Introduction

Welcome to the ultimate guide on mastering Facebook ads for beginners. In this comprehensive tutorial, we will walk you through the step-by-step process of creating effective Facebook ads that drive results. Whether you’re a small business owner, a marketing professional, or an aspiring entrepreneur, this guide will equip you with the knowledge and skills to leverage Facebook’s advertising platform for maximum impact.

Section 1: Understanding Facebook Ads

1.1 What Are Facebook Ads?

Facebook ads are a powerful tool that allows businesses to reach their target audience on the world’s largest social media platform. With over 2.8 billion monthly active users, Facebook provides an unparalleled opportunity to connect with potential customers and promote your products or services.

1.2 Benefits of Facebook Ads

Facebook ads offer several advantages over traditional advertising methods. Here are some key benefits:

1. Targeted Audience: Facebook’s advanced targeting options enable you to reach people based on their demographics, interests, behaviors, and more, ensuring your ads are seen by the right audience.

2. Cost-Effective: Facebook ads can be tailored to fit any budget, making it an affordable option for businesses of all sizes.

3. Measurable Results: Facebook’s ad platform provides detailed analytics and insights, allowing you to track the performance of your campaigns and make data-driven decisions.

1.3 Types of Facebook Ads

Facebook offers various ad formats to suit different marketing objectives. Some popular types of Facebook ads include:

1. Image Ads: Simple yet effective, image ads use compelling visuals to capture the attention of your target audience.

2. Video Ads: Engage your audience with captivating video content that tells your brand’s story and showcases your products or services.

3. Carousel Ads: Carousel ads allow you to showcase multiple images or videos within a single ad, giving you more space to highlight different aspects of your business.

1.4 Facebook Ad Policies

Before diving into Facebook advertising, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the platform’s ad policies. Facebook has specific guidelines in place to ensure a positive user experience. Make sure to adhere to these policies to avoid any issues with your ads.

Section 2: Setting Up Your Facebook Ads Account

2.1 Creating a Facebook Business Manager Account

To get started with Facebook ads, you’ll need to create a Facebook Business Manager account. Follow these steps to set up your account:

1. Go to the Facebook Business Manager website and click on “Create Account.”

2. Enter your business details and follow the prompts to complete the setup process.

2.2 Setting Up Your Ad Account

Once you have a Business Manager account, you’ll need to set up your ad account. Here’s how:

1. Navigate to the Business Manager dashboard and click on “Ad Accounts” in the left-hand menu.

2. Click on “Add” and select “Create a new ad account.” Follow the instructions to set up your ad account.

2.3 Installing the Facebook Pixel

The Facebook Pixel is a powerful tool that allows you to track and optimize the performance of your ads. Follow these steps to install the Facebook Pixel on your website:

1. Go to the Events Manager in your Business Manager account.

2. Click on “Connect Data Sources” and select “Web.” Follow the instructions to set up the Facebook Pixel on your website.

Section 3: Defining Your Advertising Goals

3.1 Identifying Your Objectives

Before creating your Facebook ads, it’s crucial to define your advertising goals. Ask yourself what you want to achieve with your campaign. Some common objectives include:

1. Increasing brand awareness: If you’re a new business looking to build brand recognition, your goal may be to reach as many people as possible.

2. Driving website traffic: If your objective is to generate more website visitors, focus on driving traffic to your site through your ads.

3.2 Setting SMART Goals

To ensure your goals are attainable, it’s important to set SMART goals:

• Specific: Clearly define what you want to achieve.
• Measurable: Set metrics to track your progress.
• Attainable: Make sure your goals are realistic and achievable.
• Relevant: Align your goals with your overall marketing strategy.
• Time-bound: Set a deadline for achieving your goals.

Section 4: Audience Targeting

4.1 Identifying Your Target Audience

To maximize the effectiveness of your Facebook ads, it’s crucial to understand your target audience. Consider factors such as demographics, interests, behaviors, and psychographics. Conduct market research to gain insights into your potential customers.

4.2 Using Facebook Audience Insights

Facebook Audience Insights is a powerful tool that provides valuable information about your target audience. Use this tool to refine your audience targeting and ensure your ads reach the right people.

4.3 Creating Custom Audiences

Facebook allows you to create custom audiences based on various criteria. Some options include:

• Website Visitors: Target people who have visited your website.
• Email Subscribers: Reach people who have subscribed to your email list.
• Lookalike Audiences: Target people who are similar to your existing customers.

Section 5: Ad Campaign Structure

5.1 Campaign, Ad Set, and Ad Levels

Facebook’s ad campaign structure consists of three levels:

• Campaign: The highest level where you define your campaign objective.
• Ad Set: The middle level where you set your targeting, budget, and schedule.
• Ad: The lowest level where you create your ads.

