% conversion rate. But, it had my strategic wheels turning. WHY were people clicking through to the checkout page, but then exiting? What was holding them back?<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then I got a message from my Grandma saying she saw my ad, and clicked through just to see what it meant.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aaand, I got subsequent messages from my industry friends or former teaching colleagues saying something similar. <\/span>I just wanted to see how you were doing it! I was curious what platforms you were using for each page. I wanted to see what it was that was making you famous! (Yes, that was a teacher friend who said that one – UMMM YEAH RIGHT.)<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At first, I was like, GRANDMA, you\u2019re messing up my conversion rate.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, then I realized there\u2019s a lesson in everything – statistics aren\u2019t always tidy. There are lots of variables that go into analyzing results – so before you freak out, think through all the possibilities. Remember, the goal is consistent <\/span>improvement<\/span><\/i>, not 100%.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pro Tip:<\/b> My favorite tool for analyzing website stats and helping with optimization is <\/span>Hotjar<\/span><\/a>. Check it out with your own site free!<\/span> (You don’t really need the paid version, unless you’re using it for all your clients!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And that brings me to\u2026 *drumroll please*<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Results<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In a short 5 weeks of running ads, we\u2019ve seen a\u2026 wait for it\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

399% return on ad spend.<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

WHAT.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Okay, in case you\u2019re actually wondering – WHAT does that mean? – let me explain as simply as possible.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Basically, every time I put $1 into the FB ad slot machine, it spit out almost $4. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That’s WAY more fun than a real slot machine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AMAZING, right? And, this was from a lot colder traffic than I\u2019d been selling to in the past.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I even got a sale while I was at a brewery playing cornhole. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, basically, I\u2019ve arrived. (JUST KIDDING)<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to the sales campaign, we started running a lead-generation campaign, as well.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lead Generation<\/a> Campaign:<\/strong> People opt-in to get something free, and then they go through an email sequence that nurtures them toward a sale.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are currently obtaining leads at somewhere between $1 and $1.50, and with my high open rates and great conversions from my email list, many of these leads have turned into sales – OR even potential clients. Um. I\u2019ll spend a dollar to book a 4-figure contract any day.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In general, I\u2019ve enjoyed seeing sales become much more consistent, with a lot less woman-power on my part.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Official Teardown<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m sure when you hear 399% return on ad spend, you\u2019re thinking, \u201cOkay, cool\u2026 but, how?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s get into the official teardown:<\/strong> I\u2019m going to show you the ads <\/span>themselves<\/span><\/i> that worked the best, and why I think they\u2019re working well.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our sales-focused ad is <\/span>very clear<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Ad created by Till Agency<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Creative Concept: This ad functions as a GIF. <\/span>Cool, right?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

It starts with a little shot of The Promptlate Shop<\/a> logo, and then goes into the pain point, \u201cTired of staring at a blank screen?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This style of ad does a few different things. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

First and foremost, it captures attention! As humans, we want to complete loops. That blinking cursor in the GIF? It\u2019s an open loop. It naturally compels you to wait and see what will be typed onto the screen.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second, the copy <\/span>on the image<\/span><\/i> is a super relatable pain point. WHO hasn\u2019t been tired of staring at a blank screen before? BUT, even more magically, if you\u2019re currently taking a break from said blank screen to mindlessly scroll, this is the kind of pain point that stops you dead in your tracks. It makes someone <\/span>going through<\/span><\/i> that at this very moment think, \u201cHOLD UP. How are you in my head right now?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mission accomplished.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The goal of any ad is to disrupt. If you can get someone to stop their scroll and focus on your ad, your post, your Pinterest pin\u2026 half the battle is WON.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ad Copy: We kept the copy for this ad set <\/span>super simple<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

We honed in on the core desires of a business owner who\u2019s in the process of writing their own copy – you want your business to <\/span>flourish<\/span><\/i> from your message, right? That boils down to connection and conversion (a.k.a. MORE and BETTER clients).<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

THEN, it answers the next question, \u201cBut can <\/span>I do that <\/span><\/i>with this resource?\u201d By focusing on the ease of the process, it eliminates an objection before they ever have to click through, establishing trust and starting a conversation.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Headline: In this case, the headline’s job is not what you’d think.<\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

