Should you join a senior care franchise?
It’s not rocket science, but the results are as different as comparing a space shuttle with a firecracker. You don’t need a huge budget or a ton of man-hours for your franchise to achieve big conversions from your social media efforts.
The truth is, consumers to buy from you – but, getting them to the point of sale only to talk them out of it with less-than-inspiring content is the pitfall so many businesses fall into. It is possible to lose a sale, without ever even knowing it.
Fortunately, we’ve compiled this short and sweet strategy guide to help you make subtle changes that have the potential to completely revolutionize the money signs on your balance sheet. Yes, change a few things here and there, and see your campaigns launch into the atmosphere.
If you’re in business to make money (most franchises are), you might want to consider how to get the most return for each buck you spend on advertising. Let’s begin:
Rule 1. Sell Lemonade to Thirsty People
It should go without saying, but we can’t stress this point enough. No matter how great, unique, versatile or clever your product is, when it comes to actually selling it online, there is no one-size-fits-all ad.
You must, and we repeat, must offer your product or service (through ads) to the specific audience that will be interested at that time. Just the same as your product has to serve a distinct value or purpose to the customer, the ad must also be targeted.
The main difference is that your Facebook ad has to be even more specific and highly targeted than the product itself. Why? Because when a customer is looking at your ad, there is a trust factor of virtually 0%.
Because they are bombarded with ads all day long, it’s important to note that they will give little, if any, attention to your promo if it isn’t immediately obvious how it will serve them.
Relevance is key, and convincing someone to click on your ad in the first place can almost be more difficult than getting them to purchase once they’re looking at your “Buy Now” screen. Thankfully, Facebook has made it almost effortless to get hyper-specific with your ad targeting, showing your product to the right audience almost as soon as they are thinking of it.
Why not use this tool to your advantage?
If, for example, you were selling delicious, yet sugary lemonade, it would make little sense to setup your lemonade stand across the street from a clinic that treats patients with blood sugar problems. You also wouldn’t want to advertise your lemonade next to a bustling pub or speakeasy, as those customers wouldn’t be interested either.
Using the nifty technology Facebook makes available, it’s similar to getting information on a parade or marathon taking place nearby (where you know people will be dying of thirst), and setting up your stand before anyone else gets the jump on the venue.
Target your ads to the specific people you are trying to reach that day, and you’ll see massive results.
Rule 2. Your Ad Should Dress to Impress
Did you spend the week taking dance lessons, find the right nightclub to go to, coordinated with your friends, bought a VIP table with bottle service ahead of time, and then showed up to the club looking like nonsense? We hope not, but this is similar to millions of ad campaigns run by well-meaning business owners each month.
So what? Your product or service is killer, you’ve targeted the right customers, did all the research and ran your ads like a machine – but, the advertisement itself left tons to be desired.
It’s almost worse to run a campaign with mediocre visuals than to not advertise at all. Why? Because your ad is often the first impression (engagement) a potential customer has with your brand. This is HUGE, and simply cannot be overlooked.
The quality of the graphics in your ad speaks louder than the discount or special you might be offering in it. The visuals will resonate with the customer in a way that you might not be able to change later. Because of this, you want the mental association to be positive.
Don’t chance it with lackluster graphic design work.
Make your ads stand out, interesting, and irresistible. Emphasis on that last one, because if you can get the customer to click on your ad because it’s impossible to resist, they’re already in the buying mood as you’ve created instant trust. A customer wants to know that you can guide them from introduction to purchase, effortlessly.
It’s about taking on a leadership role, and it starts with putting your best foot (graphics) forward.
Tip 1: Make Your Ads Interesting
Whether it’s getting the conversation started on a touchy subject, kicking-off the newest trendy topic or hashtag, or daring to push the envelope, all publicity is good publicity (within reason) when it comes to advertising.
People need to remember you, and your ads should stick with them like the catchy jingles of radio ads decades ago. Advertising hasn’t changed much fundamentally since the early 1900s, even though technology has gotten better.
It’s like the telephone game, where the message gets passed from one person to the next, becoming slightly distorted along the way; your ads will be the topic of conversation if they are memorable, and regardless of what the original subject was, other participants in the conversation are now hearing about your brand name and products.
Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box and try something new, as long as it is interesting and memorable.
Tip 2: Use Color Schemes to Your Advantage
It’s a proven fact that the human brain reacts very differently to different colors and color schemes. This has been a trick of the trade in Hollywood for countless years, and advertisers have capitalized on it for ages, too.
Choose the colors in your advertisement wisely, giving special attention to the overall theme or “feel” you are trying to create. Picture yourself as the customer looking at the screen – what reaction would you have to the content? Does it invoke the thoughts and feelings necessary to move the customer closer to a purchase decision?