5.2 Creating Your Campaign

To create a new campaign, follow these steps:

1. Go to your Ads Manager in the Business Manager account.

2. Click on “Create” and select “Campaign.” Choose your campaign objective and follow the prompts to set up your campaign.

5.3 Setting Up Your Ad Set

Once you have your campaign, it’s time to set up your ad set. Here’s how:

1. Navigate to your campaign and click on “Create Ad Set.”

2. Define your targeting, budget, and schedule. Ensure your ad set aligns with your advertising goals.

5.4 Creating Your Ads

The final step in the campaign structure is creating your ads. Consider the following tips:

• Compelling Copy: Write persuasive ad copy that grabs attention and entices users to take action.
• Eye-Catching Visuals: Use high-quality images or videos that align with your brand and captivate your audience.
• Strong Call-to-Action: Clearly communicate the desired action you want users to take, such as “Shop Now” or “Learn More.”

Section 6: Ad Creative Best Practices

6.1 Ad Copywriting Tips

Crafting compelling ad copy is essential for driving engagement and conversions. Here are some tips to help you write effective ad copy:

1. Know Your Audience: Tailor your messaging to resonate with your target audience’s needs and desires.

2. Highlight Benefits: Focus on the benefits your product or service offers and how it solves a problem for your audience.

6.2 Designing Engaging Visuals

Visuals play a crucial role in capturing your audience’s attention. Follow these best practices for designing engaging ad visuals:

• Keep It Simple: Avoid cluttered visuals and choose clean, simple designs that are easy to understand.

• Use High-Quality Images: Use professional, high-resolution images that reflect your brand’s aesthetic.

Section 7: Tracking and Measuring Success

7.1 Setting Up Conversion Tracking

To measure the success of your Facebook ad campaigns, it’s important to set up conversion tracking. Follow these steps to implement conversion tracking:

1. Go to your Events Manager in Business Manager.

2. Click on “Aggregated Event Measurement” and select “Set Up Events.” Follow the instructions to set up conversion tracking.

7.2 Analyzing Ad Performance

Regularly analyzing your ad performance is crucial for optimizing your campaigns. Use Facebook’s ad analytics to gain insights into your ads’ performance and make data-driven decisions.

Section 8: Split Testing and Optimization

8.1 What Is Split Testing?

Split testing, also known as A/B testing, involves comparing different versions of your ads to determine which performs better. This strategy can help you optimize your campaigns and improve your results.

8.2 Elements to Test

When conducting split tests, consider testing the following elements:

• Ad Copy: Compare different headlines, descriptions, or calls-to-action.
• Visuals: Test different images, videos, or carousel formats.
• Audience Targeting: Compare the performance of different target audiences.

Section 9: Scaling Your Facebook Ad Campaigns

9.1 Increasing Ad Budget

Once you’ve found a winning ad campaign, you can scale it by increasing your budget. However, it’s important to do so strategically to maintain a positive return on investment (ROI).

9.2 Expanding Targeting

To reach a larger audience, consider expanding your targeting options. Experiment with different demographics, interests, or locations to find new potential customers.

Section 10: Troubleshooting Common Issues

10.1 Low Ad Engagement

If your ads are not receiving the desired engagement, consider the following troubleshooting steps:

• Review Your Targeting: Ensure your ads are being shown to the right audience.
• Optimize Your Ad Creative: Make sure your visuals and copy are compelling and relevant to your target audience.

10.2 High Cost Per Result

If you’re experiencing high costs per result, try the following solutions:

• Refine Your Targeting: Narrow down your audience to reach people who are more likely to convert.
• Optimize Your Ad Copy: Experiment with different call-to-action phrases or value propositions to entice users to take action.

Section 11: Staying Updated with Facebook Ads

11.1 Facebook Ads Resources

To stay up-to-date with the latest Facebook ad trends and best practices, explore the following resources:

• Facebook Business Help Center: Access comprehensive guides, tutorials, and FAQs.
• Official Facebook Blogs: Follow Facebook’s official blogs for announcements and updates.
• Facebook Ads Community: Join online communities or forums to connect with other advertisers and learn from their experiences.

Conclusion

Mastering Facebook ads is a journey that requires continuous learning and optimization. By following the strategies and best practices outlined in this tutorial, you’ll be well-equipped to create effective, high-performing ads that drive results for your business. Stay informed, stay creative, and watch your Facebook ad campaigns thrive!

The post The BEST Facebook Ads Tutorial For Beginners in 2024 appeared first on FML Marketing.

GET INSPIRED!

A lot has already been made, so you do not have to reinvent the wheel. Take advantage of that. View many examples and pay attention to what you think is good. Archive the favorites so that you can use them as inspiration. Do you want to get inspired right now? View the examples at the top of this page!

