Given the recent Facebook 2018 algorithm change, small businesses can expect minimal exposure by simply opening a business page and posting a few times a week. Quite frankly, the Facebook page alone will only reach a small portion of the target audience.

But, what about Facebook ads? If a page itself produces little engagement and traffic, Facebook ads must be a waste, right? 

Wrong.

Careful promotion and just the right ad campaign could make a big difference in reaching potentially thousands of Facebook users every day.

(RELATED: 6 Reasons Why Every Local Business Needs Video Advertising)

Understanding Facebook’s Advertising Algorithm

Facebook wants their ads to work for small business — and here’s why. Since it’s regular services are free, the social platform depends on advertising revenue to stay up and running.

To ensure businesses get some bang for their buck, Facebook has developed a complex algorithm that tracks a user’s interests and works to get the right ads into the right newsfeeds.

The algorithm also buries businesses that don’t buy ads by keeping posts that haven’t been promoted from showing up on newsfeeds.

So, even if your page has 1k likes — each posts is only available to about 30 users.

But, for as little as $0.27 per click, a business could buy ads that will get them seen by far more users.

Whether or not that expanded visibility leads to sales depends on how well you utilize your advertising options.

It’s All About The Sales Funnel

The Facebook platform is designed to promote personal interactions between users. If you simply create an ad that directs users straight to a product or service it will not be as effective.

Be creative with the ads and make them part of the general interaction with potential customers.

Direct interested users to your page and then give them the option to participate in an e-mail marketing campaign by offering a give-away, or a helpful blog post content.

Taking the time to develop a relationship so the customers feel like they know you and your company will lead to more sales in the short run and more loyal customers in the long run. For further reading on Facebook sale funnels, check out this article by KlientBoost.

Launch Dark Posts

Dark posts sound scary, but they are simply posts that look like regular news feed ads that don’t publish to your Timeline or in your fans’ feeds organically. 

A dark post can include a regular status update, a video, a link, a photo, or a special offer. These posts can be highly targeted to specific fans of your page, which means you can create specific ad campaigns related to a customer’s interests, charitable donations, buying habits, financial data, or other behaviors.

These specific ad campaigns can be powerful tools to help you reach different demographics effectively.

Customize Settings

Businesses that simply open up an ad campaign and leave all the settings at the default setting may not see much difference in traffic or sales. To take advantage of all of the benefits Facebook advertising offers it is crucial to tailor the settings to fit with your specific small business and the customers you need to reach.

Facebook offers geo-targeting tools that can be highly successful when used properly. If your ad campaign does not seem to change the number of visitors or fans on your page, experiment with the settings until you find a combination that brings the maximum number of people to your page.

Conclusion

Bottom line: Facebook ads do work — if they’re used the right way. If nothing else, it gets a business seen by far more users than a business page that is not promoted at all.

Facebook ads are a relatively inexpensive way to reach more potential customers and build stronger relationships with all of your Facebook fans.