In our previous article (Startup Drugz Top 3 Performing Facebook Ads of 2015) we shared our best ads from 2015 based on ROI. In this article we will explain why each one of these ads worked by analyzing their respective copy, creatives and targeting.
Abandoned Cart Campaign
Generated $4,195.79 in revenue from $288.09 in ad spend
Why It Worked
If you aren’t using retargeting then you are losing a vast majority of your potential revenue. According to AdRoll only 2% of shoppers convert on their first visit. Just 2%! This means 98% of shoppers will leave your site and never come back. Thankfully with retargeting you can win back these shoppers. This abandoned cart campaign truly demonstrates the power of retargeting.
When a shopper adds a product to their cart, but doesn’t complete their purchase they see the above ad the next time they open Facebook. This ad reminds them that they recently visited our site and left something in their cart. On top of that it offers them an incentive (20% off) to come back and complete their order. The discount-code is included in both the copy and graphic, which is very important, especially if you are running right column or audience network ads where the copy can be cut short. We also employed some humor in our copy, which fits the personality of our brand. Lastly, the creative features some of our newest designs along with some of our best sellers. By including 6 shirts in the graphic we increase the odds that the creative will click with the user. The graphic also further emphasizes the 20% off discount.
Past Customers Campaign
Generated $917.15 in revenue from $36.73 in ad spend
Why It Worked
The reasoning here is pretty much identical to the reasons in our abandoned cart campaign. The only difference is that the audience used for this campaign was much larger as it targets anyone who visited our site without making a purchase. It features a hand picked selection of our newest products, which helps bring shoppers back to the site. The copy in the ad is a single sentence that includes a 10% off discount code. The combination of the new products and discount code created a very successful ad.
New Shirts Boosted Post
Generated $812.64 in revenue from $15 in ad spend
Why It Worked
The fact that this ad was our #1 may surprise a lot of you. Boosting a post is a pretty basic ad format on Facebook and prior to Facebook’s algorithm changes a few years ago wasn’t really necessary. Nowadays if you want to reach your fans on Facebook you need to pay up. The key to successfully boosting posts is to ensure your page likes are high quality. If you bought your likes or used very broad ads to earn them then your boosts most likely will not perform well. On the other hand if you developed an organic following of highly relevant individuals then boosting your posts can be a great way to drive sales.
The copy for this post was short and sweet with a clear call to action and value proposition. The images we used have bright colored backgrounds that grab the attention of anyone scrolling through their newsfeed. Lastly, we included an incentive (10% off) for them to not only check out our new gear, but also make a purchase.
Our Best Non-Retargeting Campaign
Generated $13,733.90 in revenue from $1,990.93 in ad spend
Why It Worked
This ad hit on several levels. First is the targeting. We used Power Editor to narrow our audience, instead of expanding it like most people do in the standard ad manager. We were able to target people who like Gary V, inspirational/motivational quotes and entrepreneurship. This is a perfect audience for our brand. The second reason this ad performed so well is the copy. We reference the targeting in the copy itself. We name-drop Gary V, which got the users attention right off the bat, as anyone seeing this ad is already his fan. We also include a special offer, a 15% off code.
Lastly, the images we used in the carousel are visually attractive. Instead of just letting Facebook pull the shirt image from our site with a white background, we took the time to create nice graphics for each shirt. The colored backgrounds naturally draw the attention of anyone scrolling through their newsfeed, which is half the battle when advertising. The best copy and product in the world doesn’t matter if people don’t actually look at the ad.
If you are a beginner to the world of Facebook advertising be sure to read my post "Why Your Facebook Ad ROI Sucks".
You should also check out Part 1 of this blog series " Startup Drugz Top 3 Performing Facebook Ads of 2015".
Lastly if you have any questions regarding Facebook ad strategies please don't hesitate to email me at max@startupdrugz.com.