VIEW YOUR COMPANY FROM YOUR CUSTOMER

It may seem strange, but a corporate film is not really about your company. It is ultimately about your customers. It has little meaning to just show what you do. That does not affect your customers. They want to know: “What’s in it for me?” So think carefully about what your customers think is important. With what problems do they run and which solutions do you offer as a company? Translate your company’s strengths into concrete customer benefits. For example, your company has a large stock. Good, but what does the customer have? Well, that you deliver quickly because of this! That is the customer benefit that you have to communicate.

USE STORYTELLING FOR MORE EXPERIENCE

The term ‘storytelling’ actually says it all: tell a story. With a good story, you create an experience and give meaning to the message. Go for the story of your company looking for your added value: what drives you, why does your company matter? Do not fall into the pitfall by just telling what you do, just why.

ACTIVATE THE CUSTOMER IN THE FIRST 20 SECONDS

The headline of the story – about the first 20 seconds of the corporate video – is crucial. Then customers decide whether they find it worthwhile to look further. Do not start with a logo, however logical this seems. In the time that the logo is in the picture, viewers are already bored. You have to activate customers in that first 20 seconds, otherwise most of them will turn away. We call this the 20-second rule at Playforward. But how do you activate customers? Make sure you outline a recognizable problem or situation that makes them feel addressed. That is reason enough to keep looking. Then present your company or product as the solution. That way you stimulate your customers and make the company film extra convincing.

KEEP YOUR MESSAGE SIMPLE

A good story is always simple. The more difficult it is to understand, the faster we lose our attention and the less convincing it is. Make sure that the company film tells a simple story. A good approach to this is to bring things back to the core. What is ‘buttom-line’ now that matters?

MAKE A SHORT BUSINESS VIDEO

Time is scarce, especially online. Making a short company film is therefore essential. The longer, the more difficult it is to hold attention until the end. A good length is 1 to 2 minutes. In order to convey the message within that time, it is essential that you make choices and dare to leave out details. Keep in mind that you do not have to tell everything and especially make customers curious about more.

TELL YOUR STORY IN THE ACTIVE FORM

The way in which you tell the story is at least as important as the story itself. Always tell in active form and avoid the leading form as much as possible. With activating texts, your story is simply more powerful. For example: “This gives you a lot of value.” Sounds stronger than “This can give you a lot of value.” Always use spoken language instead of writing language that you use in brochures. Words like ‘however’ or ‘after all’ are really blacklisted!

DARE TO CLAIM THAT YOU ARE GOOD

You have to be convinced of yourself and dare to claim that you are the best at something. Do not nuance, because that takes the power out of the message. This applies to both the benefits of your company and your choice of words. Avoid words like ‘often’ or ‘usually’. That kind of words immediately bring the sentence into mind, but not always, and thus flatten your message.

MAKE SURE YOU WILL BE TIMELESS

You use a good company video for years. In this way you can earn back the costs for a company movie over several years. Make sure that you make the message timeless and avoid information that is barred, such as the 50th anniversary. This type of information shortens the shelf life. Unnecessary, because it is easy to avoid. For example, use the text “Since 1950” when you talk about the existence period of the company.   

MAKE IT PART OF YOUR (DIGITAL) MARKETING 

A company video does not stand alone; it is part of your complete marketing. Make sure that it fits well with your other statements, such as website and brochures. This way, it strengthens each other and you get a consistent communication. This applies to both content and form. 

SAVE THE MOUNTING PROJECT OF THE OPERATING VIDEO

Your company does not stand still. Therefore, ensure that the raw footage and the assembly are retained after delivery. If something changes, for example, the logo, it can be easily updated. Talk to the video marketing agency to save the footage and editing for a number of years.

MAKE YOUR COMPANY PROMO FINDABLE (VIDEO SEO!!)

Strangely enough, we still often see that companies have not really thought about the publication. Company films therefore often remain a bit hidden. Sin! Work out a simple publication plan for the company film in advance. What should not be missing: a prominent place on the website, uploading on Youtube with a smart, attractive title and sharing via social media.

Discover the benefits of Video Marketing for Search Engine Optimization.

The post 12 tips for making a company promo movie appeared first on FML Marketing.

Website marketing Costa del Sol

If your answer is ‘no’, then here in this article I have 5 valuable website marketing tips that can help you get on the road of internet marketing and improve your website. The result: an internet marketing website that helps your company to generate customers via the internet and generate leads!

Website Marketing tips – 1. It is actually not about you

Your website (if you do it right) is not about your company, but about the problems and wishes of your visitor and what you, therefore, have to offer him. That is a world of difference. The best way to put your visitor first is to appeal to him and pay attention to his needs/ problems/dilemmas and ultimately your solution!

Website Marketing tips – 2. Be punctual and clear.

Visitors (just like you) quickly search via Google for a service/product. As soon as they arrive on a website, they want to immediately feel/know where they are. Can I find what I am looking for here? Where am I? What do they have to offer me? In short: a hard first impression is needed to give the searching customer something to hold on to. The more unique / more different the better.

