The Complete Guide to Facebook Advertising for Your Ecommerce Store

People often struggle and give up on their Facebook marketing efforts.

This may be because of an incorrect account setup.

In the end, they don't get to launch a campaign at all!

But that won’t happen to you.

To start on the right foot, make sure that you correctly set up your Business Manager.

Setting it up is simple. Let me show you how!

The first thing you need to do is create a Business Manager account, go to business.facebook.com.

Then, click the Create Account button found in the upper right-hand corner.

When creating your business manager account, make sure you're logged in to your Facebook profile. Then please do so.

In case you don't have an account yet, create one first.

Then, enter your business name and your name, as well as the email address you wish to use for Facebook Manager, and click Next.

Next, provide your business details, such as your address, phone number, and website. Then click Submit.

You will receive a confirmation email, click Confirm Now.

Next, we'll add your Facebook business page to your account. 

(If you don't already have one, let’s create one for your business. That's next on the list. Don't worry.)

To add it, click Settings on your business manager, then More Settings. 

Select Accounts, then Pages, and click Add Page.

A pop-up window will appear, enter your Facebook Page name or URL. Then click Add Page.

We’ve now added your Facebook business page.

Next, let’s create your ad account for your Facebook Business Manager.

You can do it this way:

If you don’t have an ad account yet, go to your Business Settings menu, select Accounts, then Ad Accounts. 

On the blue Add drop-down menu, click Create a New Ad Account.

Next, enter your account details and click Next.

Show that you’re using this ad account for your own business. Select my business, then click Create.

And that’s how you create an ad account. 

Job well done! 

But, if you have an existing ad account here’s how you add it to your Facebook Business Manager.

From your Business Manager dashboard, select Accounts, then Ad Accounts. 

And on the blue Add drop-down menu, click Add an Ad Account, then enter your ad account ID.

Or click Request Access to an Ad Account, then type your ad account id, and click Confirm. 

When you're done, your home screen will look like this:

Now, your Business Manager is all set up.

Bravo!

From now on, this will be your Facebook marketing and advertising hub.

Here, you can manage all aspects of your business.

Let’s pause for a moment and explain everything that’s going on. (We’ll start running ads soon, I promise!)

As we’re talking about the Facebook business manager, you probably want to know more about it and how it will benefit your business.

Don’t worry, I’ll give you more details.

So, what is Facebook Business Manager?

It's a central hub for both your business and Facebook marketing activities.

It’s where Facebook houses your business pages, ads account, and other tools you need in running your ads.

You can use it to create ads, manage Instagram and Facebook profiles, and share access to these assets easily among your team and external partners.

Let me tell you how it can help to grow your ecommerce business.

First, it gives you full control over your business.

With Business Manager, you can control, add user access and assign permissions to everyone.

Facebook Business Manager also lets you collaborate with your colleagues privately.

This means connecting to or giving colleagues access to your Facebook account isn't necessary.

You just have to ask for their Facebook Profile links and add them to the Business Manager (so they can access the Page without having to ask for your personal account deets.) 

Also, this tool can easily identify risks and suggest what actions to take to improve security.

What I like about this tool is that you can add and manage many assets by batch.

It's also possible to track performance across many ad accounts and pages.

I won’t go deep about each of these features. 

That's a story for another day. 

For now, let’s just focus on creating your first campaign.

So let’s move on to the next step…

Want to check how effective your ads are?

I want you to meet Facebook Pixel!

Facebook Pixel is the so-called "invisible sales agent".

It shows you what we want and how to get it!

I'll give you an example...

YouTuber Alexandra Gater recently posted a very cute bathmat on her Instagram Stories.

I swiped up to see the bathmat and added it to my cart. Then, I got distracted, and put my phone down.

By the time I opened Facebook, this ad appeared in my newsfeed:

Then, I headed over to my Instagram and saw this ad:

That’s what we call retargeting!

It’s a great way for us to remind buyers to return to the websites where they left their shopping carts and get those items they left behind.

Besides remarketing, Facebook pixels have other functions. 

