Advertising on Facebook is big business, both for Facebook itself and for companies that successfully utilize it to reach their audiences. In the 2nd quarter of 2015 alone, Facebook generated almost 4 billion dollars in ad revenue, and just under 3 billion of those dollars were from mobile ads. What makes so many businesses confident in allocating parts of their marketing budgets to promote Facebook ads? It is most likely because of Facebook’s advanced targeting options, huge user base and ability to produce positive marketing results. Whatever the motivation, companies should also focus on how to optimize the ROI of Facebook ads by making the most of the platform’s capabilities. Here are six clever tricks to getting more bang for your buck: 

1. Narrow your target audience. Facebook has a far reach and you want to take advantage of that user base, but sometimes more isn’t better. You will get a higher ROI and better marketing results when you narrow your target audience to those most likely to click through to your website. Use Facebook's Lookalike feature to easily target Facebook users that mimic your current audience. This capability is especially helpful if you want to reach new consumers that are likely to be interested in your brand.

2. Create an easy conversion path. People are on Facebook to socialize, not make a purchase. Since this is the case, any click through to your website is great. Don’t waste that visit with a hard sell, as you will lose more potential customers than gain new ones. Instead, ask new site visitors for their information, such as an email address, in exchange for a newsletter or another piece of content like an eBook. If they take the time to do this, you can count them as a valuable lead and work them through your sales funnel. This is easily achieved by immediately sending users who click on your ads to a landing page that has a form where they can provide their information in exchange for content, etc.

3. Optimize your landing pages. Consider this: you have a great Facebook ad that generates tons of clicks throughs, but for some reason your audience leaves the landing page within moments of their arrival. Why? It’s probably too cluttered or doesn’t demonstrate the value of filling out the form in exchange for the content, coupon, product, etc. Make sure that your landing page is clean, easy to read and shows the viewer why your brand is worth trusting. Use different landing pages for different ads to test which combination generates the most ROI.

4. Integrate data and customer lists. Use Facebook’s Custom Audience feature to upload your customer and email lists into your targeted audience. You can also use this feature to target anyone who has visited your site within a given time period, i.e. the last 30 days. By using this capability, your target audience includes people who are at least aware of your product/service, have shown an interest in it or have used it in the past. This is a great tool because it can cost up to 10 times more to acquire new customers than it does to retain current ones.

5. Use relatable messages and images in your ads. Since you target such a specific audience with Facebook ads, make sure you strive to specifically catch their attention so they are more likely to click and visit your website. The more relevant your message and graphics, the more likely users will be to take the time to click and find out what you’re offering them. And, don’t forget about quality! If you use blurry, pixelated, images, you’ll negatively represent your brand. Also, keep in mind that Facebook’s color scheme is blue and white, so avoid those colors to keep your ad from blending into the background. Stand out, and be relevant!

6. Test your ads per audience segment. If you have a wide age, gender or ethnicity range in your audience, one ad will not be as effective as several different ads that reach each segment of your target market. Try different images and layouts per each segment to see which ads get the most click throughs and engagement. If you aren’t getting the marketing results you want, try promoting a different ad within the segment and see if it increases audience engagement.

Take Advantage of a Kick-Butt Platform

To truly make a positive impact on your marketing results, you need to focus on how to increase your conversion rates, not just on how to get in front of the right people. These tips not only shed light on how to take advantage of Facebook’s targeting features, but also demonstrate how to engage users more frequently by implementing a few best practices. Facebook’s ad revenue proves that companies buy into its effectiveness, but in the end it’s up to you to make sure your efforts do more than just put an ad in front of the right people — you must get them to act, as well.