Your Essential Facebook Ad Management Software Guide for 2018
As we bid farewell to the 20th Century and burst into the new millennia, little did we know the world was at the precipice of connectivity unlike we’ve ever experienced. While social media platforms were steadily growing, what began as a way to connect college students marked the beginning of a new era.
The year was 2004. At the time, MySpace dominated digital social networks. All that was soon to change. In only a few years, the relatively unknown social platform, Facebook, would move away from the beer-stained sofas of universities, and into the daily lives of nearly 80 percent of Americans.
With over 2 billion users worldwide, it’s no surprise Facebook is a treasure trove of marketing opportunities. Through its innovative demographic algorithms, and deep-rooted presence in the everyday lives of your target customers, this platform offers the rarest form of advertising: passive integration.
So, why isn’t Facebook leading the advertising race? For such an invasive platform, one hundreds of millions of users visit multiple times per day, why aren’t businesses flocking to this surprisingly untapped marketplace?
Here’s the truth: Businesses flock to Facebook for its hyper-niche demographic potential, but fail because of this very reason.
Facebook advertising isn’t as simple as you may think. For many advertisers, the allure of such massive market reach potential overshadows the three pillars of Facebook Ad success:
- Hyper-Niche Marketing Copy
- Targeting the Perfect Customer
- Multi-Dimensional Ad Management
Essentially, failure to generate high-quality leads isn’t due to the platform. Rather, it’s the level of intimate communication Facebook advertising requires.
Optimizing Facebook Ad campaigns isn’t something you learn overnight. In fact, there’s an entire industry built around the complex infrastructure, both digital and psychological, of Facebook marketing techniques.
So, what happens when your current, or previous, advertising tactics fell flat? More importantly, what if you can’t afford a dedicated marketing team?
Cue: Facebook ad management software.
The concept of marketing automation software isn’t new. For years, both large and small businesses have harnessed the insights and optimized methodology offered by ad management solutions. However, the realm of Facebook advertising is a unique world.
Unlocking the very real potential of Facebook demands a management software constructed specifically to navigate the uncharted pathways of this dynamic platform.
If you’re tired of wasting time, money and brainpower on a failed marketing initiatives, it’s time to activate the potential of Facebook ad management software. But, not just any software will do.
Let’s explore the most essential qualities of Facebook ad management software.
The Power of Intuitive Automation – Ad Creation & Testing
Advertising copy is the cornerstone of marketing success. Even if you successfully isolate your target demographic, if your ad copy fails to actually speak with your audience, nothing else matters.
How do you ensure Facebook ad copy is perfect for your audience? A/B Testing.
Sure, this sounds easy enough, but without a powerfully intuitive software, split testing is not only complex, but oftentimes, ineffective.
This brings us to the first ingredient in the formula of powerful Facebook ad management software: ad creation and testing.
Of course, like almost every type of software, ad creation and testing capabilities aren’t created equal. The most powerful solutions:
- Test Audiences – Maximizing outreach potential requires a deeper understanding of your target demographic. Audience testing should offer split testing among a differing behavior patterns, audience interests, genders and ad placement/location.
- A/B Ad Copy Testing – The effectiveness of any ad campaign rests on the power of its words. This level of split testing should compartmentalize each content section, such as headlines, body text, URL phrase and visual media, such as videos and images.
- Full Spectrum Niche Analysis – Your demographic doesn’t live mono-focused lives, so why target only a narrow audience? Niche analysis tools offer deep-level topic and audience suggestions. Utilize this information to target new audiences and grow brand visibility.
Ultimately, Facebook ad management software should simplify split testing without diluting accuracy or relevance. When reviewing potential solutions, closely inspect not only its advertised testing features, but also its supporting technology.