It plays a role in tracking, analytics, and overall ad optimization.

By using this, you can ensure you're advertising to the right people.

Pixel also identifies different activities people take on your website, such as making a purchase or adding items to their shopping cart. 

By seeing how people react to your ads, you’ll know how effective they are.

So, how the heck do you connect it with Shopify?

Well, I got you!

You just need to follow these steps.

Go to your Business Manager account, click Settings, and then More Business Settings.

Go to Data Sources, select Pixels, then the blue Add drop-down button.

A new window will appear asking you to Connect Website Activity Using Pixel. 

Enter your pixel name and your website’s URL (optional), then select Continue.

After that, click Set Up Pixel Now and choose how you want to install the pixel code.

Select Add code using a Partner Integration. Click the platform you're using.

Last, copy your pixel ID. Then, on your Shopify store, go to the Online Store and paste it on the Facebook pixel ID field.

Within a few hours after adding your pixel ID to your Shopify store, you’ll be able to see your website’s activity on your Business Manager.

Quick and easy, right?

Under pixels, you’ll see stats such as visitors, add to carts, purchases.

Knowing these stats will help you make better decisions for your e-commerce store.

Especially when you run your ads but before we jump into that.

Here's what's next.

This is the moment you've been waiting for!

It's time to look at ad sets.

I've put together a tutorial that explains how to do it.

✔️Name your ad set.

✔️Pick the Facebook page you'd like to promote.

✔️Create or choose your audience.

Within ad sets, you can select or refine the prospecting or retargeting list you made.

Don't forget to pick an age, language, location, and gender.

This will help narrow down your audience.

We can further refine targeting using Facebook's interests, behaviors, or demographic information.

It's on the lower part of the page. 

Also, you can combine existing audiences into a new audience by layering these categories.

Or stick to your Lookalike or Custom Audience.

At this ad set level, you can also target people based on their connections.

It identifies people who like your app, business pages, or events, as well as their friends.

Connecting with people can help you target your ad to the right audience.

Here’s the next step.

✔️Select your ad placements: Manual or Automatic

As we all know, Facebook owns other famous apps.

Take advantage of this opportunity!

Make sure your ads appear on Facebook, Audience Network, Instagram, and Messenger.

You can set up placement in two ways: 

• Select it manually
• Turn on automatic placements

Yet, Facebook recommends choosing automated placements.

You’re probably wondering why.

The answer is simple, follow the crowd and be visible everywhere!

With this functionality, Facebook can use various placements to achieve the best results for your campaign.

I’ll continue with the next part.

✔️Optimize the delivery of your ads.

✔️Set a cost control.

✔️Make a schedule for how long you want your ads to run in an ad set.

Run them continuously or just for a fixed period.

✔️Set ad set spend limits.

Choose either a daily or lifetime budget, whatever you prefer.

Several factors also play a role:

• How much money you’ve set for marketing: Spend what you can afford.
• Your product cost: Items with higher costs need higher ad spend.
• The goal you are optimizing: For example, sales-focused objectives such as purchases cost higher.
• Your average customer acquisition cost

Don’t forget to set a budget that meets your marketing goals.

The next step is...

✔️Choose when you get charged.

✔️Choose the hours and days of the week when your ads will run.

✔️Choose delivery type.

Ad delivery options include standard and accelerated.

Here's a breakdown so you know what to choose.

• Standard delivery - Displays your ads in a scheduled fashion.
• Accelerated delivery - Displays your ads quickly. 

Now that you've created an ad set, let's look at the ad level.

We're down to the wire now.

Let’s create your ad!

Ads are media you produce to reach your audience. 

As part of the Facebook ad creation process, you'll pick the creative media (images or videos), text, links, and call-to-action buttons.

Below are the choices you need to make when setting up an ad:

✔️Name your ad.

✔️Choose your identity.

Choose the Facebook page or Instagram account that will display your ads.

By doing so, you can increase brand awareness and social media presence, even if it is not your campaign objective.

Here’s the next step.

✔️Select your ad format.

Making a successful and effective first campaign can be tricky.

