How I Used Facebook Ads To Market for a Business
This week in Praxis, for practice we had to go out and learn a tool and then find a business that could be beneficial too. There were many different routes we could've gone with the project. We could’ve learned how to use Linkedin sales navigator for a business, use Canva to create branding, learn how to make video content into social clips, create an example of an ad for a business, use Zapier to automate a business process, or any other tool that could benefit a business. There were many different directions we could go with in this project, but I chose to go with the ad. I chose an ad because the martial arts school where I work there has not really been any marketing recently. I thought that creating an ad for the business could be a beneficial experience for myself and also benefit the business.
How did I create the ad?
First, I found the tool I wanted to use: Facebook ads. I chose Facebook ads because the school where I work has a large following on Facebook. I first had to get video clips of the Tae Kwon Do and what our program offers. I recorded clips of what our program looks like during classes and during our after-school program. After I spent two days just recording content, I was able to sift through all of it and start editing and picking which ones I wanted in the ad.
For editing I used iMovie. iMovie is a great editing app but is only available for ios or Mac. When starting the editing process, it made it much easier to come up with a layout of how I wanted the ad to look like. I know I wanted to keep it thirty seconds or less and wanted it to be mainly short clips of classes. Once I found the clips I wanted it was time to cut them down and find the best moment within each clip. Most of the clips were only a few seconds long because I wanted to fit a lot into the ad without boring the viewer. After I cut the clips down I needed to add transitions in between the clips and add small text during the ad, so the viewer could understand what they were looking at. At the end of the ad, I added text with the phone number and our website as well. Lastly, I added music that felt exciting, but also did not take away from the video and the sounds during the video. After I finished the ad, it was time to post it!
Posting it
For my Facebook ad I decided to post it and then boost the post, which is mainly the same thing as the ad. The only difference between the two is that with a boost post the post is on your account organically rather than just an ad. Once you click boost post or you will see this screen:
Once you are here you will need to change the audience you are targeting. Which for the company I was doing it for is adults because our main customers are parents of children. Then you have to choose the location you want your ad to reach, which for us we didn’t choose a huge radius because we wanted it to be in the area of our building location so it could be an easier commute. After that you choose how long you want to run it for and how much money you want to pay to run the ad. The more money you pay, the more that Facebook uploads it to other people's feeds and the more clicks you can get. One thing you can add is either a contact or learn more button, for mine it was a learn more button that takes you straight to our website. On the right side, you can see the total amount of money spent and for how many days the ad will be running for. You can also see the estimated clicks and an estimate of how many clicks you might get by the end of the week in total. After you edit all that, you are done, and you are ready to upload it!
If you would like to check it out click here
3 Takeaways:
Keep it short:
One thing I learned while creating the ad was I have to keep it short. Whether it is the clips or the whole video in general. Oftentimes you will see that ads are quick, short, and straight to the point. When creating my video I kept the videos very short and quick, so the viewer could see the whole program and what it might look like within thirty seconds. By adding quick clips of different things you have the viewer's attention the whole time because it is not just a long clip of something that becomes old and boring quickly. By doing this technique you give yourself a greater chance of people getting interested in your message from the ad.
Take a long clip rather than a perfect clip:
Another thing I learned was don’t focus on getting the perfect clip. I got advice when I was starting to record that I should take a longer video rather than a shorter perfect video. Because while editing and cutting clips you are more likely to find a better clip within a longer video rather than a short one. I found this technique to be really helpful because I was able to find just the right clips for my ad.
Look for improvements in your workplace:
Lastly, always look for improvements that can be made. Whether it is professional, personal, or any other aspects in your life. There will always be room to improve. For this case it had to do with the business I work for. They did not really have any marketing for their business. Creating this ad would be beneficial for the company, because it would help attract people to our school by seeing what our program looks like, but also as a learning opportunity.
Final thoughts and Results:
I loved all the editing and creating content for a business that could really use it.
Overall, I am very happy and proud of how the ad came out and maybe I’ll do more in the future.
So far it has been up for less than one day since I have posted it, and so far I have gotten 71 views, 6 likes, and 26 post engagement. In my results so far, you can see that most of my views have been from mothers. Something I might change in the future is just applying it to mothers and shortening the age gap a little bit.
Lessons I Learned from Stopping College
Through middle school, I would always get asked the question “what job do you want to do?” When I got to my freshman year of high school, that is when the question became way more frequent between me and my parents or counselor. In my junior year. The question “where do you want to go to college?” became the new frequent question. All my friends would be talking about what college they’re going to apply to and how we should all go to the same college. That was their dream but not mine. I never enjoyed school but always passed easily until COVID hit.