Most SME websites do not convince! Inform them. You get laps of text about a working method, a process or a long description of how something works. But visitors find that only partly interesting. What they find interesting is ‘What does it deliver?’, The result of what you have to offer on the highest form. Convincing means selling holes, not drilling!

Website marketing tip – 3. Create conversion paths!

An internet marketing website leads its visitors to the desired target pages. What do you want your visitors to do? Dial? Fill in a contact form? Purchase a small service? Download an article? Request information? Sign up for the newsletter? Determining and integrating these conversion paths in your website encourages visitors to take action, this is conversion optimization!

Website marketing tips – 4. Lower the threshold

For everything you tell or what you want your visitors to do, low threshold is the magic word. If you want them to fill out a contact form, make this form as short as possible. If you want them to fill out a form at all, indicate that it is non-committal. The more accessible your website is, the easier visitors will take action! Research what the prominent addition of a phone number does!

Website marketing tips – 5. Make your internet marketing website findable

A bonus tip that is more about attracting visitors. It is important to know which keywords you want to be found. How much volume is there? How much competition is there? Creating separate ‘landing pages’ for these keywords ensures a qualitative visit. Also read: Qualitative visit through conversion-oriented SEO landing pages. This article is meant to give you an impression of what is possible to transform your internet marketing website into an online marketing machine. You will not be the first to recruit more than 70% of its customers via its website. Check our Search Engine Optimization page for more details!

Thank you for reading FML’s marketing blog

Do you also want to attract more leads, requests and customers via your website? We would like to help you with this. Contact us for more information.

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Quantity and number of hashtags

Many people place as many hashtags under their a photo, with a maximum of 30 pieces. From now on Instagram will pay attention to the use of the same and the number of hashtags. If you always use the same 30 hashtags with each photo, it can now be that Instagram gives you the label ‘spammy’. Ultimately this can lead to a shadow ban!

A shadow ban is often used with spam accounts/bots, because it often has nothing to do with the site or the subject. The result is that the content is no longer visible to others. In the case of Instagram, this means that your own placed photo in your feed is shown normally. However, when other people search for corresponding hashtags, your photo is not shown.

How do you prevent this?

Below I give 3 tips on how to best use hashtags

1. Location of hashtags

Many people put their hashtags in the first comment of their post. It is recommended to always place the hashtags in the body of the post (the direct text below your photo).

2. The number of hashtags

It is recommended to use between 5 and 10 hashtags by mail. This way you prevent the ‘spam label’.

3. Which hashtags

Do not always use the same hashtags. Vary with hashtags by mail, this way you remain unique and Instagram does not give you the ‘spam label’. Win-win!

How to find more relevant #hashtags on Instagram

Besides scouting Instagram users manually to find the right hashtags, there are two more effective ways to get new and relevant hashtags. The first one is using the search bar in the top of your screen. If you choose the ‘tags’ tab, you will be able to search the popular tags.

The second option is a handy tool called Display Purposes. This simple, yet effective tool will search for more relevant hashtags, based on a hashtag (s) that you enter in the search box. Easy, fast and super effective!

FML Marketing – Social Media solutions Costa del Sol

Thank you for reading our Marketing blog. We try to share as many free tips as possible on our blog. Visit our Facebook and Instagram pages for more free insights or subscribe to our newsletter in the footer of the page. Or contact us if you are looking for a professional social media approach or social media content strategy.

The post #hashtags on Instagram: the dos & don’ts for 2018 appeared first on FML Marketing.

Social Media for your business

A professional social media strategy can really pay off for your business. Discover the benefits now, use the button here below!

Social Media packages

5 tips to use Instagram Stories for your company

The Instagram Stories feature has been around for a while and is being used by more than 300 million people worldwide. Not only is it interesting for personal accounts, but companies can also make good use of Instagram Stories.

Instagram Stories are images, boomerangs or short films that you can add to your Instagram account. Your content will then be visible to others for 24 hours (this is also called ephemeral content) and that is precisely the success of Stories. Stories responds to an important trend within marketing: FOMO (fear of missing out).

With these 5 handy tips to use Instagram Stories for your company, you can be sure that you will not miss any opportunities:

1. Set clear goals

The first step is always determining your goals. Think carefully about what you want to achieve with Stories. Do you want to give a look behind the scenes of your organization or promote a product and generate more traffic?

2. Consider the content and make a schedule

As soon as your goals are formulated clearly, you start working on creating and creating the content for your Stories. Make sure you make a clear plan … and you’re good to go! Leave some space for spontaneous actions or current events.

3. Place a link

Stories lend itself well to generating more traffic to your website. There is a big ‘but’ behind it, namely: you have 10,000 or more followers, otherwise you can not place a direct link to your Stories. Very sorry, but no panic. There is a convenient way to generate traffic with a smaller account.