It’s working to reinforce the overall idea of \u201cwhat they\u2019re clicking\u201d than it is a typical headline\u2019s job of capturing attention.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This headline sums up what you can get when you click through to The Promptlate Shop – Website Copy that Converts. It also plays on what <\/span>everyone<\/span><\/i> wants when it comes to words: CONFIDENCE.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ad set for lead generation is focused on sparking curiosity. <\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I imagine people asking, \u201cIs that <\/span>really<\/span><\/i> possible?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Ad created by Till Agency<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Creative Concept: Wanna know what\u2019s getting the most engagement on this post? The image itself<\/em>. <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve had so many people comment about how cool the image is, asking me where I make my graphics, etc. (Hint: I don\u2019t make them.) This just goes to show that an eye-catching image is important, and it may not always be the image you think it will be! Testing goes a long way for things like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other great thing about this image is that it reinforces the concept of \u201ccopy.\u201d People tend to get confused about what \u201ccopy\u201d is, and this image has a computer, writing, and me smiling because words are flowin<\/em>\u2019! It really helps to picture the benefit this free resource is promising.
Plus, having a screenshot of the actual resource solidifies what exactly <\/em>you\u2019re getting when you click. It\u2019s not a video series, it\u2019s a digital resource you can download now<\/em> to start crafting more irresistible copy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ad Copy: Who doesn\u2019t<\/em> want their copy to be irresistible, right?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Again, the copy for this ad is surprisingly short, but effective. I\u2019m certainly not<\/em> of the camp that copy always<\/em> needs to be short. But, the magic of this ad copy is that it, again, enters into the conversation already going on in my ideal audience\u2019s head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They\u2019re thinking: Do I really<\/em> need words for my business to thrive?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short answer: YES.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Confronting this as a hard truth captures their attention. BUT, then I meet them right after that hard truth with something to help them ease their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Headline + Subhead: Is it FREE? Tell them it\u2019s free.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The headline and subhead are great spots to promise a benefit, and then tell them they can download the roadmap to that benefit for free. In this case, we put \u201cFREE\u201d in all caps, and it really catches your eye as you\u2019re scrolling. \u201cHmmm, free? What do you have to lose?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even more than that, we use the headline to reinforce why<\/em> copy matters – to \u201cincrease conversion.\u201d This pushes on the urgency a little bit. I mean, who doesn\u2019t want to increase conversion with irresistible<\/em> copy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Nurture Sequence: In a lead generation campaign, the goal is to take them from free downloaders (not to be confused with free loaders \ud83d\ude02) to forever fans as quickly as possible.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

That’s where the nurture sequence comes in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wanna know more about nurture sequences? Check out this blog post from email marketing month!<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Other (Unquantifiable) Results<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sales aren\u2019t the only<\/em> benefit of running an ad campaign – or gaining exposure in general.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I got a DM on Instagram that someone was literally dreaming<\/em> of The Promptlate Shop<\/a>. Yep, she said she kept seeing my ads, and they must <\/em>be working, because she dreamed about The Promptlate Shop the night before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Subliminal advertising win? I THINK SO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, in addition to straight up INCEPTION, I\u2019ve also noticed that these campaigns have helped my brand and my shop gain authority. It\u2019s opened up the opportunity for more conversations and has allowed The Promptlate Shop to stay top of mind as a DIY copy solution.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Investment<\/strong>: Are Facebook Ads Worth It?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Alright, Jess, how much does all of this cost?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I had a friend actually ask me that the other day, so I thought you might be wondering the same thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, while I hesitate to share the actual investment amount (because everyone\u2019s investment tolerance and financial situation is different), I do want to share as much as possible with you to give you a perspective on what a NO BRAINER this decision to outsource was for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A portion of what my ads agency charges in my package is for \u201cad creation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall, they\u2019ve generated a total of about 10 different creative concepts for ads over our time together, and they\u2019ll continue to generate them for me whenever I need them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s the thing: GRAPHICS are the bane of my existence.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hate them. They hate me. It\u2019s a whole thing we\u2019ve got goin\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I were to have only <\/em>spent time crafting creative<\/em> for these ads, it would\u2019ve taken me a minimum of probably 20 hours. MINIMUM. That\u2019s not even counting the hours that I take my graphics and send them to an actual designer with an SOS smoke signal on the tails of a text message, and cry into my iced coffee because I should’ve hired someone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It would\u2019ve cost me 20 billable hours, at a minimum. Considering my hourly rate, what I pay my guys to run the ads for me is a fraction of what it would take for me to create them myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plus, they completely<\/em> created the ads, set them up in Facebook, and are monitoring and tweaking them along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The investment, in my opinion, is more<\/em> than worth it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, regarding the \u201cinvestment\u201d of the ad spend itself, I\u2019m technically spending money, sure. But did you see that 399% return part?<\/strong> I\u2019m spending money, and making it right back and then<\/em> some – without doing anything on my end<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, are Facebook ads worth it? Absolutely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s Next for Facebook Ads?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

So, now that we have something that works, do we just funnel ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD INTO IT?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This may or may not<\/em> have been an actual question I asked my ads agency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short Answer: No.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Long Answer: We\u2019ll strategically start to funnel more ad spend into what\u2019s working, watching it closely to see when the return starts to drop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

THEN, we reiterate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s one primary reason why I\u2019m so<\/em> glad I outsourced. Ain\u2019t nobody got time for that much tweaking and testing and tweaking and testing. But, I can\u2019t deny the results, and I definitely don\u2019t want to go back to my sales living and dying on Instagram stories! So, we\u2019ll ride out this ad set, and then my amazing team will come up with more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One thing we might<\/em> try – sneak peek for 2020! – is a webinar funnel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve been told I should do more video, even though I\u2019m the most awkward human<\/em> in the history of the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, I\u2019ll probably watch some videos from my amazing client, Trena Little, to get up my courage and confidence. Then, I\u2019ll focus on delivering even more value<\/em> for free<\/em> in 2020, so I can connect with the people who need what I have and help them along whether they buy for me or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I actually love<\/em> that plan. Will you come be my hype-team in a webinar? Pretty please? K thanks, friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s next for Real Life Diaries?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In December, I\u2019ll be taking my annual sabbatical from client work so I can relax and enjoy the sweet season with my family, recharge after a season of burnout (to be honest), and take a vision-view of my business to gear up for an amazing 2020. So, next month, we\u2019re taking a break from Real Life Diaries. Because, REAL LIFE. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

BUT, I\u2019m not going anywhere!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ll be back in the New Year to share ALL the things with you:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n