That’s why ad formats are so important.

It has different types, let me explain each one.

Single Image or Video Ads

We usually see these ads on our news feed.

Such Facebook ads are useful for advertising a particular product.

• Single Images

Marketing your brand through images is quick and easy.

That's why it's the most successful ad format. 

Single image ads work best especially if you’re on a low budget.

Or whenever you want an ad made right away.

So, how do you create one?

From your Facebook business page, you can create boosted posts that include an image ad.

You can also create one using Facebook Ads Manager.

• Videos

Boost your brand's visibility.

Attract your viewers' attention.

Video ads make all of this possible.

Use Facebook Ads Manager to create your video ads.

Or boost an existing ad with a video.

Now that you know how to create a video ad.

Probably one of your questions is, “How long should my video ad be?”

I recommend keeping videos for 15 seconds or less.

By doing so, you’ll be able to keep your audience engaged.

One more thing.

Always end your ad with a clear Call to Action (CTA).

Carousel

Planning to add more images?

Add as many videos as you like?

Carousel ads might be an excellent choice.

With carousel ads, you can display up to ten images or videos in one ad.

Each image or video has a link, title, and description. 

Scrolling through videos and images is easy.

Just swipe right or left!

Below are some suggestions for how to use it.

Promote a variety of products and direct visitors to a variety of landing pages.

You can also showcase a product from various angles.

Or if you would like to describe a process.

This can also offer training and tutorials.

The last option is to present a large image in multiple frames to provide a more immersive experience.

Collection

Interested in showcasing your products?

Let me show you the perfect ad format - try using collection ads!

A collection ad offers a full-screen view where you can upload a cover image or video.

Then your products are displayed below, which allows people to view and order them with ease.

Offering your visitors an enjoyable experience.

As well as converting interest into sales.

That's just amazing, right?

Dynamic Product Ads

Say you're browsing a store online and you're retargeted with the same product.

That’s a dynamic product ad!

It matches your Facebook pixel data with your Facebook product catalog.

Your website visitors will then see the products they viewed.

Or what they added to their shopping cart.

Amazing, isn't it?

Here’s how you create a dynamic product ad:

In case you haven't already set up your Facebook product catalog, how do you go about doing so?

Use your Facebook Business Manager account to create a Facebook product catalog for your business.

It’s under the Assets menu.

You then create a catalog using Facebook Pixel.

If you're using Shopify theme, add the Facebook sales channel.

Now, you can sync products to your Facebook ad account.

After creating your catalog, you can create your dynamic product ads.

Go to your Ad Manager, click Create a new campaign, and set the objective to Product Catalog Sales.

With this update, you can select your product catalog from the ads set level.

Also, you can choose who sees the relevant products.

Dynamic product ads can also get new prospects.

Facebook does this by showing products that might apply to your new prospects.

✔️Select image(s) or video.

✔️Create your text.

✔️Explore advanced ad choices.

Now, you’ve created your first ad on Facebook.

You should be proud of yourself.

Yet, it doesn't stop there.

Note: Before you proceed, make sure you’ve already signed in with your personal Facebook account… or the account you’ll use to manage the Business Page

A successful Facebook ad requires you to show the right message in front of the right audience. 

This is where Facebook’s absolutely massive data about its users will help you take your offer…

... and place it in front of people who care enough to buy it!

Now, I’ll share with you ways to create different Facebook audiences.

You’ll learn what retargeting audiences, custom audiences, and similar audiences are.

Last, we’ll identify the best targeting options you can use for your current situation

Let’s get started.

Have you noticed the ads that appear in your newsfeed?

Particularly those sponsored posts?

Did you know that these sponsored posts are part of a larger advertisement?

That's what you call a campaign!

A campaign is actually the first thing to do when you create your ads.

It's where you keep your ads.

Here's how the campaign structure looks.

Each campaign has an ad set. 

An ad set is where you find your audience, choose your targeting options, and set your budget, which includes the ads your users will see.

Let’s hold that thought for now. (We’ll discuss ad sets later.)