You can – regardless of the number of followers – add a link in the bio on your Instagram profile. You can then state your organization in the Stories by clicking on ‘Aa’ (= function to add text) and then typing @your organization. In this way, you still refer the users to the link (in your bio).

4. Add Highlights

Nowadays it is also possible to store the temporary Stories as Highlights on your Instagram profile. Go to your Story and click on ‘Light’ in the bottom right corner. Ideal for example to highlight your products and generate more traffic.

5. Create a poll

Create interaction and increase engagement by simply adding a poll to your Stories. The poll has two answer options and is an excellent way to ask for the opinion or feedback from your followers. Make the poll a part of your story and involve your target audience in the process. By sharing the results of a poll you make voting more fun.

So you see that Instagram Stories is not only reserved for the individual users but that there are also many opportunities for companies. Get started, experiment and analyze what works best for your organization. Also, tell your story with Instagram Stories.

Do you want to know more about the successful use of social media? Contact FML Marketing now by leaving your details below, or give us a call at (+34) 6 50 80 12 43. 

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Local business Estepona: Why (local) SEO is KEY

21/03/2018

I think it is pretty safe to say that living, and having a business in [Read more]

10 reasons to use social media for your business

09/03/2018

In short, there are 10 reasons for companies to use social media. We have listed [Read more]

How to build a professional Facebook page

12/04/2018

In this post, I want to give you some useful tips and explanations for setting up [Read more]

The post Instagram Stories: How its useful for your company appeared first on FML Marketing.

A Facebook page does not stand on its own, such as a website, but is woven into a large social network. More and more companies see that their Facebook page gets even more visitors than their website. That makes the Facebook page an increasingly important customer touchpoint.

Facebook Business page Marbella, Estepona, and San Pedro

Facebook is the place where we share personal interests and stay in touch with friends, family, and organizations. We are on average 4.5 hours per month on the social network (!). This offers companies and organizations countless new opportunities in terms of service, customer loyalty, marketing, sales, and branding. I want to give you some useful tips and explanations for setting up a Facebook business page. 

1. Choose the right company profile
2. Choose a cover photo that matches the character of your company
3. Claim your Facebook.com domain
4. Choose a recognizable profile photo
5. Organize your tabs
6. Set your most important highlights
7. Promote your website or campaigns with apps

Also read: Facebook changes its algorithm to bypass link baiting

1. Select the correct Facebook company profile

The first step is to create and set up a company profile. There may already be listings from your brand or company on Facebook. In that case, there are multiple options; you can indicate that you are the owner of the brand, company. If there is no entry yet, you can create a Facebook page yourself. It is important to choose the profile type that best suits your company or brand. The choice of profile type influences how your company is presented on Facebook.

2. Choose a cover photo that matches the character of your company

A cover photo is a big picture at the top of your timeline, just above your profile picture. Just like your profile photo, cover images are public. This means that anyone who visits your timeline can see your cover images. Our experience has shown that people appreciate if your timeline has a cover that is as unique and personal as your company, brand or organization. Choose an image that is representative of your brand and dare to be creative. Keep in mind the conditions of Facebook. The cover photo may not be fake, deceptive or misleading, and may not infringe the intellectual property of third parties. You can of course also adjust the content of your cover photo to current events. Think of hooking up on certain holidays or announcing a sale or promotion. By regularly changing the cover photo your Facebook page stays fresh and up-to-date.

Example of the Facebook cover photo of Senzo Nikkei Tapas on Calle Real 31 in Estepona.

3. Claim your Facebook.com domain

If you are an administrator of a Facebook page, you can choose a unique page address at: http://www.facebook.com/username. Using the right username you can easily promote your company, brand or the presence of your organization on Facebook with a short and clear page address. For example, your page address can be used in your marketing campaigns and on your company website and business cards. Even if you do not want to make direct use of a Facebook company page, it is advisable to create one and register your company name.

4. Select a recognizable profile photo

The profile photo is the image that appears next to your updates and links below the cover photo on the profile page. The profile photo also appears with any sponsored stories or advertisements. Choose a photo or image that fits within the dimensions (180 x 180 pixels) and also looks good when it is reduced to thumbnail size (32 x 32 pixels).

5. Organize your tabs

The Facebook company page has photos and tabs at the top of the page, right below the cover photo. Page administrators can arrange the order of the tabs according to their own views. Click on ‘More’ and then on ‘Manage tabs’ to arrange tabs. This is also a good option to add tabs to promote your products, offers, and special arrangements! 

6. Set your most important qualities

Facebook also makes it possible to share and promote ‘highlights’ on the timeline. This allows you as manager of the page to highlight important events, promotions or new products. As an administrator, you can promote an individual update to highlight by clicking on the star icon. This becomes visible when you move the cursor over the update.

7. Promote your website or campaigns with apps

An app is a kind of webpage within the facebook page. With this you can, for example, draw visitors of your Facebook page to a campaign, or refer to your website. By integrating a call-to-action in the form of an app on the page, the website gets more attention. This can promote traffic to the website.