The year of 2020 was probably the worst year of my life. I was barely passing. And I was struggling mentally and in most of my classes. It felt like a part of me had left, but something that never left was the question “where do you want to go to college?” and “what do you want to be?” I always knew that I did not want to go to college, but my family pushed me to go to a community college.
I started college in 2021. College, to me, was like the same thing as highschool, where you sit and listen to a teacher speak for hours. Then, you were judged by how well you did on a test of everything that you were told. I never knew what I was doing and what career I wanted to go in. I didn’t want to waste years and lots of money doing something that I felt absolutely no passion towards. I lasted a semester and a half at the community college. And when I told my family they were unhappy and were not supportive whatsoever. They kept telling me this is a “mistake” or “you are going to regret this later.” I also moved out of my family’s house in 2021 to move to a better environment for me. I never really had support from my family, but at my new house I had a lot of support in my decision to quit college and figure myself out while finding my own path. I was also supported. To explore different interests that I had been previously told were not viable career paths. Throughout most of my highschool years, and up until now, I have been working at a Tae Kwon Do school where I also trained. After I stopped college. I was focusing on work and what I wanted to do. This whole experience has taught me alot and transformed who I am as a person both in my confidence, perspective, and ability to learn and grow.
Trust your gut
Through this experience, I learned you have to trust your gut. Everyone around me at the time was telling me how great college is for you and how it is the only way to get a good job. Deep down I knew this was not the only way, but it was the only way they knew how to be successful. I had no confidence. At the time, I was confused and was unsure of what other options I had. Instead of committing and suffering through the whole college route, I decided I am going to take control of my career and my own life. Yes, things are going to be uncomfortable or scary at first but you shouldn’t put yourself in a situation because everyone else is telling you it’s the right idea. Instead, you should trust what your gut and brain are telling you because if I did not stick with my gut I could still be in college, not even working towards a career where I feel any passion, and finally graduating with a pile of debt to show for it.
Do not always listen to the negativity
A healthy and constructive environment is essential to growth. Just like a flower. It is essential to have sun, water, good soil, and warm temperature to grow, humans need encouragement, praise, and affirmation. In my situation, I learned that you don’t have to listen to negative feedback, especially since it wasn't constructive. Constructive criticism is necessary. But to that you should pay attention. However, what I heard from people was often just tearing down my ideas or dismissing my thoughts before I ever got an opportunity to try it and I was often told I didn’t know anything because of my age and lack of experience. Thankfully, I entered a better learning environment. This environment helped me grow. And find what I love, and test things out and I was also able to find someone who supported my decisions without judgment, while still offering constructive criticism where necessary.
You have time
When I first told them, I thought what they were saying was true and that I’ll regret it later. I thought I had to rush to figure out what I wanted to do, but I realized that doesn’t matter. I have time. To test what I enjoy and to learn in a different way. I am in the time of my life where it is probably one of the best times to really test out and figure out what excites me. Going through school you don’t learn what excites you, you learn what you think excites you until you get into that actual workforce, and realize this is not for you. I grew up in a wealthier area. So a lot of parents push for colleges in the community and most of them think if you get into a big name college, you will be set for the rest of your life.
Takeaways
It is crazy to think how one small or big decision can have such a major impact on someone’s life. For me that big decision was quitting college. And trusting my gut that this was the right decision for me. If I did not quit college, I probably would have never ended up in Praxis or where I am today. Yes, it was scary at first. But I learned that I have the time to figure it out and there is no need to rush. Lastly, don’t keep yourself in an unhealthy environment because everyone experiences things differently, but this experience was something that I learned many lessons from.
Written by Erick Perez-Nagle
Sample Sales Email
This week one of my deliverables in Praxis was creating a sales email. Below is an example of a sales email that I created for the Apogee Strong program.
Subject: Are you ready to become the leader you were born to be?
Are you or do you know a young man who needs mentoring from some of the best male role models on the planet? Do you have a male leader in your life? Do you understand the importance of holding yourself to the highest standards possible? Every young man has the potential to be the leader they were born to be and here at Apogee Strong we will equip you with the tools needed to reach your full potential.
A majority of the population is content being a follower and observer. A very small amount of the population become leaders. Majority of the population look for easy routes, don’t do anything that is difficult or scary, and at the end of the day they become unhappy and unsatisfied with what they haven’t accomplished.
Our purpose is very important for us as humans to find. When we don’t find our purpose we lead down a career or a life we don’t want and are not excited about. People who are leaders are leaders because they have found their purpose.
Leadership affects your whole life whether that be your family, relationships, job, business.
This program is designed to help create strong men and tomorrow's leaders.
Once you invest your time into this program, you will learn the necessary tools - like good habits, discipline, and clear reasoning - to become a leader and stand out from others. You will learn how to think and how to become a leader in all areas of your life.
So if you are looking to become a leader to improve your life and be the change the world needs then you can click the link below to start your JOURNEY.