Let me show you how to create a campaign first.

Go to your Business Manager, click the Ads Manager.

Once you are redirected to the campaigns manager, click Create to get started.

An option to choose a campaign objective will appear.

Now, the question is...

How do you select the right campaign objective?

First things first, make sure you identify your campaign objective.

Choose the one that best fits your brand.

Because it will affect your campaign, how it’s optimized, how you pay for it, or select a type for different purposes.

There are three types of campaign objectives:

An effective Facebook campaign begins with the right setup.

The key to its success, however, is to monitor its performance and enhance it.

Especially if you wish to succeed on Facebook.

Check your Facebook ads at least once a day if you want to be successful on Facebook.

Once you increase your spending, it becomes more frequent.

The only problem is that you might try to change your targeting.

If you do not see any sales after a day, you can turn off your ads.

When you advertise on Facebook, you must be patient.

It may take some time for Facebook's advertising algorithm to optimize and learn who would be interested in what you are offering.

So, if you're not sure whether to turn off your ads.

I suggest you just wait.

Ensure it has at least 1,000 impressions before you invest more, shut it off, or test something else.

Here's how you can optimize your ads.

Creating a Facebook ad that converts can be tricky.

I'll make sure that doesn't happen to you.

Here are a few tips to create a high-converting ad:

Tip # 1 Browse the Facebook Ad Library

Don't know where to start?

Interested in knowing what your competitors are doing?

Here's how.

You can find a comprehensive list of Facebook ads currently running.

Facebook Ad Library gives you access to this.

So take advantage of it and search by name to find out what other brands are doing.

There, you can see how your competitors promote their products through their current ads.

That's pretty great, huh?

You can now use these details as inspiration for your ads.

Tip # 2 Be Genuine

Make sure you pay attention to your brand's voice when creating your ads.

Do you want it to be professional?

How about witty or funny?

You should take these things into account.

Be sure, however, that your ads must be genuine.

The more genuine your ads are, the more people will interact with them.

And more people will want to know your brand, product, or service.

Tip #3 Use Photos of People Using Your Product

It's quite common for us to see images or video ads in our News Feed.

This type of ad normally catches our attention.

I like ads that show people using the product.

As well as those that have eye-catching graphics.

You should definitely try it!

This will encourage people to check out your ad and click on what you're offering.

Tip #4 Concentrate on List Building

For first-time advertisers on Facebook, concentrate on list building.

Get prospects' email addresses by giving them freebies.

You can then nurture those leads using emails and Facebook ads. 

It's also a cost-effective way to sell your products!

Tip #5 Focus Most of Your Direct Sales on Retargeting

Aren't you frustrated when you watch a buyer get close to converting only to leave your website in the blink of an eye?

The only thing that would make them interested again is to get their attention and remind them why they were interested, to begin with.

Retargeting is one of the best ways to close sales that didn't take place!

On top of that, retargeting efforts are cost-effective.

Tip #6 Try Selling Through Webinars and Online Training

You can try selling through webinars and Online Training. You can help your customers gain new skills and at the same time introduce (or pitch) your products at the end This is what some marketers call “sell-ucation”

Tip #7 Try Selling Many Products at Once or In Bundles

You can increase the cost per sale this way. That means more bottom-line revenue for you!

Tip #8 Try Discount Codes for Retargeting

Catching the attention of your customers is easier when you offer discounts.

Discounts give customers value and they also become an advertising psychological trigger.

Tip #9 Retarget Previous Customers

Wouldn't it be great to build a business that lasts long?

For a long-term business to exist, your customers must remain loyal to your brand.

Apart from acquiring new customers, it’s equally important to retarget previous customers.

They’re your best audience since they already know how great your products are.

Tip # 10 Try Running Click-To-Messenger Ads

Did you know that your Facebook ad creates a conversation in Messenger on your business page if someone clicks it?

It's a way to connect with your potential buyers.

You can do this by placing your Facebook ads on Messenger.

Even better, you can create automated responses to your customer's questions.

You can easily address their inquiries and encourage them to buy.