Research on this field is easy to come by. Check resources such as Google and Wikis to gain a larger perspective. Images are only as powerful as the colors they are presented in. Sometimes, even a black-and-white theme works magic if it captures the essence (scope) of the content.
Tip 3: Speak to People’s Emotions
This leads us to the next point; your ads should aim to insight some form of emotion that will drive the audience close to a favorable outcome. Smart color use is great for this, but what about the actual imagery itself?
Have you ever noticed that you make the facial expressions you’re inserting in your messages when adding an emoji? When you’re writing something you are passionate about, you might also find yourself acting out the words as you type them.
This is natural, and it is part of the way the human mind functions. We are naturally emotional creatures, and to properly resonate with your audience, you need to become a bit of a master of psychology. Try to include images in your ads with human facial expressions that replicate the mood you want the customer to feel.
The best way to build trust with your audience, after you’ve reached them emotionally, is to immediately tell them how you plan to improve their lives. Do this by:
- Explaining the benefits (what’s in it for them)
- How your product or service is going to reasonably solve a specific problem they have
- Why it’s important to act now
- Touch on reasons their life will be better, thanks to what you are offering
- Speak of your product as a solution, rather than focusing on its features
Rule 3. Make Them an Offer They Can’t Refuse
Do you like free stuff? Have you ever been tempted to try a free sample of something at the grocery store, taken advantage of a buy-1-get-1 offer, or attended a free event? Of course.
It’s only natural for people to be attracted to free offers, even if they know (deep-down inside) that it’s simply a lead magnate. No customer ever thinks there’s not a “catch,” or something that will be pitched later in the process. Most people know that the offer is designed to pique their interest and lower their guard.
Because people are open to this type of incentivizing, you should make it a part of your strategy. Exchanging contact information (such as email, phone number, etc.) to receive something valuable for free is not likely to turn off any prospects anytime soon.
The best part about crafting an effective lead magnet is that you only have to create the thing you are giving away one time – let’s say an eBook, free set of tools, how-to guide, etc., once created, you’ll have it forever.
Think about it. You take a few hours to create something of significant value (worth at least $80) that you’ll give away for free. Then, you can use this resource to potentially attract thousands of customers to your business, anytime you want. You do the work once, and it can bring you residual income as long as you’d like.
But, it’s paramount that your lead magnet is of high-quality, not just for it to be effective, but because it’s representative of your brand. This shows customers what kind of work your business produces. Just because something is free, doesn't mean it should be of low quality. Remember that.
Rule 4. It’s called a “Landing Page” for a Reason
Congratulations! You’ve successfully gotten a customer to click on your Facebook ad and take a leap onto your website. They get to your landing page, and immediately, money appears in your bank account – not really.
If the advertisement is the introduction, the landing page is the first date. This is where things are really make-or-break, and your landing page needs to be consistent with your ad (but better) if you want them to actually spend money with you.
While it’s nice to have website traffic, the whole point of getting them to engage your ad is to have them complete a purchase. Once they hit your landing page, they’re actively looking for reasons to leave. Don’t give them any.
Make the experience rewarding, and you’ll see your sales skyrocket. To increase your conversion rate, focus on optimizing these elements of your landing page:
- Provide as much information in your headlines as possible, in the least amount of words – explain exactly how your product will help them
- Make sure your headlines are high-impact, but not sales-oriented – the goal is to resonate with them without pressuring them too early
- The landing page should clearly explain all the benefits of your product/service by using wording that doesn’t force them to fill in the blanks – write copy that is easy to digest
- Leverage testimonials, partnerships and affiliations whenever possible – give your brand credibility so that the customer instantly trusts you
Rule 4. Monitor, Tweak, Repeat
Some things in life are trial and error. Advertising online can be one of them. Even if you have read all the books, spoken with dozens of experts, and attended numerous seminars, there are thousands of market conditions that can create variable (and unpredictable) outcomes.
You’ve got to keep an active eye on your campaigns, seeing what works and what doesn’t work. To do this, make minor adjustments to the ads (color, demographics, imagery, times of day, etc.) and evaluate the differences in conversion.
Don’t be too hasty, though – some results take time, and you should allow campaigns to run for a few weeks before changing them. This will give you a more accurate data set.
And, after all, data collection is the backbone of any successful business in this digital age. It’s the foundation for running effective campaigns, and should be among your primary focuses.
Simple things, such as the font size used, placement of an image, hue, word count, etc., can have a gargantuan impact on the way people perceive (and react to) your ad. Check the data, tweak the ads, run them again.
If you’re really a superstar franchisor or franchisee, run multiple campaigns simultaneously, comparing and contrasting performance levels.
Facebook advertising, if done correctly, has the ability to transform your business and give you massive results with little expense. Small changes can be the difference between success and heartbreak for your franchise.
The author Richard Cruz is the Chief Marketing Strategist at WSI Priority Media. He can be reached at rcruz@wsiprioritymedia.net