Finally: What do you want to achieve with Facebook?

We often see that companies start enthusiastically with Facebook, but due to lack of a clear vision and objectives, after a few weeks or months, see no result and stop it. By starting with a clear strategy and objectives, you save valuable time and energy and you avoid disappointments. You can not score without a goal. 

FML Marketing – Estepona – San Pedro – Marbella

Thank you for reading our blog. If you need any assistance in the set up of your Facebook business page or the maintenance of it, please contact us now. We support many businesses in the Marbella, Estepona and San Pedro area. We offer clear social media packages to increase traffic and convert your visitors into clients!

If you do not have a specific strategy yet, but do you realize that Facebook offers new marketing opportunities? Then we are happy to help you map the opportunities for your company and create a result-oriented Facebook strategy.

The post How to build a professional Facebook page appeared first on FML Marketing.

Content marketing 2018 trends

Before we go over the content marketing trends 2018, let’s focus on the content marketing trends from last year. Better techniques lead to a big change in the way we create and distribute content, including via paid channels and virtual assistants. In general, mobile and video have really made their presence felt in 2017. This trend will develop further over the upcoming years. One big trend of 2017 is no longer ‘best practice’. Click bait, content whose main purpose is to attract attention and encourage visitors to click on a link to a particular web page. My advice is to stay far away from this in 2018.

Read this to learn more: Facebook dramatically changes news feed, impacting your SEO!

Valuable content (in-depth)

Adding more value to content is mentioned as a trend for 2018. In short, the knowledge you have to share with your target group. That is what I do with this blog. Longer texts that go deeper into the subject matter will become increasingly important, and therefore, valuable for your Google ranking. 

Make content more personal

There is, of course, more than one big trend applicable, but together they do share a common value.  And that is that content increasingly revolves around’ human behavior ‘. This means that online everything becomes more personal and intuitive and will focus even more on the content. Content marketing in 2018 will become more and more person-oriented marketing. Personalization of newsletters, advertising, and video. Addressing the person, marketing on individuals instead of on the target group. 

Video Content: The trend for 2018

Voice assistants: It might be early, but keep an eye out!

Responding to new developments is never easy. We repeatedly read about developments such as Google Home and Amazon Alexa. This requires a drastically different approach for your content marketing, but how exactly is still fairly unclear. Nevertheless, voice is becoming more important, also for your SEO-strategy the upcoming years. 

Thank you for reading our Content marketing 2018 trends blog. If you require more information on valuable content marketing tips and strategies, please contact us now. We are happy to support you with your digital challenges.

The post Content marketing trends that will dominate 2018 appeared first on FML Marketing.

Online Marketing agency Benahavís

Companies that are looking for an online marketing agency today have higher demands than simply a standard online marketing campaign. Determining the right keywords is no longer sufficient. The modern online marketing agency thinks along with the customer’s strategy. It has experience, knows the target group and knows how to score in Google. The right online marketing agency ensures results. But what is an online marketing agency? An online marketing agency is an organization that specializes in online marketing. The definition of online marketing is: “The marketing of products or services via the internet.” Online marketing has many branches:

• Search engine optimization (SEO)
• Online advertising (SEA)
• E-mail marketing
• Content marketing
• Social media marketing
• Affiliate marketing

Choosing an online Marketing agency 

Which online tool will help you achieve your goals? Choosing the right online marketing agency plays a crucial role in the online marketing strategy. An online marketing agency that uses the wrong techniques can cost you a lot of money, or ensure that the website just drops instead of rises in the search results. This article contains 10 tips for choosing the best online marketing agency for your company.

1. Are the opportunities present?

“Online marketing, we must also start with that!” A well-known slogan that certainly contains a core of truth. Nevertheless, before starting online marketing, you have to think carefully about whether it is smart to start within the short term. Frequently, promising initiatives on practical feasibility, lack of budget, lack of perseverance, experience or just the right skills. Analyze the situation first before you actively search for an online marketing agency.

2. Determine the target

The first step in choosing an online marketing agency is to determine the objectives and how they are exactly achieved. After all, it is difficult to reach the final destination without a map. The main objectives are: how do you see your company at the end of the campaign and what are your expectations? Growth, continuity or more turnover? And how does your company distinguish itself from the competition?

3. There is more than just online marketing

Do not forget to consider in all euphoria whether this is the right choice. There may also be other, cheaper or more effective methods to achieve the objective. Perhaps online marketing is not at all effective for your target group or online marketing does not fit into the existing marketing strategy at all. There are plenty of reasons not to opt for online marketing. So first make a good analysis that you are working with an online marketing agency. If this analysis shows that online marketing actually remains the best choice, then go for it as well. Remember: online marketing is just a means to achieve a goal.