Streamlining Success Without Sacrifice – Optimization
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking Facebook advertising is as simple as making a status update. Throughout the years, countless businesses abandoned what could have potentially been their most lucrative advertising venture because they either:
- Didn’t take the time to properly optimize Facebook ads
- Didn’t understand how to effectively negotiate ads for optimal performance
Facebook ad optimization isn’t a mystical tactic. It is, however, a time-consuming process burdened by ever-evolving data. This brings us to one of the most important functions of any Facebook ad management software: optimization techniques.
When comparing software solutions, look for the following optimization features:
- Rule Templates – Rather than spending hours manually analyzing ads, rule templates automate essential tasks, such as deciding when and where your advertisement should run based on a variety of data points.
- Automated A/B Ad Testing – If you have hours upon hours of downtime in your day, then you probably won’t mind sitting at your computer manually rotating ads to determine which is most successful. For the other 99.9% of us who live incredibly busy lives, without automated ad rotation, refining ad placement and type is practically impossible.
- Custom Optimization Rules – Sure, pre-built templates are incredibly convenient, but not always practical. The most capable Facebook ad management software offers streamlined rule creation for both simple and complex scenarios.
- Rule Actions – So, what happens when a designated rule is met? Basic software simply notifies you via an email or text message. Powerful solutions take action. The entire purpose of rules is to minimize wasted money on underperforming ads. Review the rule-based action algorithms of a potential software to determine if it’s capable of making effective decisions on your behalf.
Facebook ad management software should transform the function, efficiency and ROI of campaigns. While there are many elements responsible for achieving this outcome, ad optimization and rule-based actions top the list.
The Appearance of Dynamic Data – Analytical Reporting
There’s plenty of ad management solutions capable of delivering essential campaign data. However, this data is essentially useless if it’s a disorganized mess. The final piece of the Facebook ad management software puzzle is data visualization.
If you’ve ever ran multiple Facebook ad campaigns, then you understand the value of a powerful data reporting engine. While this platform offers incredibly detailed insights, reviewing data sheets and interpreting this information into usable benchmarks is much easier said than done.
Relying on the native Facebook reporting dashboard is an incredible mistake. In many ways, it’s akin to only reading the middle chapters of a novel. Sure, you’ll learn the foundation storyline, but you’ll completely miss the plot twist.
The very best Facebook ad management software translates vast quantities of campaign data into easy to understand graphs, tables and charts. While reviewing software solutions, make sure its reporting function offers:
- Custom Data Reports – Sure, a general overview of campaign performance may be appropriate for most situations, but not all. Make sure the software offers hyper-specific reporting capabilities.
- Data Sets – Far too many software offerings simply reformat the limited vantage point offered by the native Facebook dashboard. Don’t waste your money with a repackaged solution. Review the depth of data reporting before deciding on a software. In general, the most capable providers offer anywhere from 20 to 30 individual data sets.
- Vantage Points – While a quick overview of a campaign is important, to truly optimize campaigns you must dive deep into data. Along with a detailed daily performance overview, a management solution must offer access to deeper metrics. Only then can you truly refine advertising campaigns.
The overall purpose of data reporting isn’t to simply provide surface-level performance metrics. As any experienced marketer will agree, the secrets to ad success is taking raw data and translating it into actionable steps.
What’s the Best Facebook Ad Management Software?
At this point, you’re probably wondering if there’s a Facebook ad management solution capable of delivering each of these essential benchmarks. While it may seem unrealistic to achieve the aforementioned without costing a fortune, or requiring a computer science degree to operate, there are several noteworthy providers.
Whether you’re an experienced marketer, or a novice in the world of Facebook advertising, The Campaign Maker offers a synergistic approach to ad management. Designed to simplify the multiple complexities of managing Facebook ad campaigns, this solution is quickly becoming a staple in the world of digital marketing.
While similar software, such as AdEspresso and Qwaya provide a solid option, The Campaign Maker is an authorized Facebook marketing tool. In fact, it’s a collection of four individual tools housed within a centralized platform. Capable of streamlining and refining even the most complex campaigns, this solution is definitely worth checking out.
