Let’s look a little closer:
- 75% of U.S. women use Facebook compared to 63% of men
- About 74% of adults with a college education use Facebook
- The proportion of adults over 30 using Facebook is growing
Long story short, Facebook isn’t just for kids anymore. In fact, teens are leaving the platform as established adults gain a bigger share. There are millions of homeowners on Facebook right now, and almost all of them will need roofing contractors someday.
That leads many roofing contractors to try Facebook advertising.
But be sure you know what you’re getting into before you dive in.
The Average Facebook Marketer Doesn’t Give Roofing Contractors the Full Story
Facebook knows the majority of advertisers on the platform don’t get any ROI.
And the marketers who make money from it know that, too.
That’s because most business owners jump into Facebook advertising without knowing exactly what it can do for them. This is encouraged by small, independent marketers who promise the moon in exchange for advertising dollars.
Look for help with Facebook ads and this is what you’re most likely to be promised:
- You select your audience
- You create a simple ad
- You get instant traffic
- You make money
It seems simple, but it falls apart unless every step is guided by a complete digital marketing strategy. And once that traffic reaches you, your website needs to be prepared to handle it, too.
What Good Facebook Marketing Really Looks Like For Roofing Contractors
There’s a big difference between an experienced digital marketing agency you can trust and one guy who’s read a few blog posts about Facebook ads. With New York Ave, you can expect personal attention during every step of the process:
1. Choosing The Right Audience Is Essential
According to Pew Research, around 75% of Facebook users are not even aware that the website gathers information about them to be used for online advertising purposes.
They would probably be stunned to learn Facebook collects thousands of pieces of data that can be equivalent to 400,000 Word documents for an active user.
That data shapes how you can advertise on Facebook and who you can reach. But in the midst of all of it, precision is the key. Otherwise, you’ll end up spending money on roofing ads that go to college students, retirees living in condos, people way outside your service area, and more.
A successful roofing campaign means reaching the right people: Homeowners in your local area.
Ads that go to anyone else will waste your money.
2. The Ad Is More Complicated Than It Looks
Most of what goes into a “simple” ad isn’t really so simple. Facebook is constantly tweaking its ad guidelines to help keep users on its website longer. That includes ever-changing expectations for ads and higher standards for what’s allowed.
And that’s not the only challenge: Your leads can get “ad blindness” after seeing your ad just three or four times. Yet, most people won’t act on your ad until they’ve seen your name at least a dozen times. That means your ad needs to be refreshed periodically to keep attention.
To be effective, a Facebook ad must have a compelling headline, stellar writing, and an eye-catching or memorable visual. All of these may need to be cycled as quickly as every week. If your ad isn’t getting refreshed, it’s turning into background noise.
3. Planning A Soft Landing For Your Leads
A high octane Facebook ad never leads to your website’s home page. Ever.
Instead, every ad needs to link leads to a customized landing page that focuses on their needs. For roofing contractors, that usually means a page optimized for just one town or city in your service area. Local weather conditions and roofing hazards should be discussed.
It only takes three seconds for leads to decide they’ve ended up in the wrong place after clicking on an ad. To minimize confusion, the landing page needs to have a design and messaging similar to the ad they just clicked. Otherwise, they’ll “bounce” without interacting at all.
That means you don’t just need Facebook ads, but intuitive, user-friendly website design.
4. It All Comes Together In Your Funnel
Let’s say you get the clicks. Your website gets the traffic.
Then what?
The worst Facebook advertising blunders come around when businesses have no plan for the new visitors they’re attracting. To put that traffic to work for you, the ad needs to function as the first step in a lead generation and qualification strategy.
That means:
- Having helpful and informative content visitors can really make use of
- Offering something valuable that entices them to join your mailing list
- Showcasing special discounts and limited time offers to motivate action
If your ad’s landing page doesn’t tell users what to do next … they won’t do it.
Even if they know exactly what you want them to do.
Too many self-proclaimed social media experts consider the Facebook ad the end of the story. In reality, it’s a new beginning: Your website still needs to do the work of converting those clicks into cash. That only happens when you qualify your lead, get an appointment, and make a sale.
There are millions of ads on Facebook, but most of them don’t make money.
Contact the New York Ave team today to get equipped with ads that will.