4. Who is the target group?

An entrepreneur who discovers the internet often sees all sorts of opportunities and starting points and often has difficulty in setting a limit. If they are enthusiastic about online marketing, they would prefer to sell this to everyone as quickly as possible. This makes the actual use of online marketing not immediately effective. Because how exactly are you going to promote your product or service? To who? If you sell coats, do not advertise on a blog about computers. Targeting a target group is therefore crucial. Would you like to focus on a certain part of the market or a particular niche? Then you better choose an agency that has experience with that or an agency that explicitly focuses on that target group. Often an online marketing agency has its own network with websites and blogs where they can promote your website, or they have connections with people who have this. For example, if you have a restaurant, you would like an online marketing agency with experience in your market and a network that connects to this. In many cases, a company simply wants to make more sales. Then you are looking for an online marketing agency with experience in your industry that simply generates more revenue, whether through SEO, SEA or a newsletter.

5. Where is the target group?

It is important that you know where the target group is at what time and in what frequency. on which channels is the target group most receptive to a commercial message? In what form and at what time does the target group prefer to retrieve certain information? To have insight into the target group in an important part of online marketing, if you do not have this, chances are you are using the wrong strategy on the wrong channels.

6. White hat SEO

A lot can go wrong with online marketing, and one of the biggest problems is ‘black hat seo’: climbing in Google in a way that Google disapproves. Does the online marketing agency use ‘white hat techniques’ for search engine optimization (SEO)? White hat techniques are SEO strategies and techniques that are focused on the reader, instead of on the search engines like Google, and are also allowed by the search engines.

7. Social media activity

Social media has erupted into one of the most important means of communication today, especially among young people. Search engines also keep an eye on social media to determine which websites and Social media web content are important. (That is why Google started with Google Plus)

The social media are used so intensively that they are good channels for spreading news. This quickly reaches the target group and the short and powerful messages are easily read. In many messages, a link can be found to more information on a website, so additional visitors are realized. Because messages on social media are easy to share, the new spreads like a running fire and also reaches people you would not otherwise have reached. For example, references in social media can contribute well to more traffic and the online marketing strategy. Search engines use the information from social media when evaluating web pages. The more often content on a web page is retweeted, liked or shared, the more the content is valued by visitors and indirectly also the search engines.

Choosing your Marketing agency

Then the big decision: which online marketing agency do you choose? Have you put all the online marketing agencies together and compared the pros and cons with each other? How is the service? Do you know companies that have already collaborated with the online marketing agency? Checking references is never bad. Is the online marketing agency flexible and can they explain everything to you in a universal language? These are all things that you have to take into account. Therefore, you should be equally well immersed in the world of online marketing before joining an online marketing agency. There is more to it than you would say at first sight.

FML Marketing agency Benahavís

FML Marketing is an International-orientated company. Our staff speaks English, Spanish, German, Dutch and French. We serve clients in 5 different countries from our offices in Estepona and Amsterdam. We are looking forward to supporting you with your digital project.

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The purpose of a website is selling, convincing and informing. So we have to look for an agency that focuses on making the company more successful instead of creating a nice website.

Average costs for having a professional website made

How is the price for a new website established? The price of a website is generally determined by the hourly rate of the designer (and the other employees involved in the design) x the complexity of your desired website. The hourly rate of the designer is determined by his experience, knowledge and the overhead costs of the agency. A freelancer costs + -35 euros (beginner) 175 euros (very experienced) per hour A small web design agency costs 50 to 125 euros per hour And large development agencies can ask 75 to 250 euros per hour. With web design and development, in general, applies; the more costs, the more you get. Experience, knowledge, and creativity simply cost. Fortunately, the investment in a well-designed website is a long-term investment  (Return on investment/ROI).

The situation of what a website exactly costs is more complex

There are self-employed people who offer a website for 800 euros on a custom website (but technically they are never quite well). Two web design agencies that resemble at first sight, can come up with two totally different quotes for the same job. Due to the process used, the number of employees, the support, the expertise, creativity and the experience of the employees, the price can differ by a few thousand euros. And unfortunately, it is not easy for the untrained eye to see which web designer and web builder delivers quality and which does not. What a website looks like does not immediately say something about the quality of the website.

How much does web design and development cost?

Let’s start with a simplified answer.

1. With many (starting) independent web designers, you can get a nice simple website for around €800 that is reasonably structured (in terms of user-friendliness and design).

2. At web design agencies you can have a good website built for 1,500 and 5,000 euros. You pay for the extra experience, a team with specialists who will work on your website and that everything works just as well in 5 years from now. A professional, well-connected website.

3. Large complex websites, such as government websites, large web shops, well-known brands or companies with a lot of content, can even expect prices between €8,000 and €100,000 

4. If you have a limited budget as a starting self-employed person and / or a lot of time, you can of course choose to create your own website (manual), blog (manual) or webshop and buy a professional WordPress template. at Themeforest. You spend approximately €50 euros (and a fair amount of time).

Are there any costs per year or month?

Yes. With each option comes the costs of web hosting and the costs of a domain. A good professional WordPress hosting package costs around 10 euros per month. A domain name costs about 5-20 euros per year.

What makes a web design agency good?

What should you look for when choosing a web design agency? An excellent question. However, This question is difficult to answer. ‘How do we know that web design agency X is better than web design agency Y? The purpose of a website is selling, convincing and informing. So we have to look for an agency that focuses on making the company more successful (online) instead of creating a nice website.

Help to distinguish the good from not so good

• Read the text on the website. What is it about? Do they mention something about goals, sales, and conversion?
• How does their website work? Was it immediately clear what they are doing and what makes them unique? View the portfolio. Are these websites also easy to use? Is it obvious on every website in the portfolio what they do and what the visitor has to do? No? Then it is possible that they have only used their ‘skills’ with their own website.
• Are they moderately readable standard (bullshit) texts? Then chances are that they do not pay attention to marketing, usability, and conversion. Or do not value this.
• You can request a quote or information from the agencies where you have doubts and look at the professionalism of their offers.
• Do they ask before they send a quote to you about your goals? What do you want to achieve with your website? Then there is a reasonable chance that they have an understanding of things.
• Do they have a personal ‘about us’ page? Do they show their employees? Often the more personal and open they are, the more proud they are of their work (and that usually means that they also do a good job).
• Do they use a hard-to-read font? Then it may be that they do not focus enough on usability.

Web Design and Development: Price buying not recommendable

Do you want something that looks okay and costs a few hundred euros or do you want a user-friendly website with a wow factor that sells?

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Facebook content strategy: Less clickbait and news

Do you always tag your friends in Facebook posts? When you scroll through Facebook, you will encounter this type of posts multiple times. Until recently, this was an ideal way to interact with your content as a page and thus create a large reach. Facebook is not so happy with this. Engagement bait is often perceived as spam, which creates a negative experience among Facebook users. To prevent this from happening, Facebook applies its algorithm. The use of engagement bait is therefore penalized with a reduced range of your content.

What exactly does Facebook see as engagement bait?

– Vote baiting: hereby asked to vote with a ‘like’ or ‘love’.
– React baiting: this involves asking for a specific action, such as liking if you agree with something.
– Share baiting: these are the known partial actions, for example, to be able to win something.
– Tag baiting: hereby asked to tag friends in a comment on a message.
– Comment baiting: a specific response is requested in the reactions.

More friends and family

Last Friday, Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook will update its newsfeed to show more meaningful updates from friends and family. As a result, Facebook returns to its original goal: connecting people.

Recently, Facebook received criticism from its community that public content – messages from companies, brands, and media – overshadowed personal moments that lead us to get in touch with each other.

Facebook content strategy: the current newsfeed

Currently, Facebook determines by the degree of involvement how high posts appear in the news feed. With this new update, they will also give priority to posts that provide interaction, such as a post that leads to a discussion in the comments. This gives the posts of friends priority over content from publishers or companies. This does not mean, however, that the posts of pages disappear in the news feed, but it may be less.

Links to a low-quality website will be penalized

A lot of spam on the internet is fed by traffic from social media channels. Facebook wants to prevent this spam by ‘punishing’ the posts that link to websites with bad web experiences. They have checked 100,000 different pages that are linked from Facebook. Then they have drawn up a list of common features that may indicate that a web page contains low-value or spam-like content.

What do these news feed updates mean for companies on Facebook?

With this update, business pages will see their reach, watch time and referral traffic drop. The impact varies per page and is related to the type of content that they share. Pages that share posts that people usually do not respond to or comment on can see the biggest decrease in their reach. Using ‘engagement bait’ to make people respond to posts is not a meaningful interaction and such messages are punished with less reach.

How do you deal with these updates of the algorithm?

The purpose of your content strategy should be: building a relationship with your target group that goes beyond a like, click or purchase. Therefore, ensure content that fits the needs of your target group. In terms of form, type, this content must also be varied and distinctive enough. If you succeed in this, the involvement will have to come naturally and asking for a like, tag or share will be ‘bad practice’.

In addition, it is also important that you link to landing pages with high quality. Pay attention to the following points:

• Your landing pages must not contain annoying, malicious, or shocking ads.
• Ensure a good loading speed.
• Only place interesting content.
• Check your bounce rate and the number of pages viewed per session. If people go deeper into your site from your landing page, this is a good sign.

Although Facebook itself does not deal with the commercial consequences of the updates, it is clear that pages that want to have more reach really need to invest in their messages in order to create a higher reach. In addition to these updates, we have seen for some time that the organic reach of news feed (timeline) posts is also decreasing. Making it more important that your Facebook advertising campaigns are used in the right way.

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