18 Facebook Ad Ideas to Boost Your Results

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Have your Facebook campaigns plateaued or even declined? Need to refresh your ads but don’t know where to start?

In this article, you’ll discover 18 ideas to bring new life to your Facebook ads.

5 Facebook Ad Ideas to Drive Traffic and Engagement​

First, let’s look at ways to engage potential customers or drive interested prospects to your website. These ads typically work best with the traffic and engagement objectives, which are available in the new Outcome-Driven Ad Experiences (ODAX) version of Facebook Ads Manager. If you’re using the older version of Ads Manager, try them with the traffic, engagement, and video views objectives.

#1: Sponsor a High-Performing Post​

When prospective customers are first getting to know your business, blog content can help them learn about your mission, get familiar with your products, or see how your company compares to the competition. Not sure which blog posts to link in your ads? Check your Facebook page’s analytics in Creator Studio.

The Distribution column shows which Facebook posts received above-average distribution in the feed. Posts with metrics multiple times above the norm typically have far more reactions, comments, or shares than other posts, meaning they’ve already proven popular with your audience.

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#2: Announce a New Product Launch​

Do you have a big announcement to make? Are you ready to launch a new product? Rather than repurposing an existing post, design a new ad with eye-catching creative and copy options. If you enable Dynamic Experiences at the ad level, you can rely on Meta to create various iterations of your ad, optimized for each user.

For example, the @BaboonToTheMoon Facebook ad below highlights the brand’s newest bag designs. The ad uses a colorful image and short, to-the-point copy that inspires customers to click through and browse.

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#3: Promote Your Podcast​

Do you want more people to tune into your company’s podcast? Although you can connect podcasts to your Facebook page to share new episodes, Ads Manager doesn’t allow you to promote those existing posts.

However, you can use a snippet from your podcast to hook potential customers. Turn one of your best podcast moments into an audiogram and promote it as a video ad. Whether you pursue interactions via the engagement objective or target downloads via the traffic objective, this tactic is a great option for attracting more listeners.

#4: Use Video to Introduce Your Business​

One of the biggest benefits of linking prospective customers to your site is getting the chance to add them to a website activity-based remarketing audience. But when building a remarketing audience is a key goal, you don’t necessarily have to send prospects away from Facebook. Instead, the engagement (or video views) objective offers a more affordable opportunity to attract new prospects.

With video ads, you can introduce your business while building an audience of interested people. Did one of your video ads tally thousands or millions of views? You can remarket to those users by creating a custom audience of people who watched your video. To target the most interested group, focus your custom audience on people who completed your video or watched more than half.

For example, the @Castlery Facebook ad below features a video slideshow that highlights the furniture brand’s newest arrivals. The video gives an engaging overview of the company’s furniture line, inspiring prospects to watch more, thus making them available for potential retargeting.

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#5: Boost a Facebook Live​

Facebook Live videos are also great candidates for generating interest and building remarketing audiences. Once you start a livestream, you can promote it to your target audience using the engagement objective, which can help you interact with more potential customers in real time.

Your livestream can continue providing value even after the event ends. To promote a past Facebook live, start with the engagement objective and use your existing post as the ad creative.

4 Facebook Ad Ideas to Generate Leads​

Once you’ve caught the interest of potential customers, a Facebook lead generation ad can help you gather more information while guiding them toward a purchase. These examples work best with the leads objective in the new ODAX version of Ads Manager. Depending on what you want to accomplish, they also work with the lead generation, messages, or conversions objectives in the older version of Ads Manager.

#6: Share a Useful Resource​

To get prospects to express interest in your business, it’s important to build trust. Sharing educational blog posts is a great start. But creating downloadable resources can be even more helpful, especially if your audience is dealing with complex problems.

Not sure what kind of resource to create? Identify the issue your audience struggles with most. Then think about the ways your company can help them approach it successfully. A guide to making smarter decisions or a checklist for getting started can provide much-needed insight while positioning your company as a trusted partner.

For example, the @SignWithEnvoy Facebook ad below includes a collection of helpful tips for businesses planning to reopen their offices. The ad uses a native lead generation form, which allows the company to collect prospects’ contact information in exchange for the guide.

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#7: Create a Lead Magnet​

Another way to build trust is to share thought leadership and industry insights. Does your company produce data-backed reports or develop white papers that your target audience would find useful? You can turn them into lead magnets that prospects can access by providing contact details or answering other qualifying questions.

For example, the @UPSCapitalInsuranceAgency Facebook ad below offers a post-experience shipping report geared toward eCommerce brands. The ad uses a native lead generation form so prospects can download the report seamlessly without leaving Facebook.

The @adaptavist Facebook ad below offers a downloadable guide to rethinking organizational culture. Prospects can click through the ad to enter their contact details and download the eBook. The company can use the provided contact details to qualify leads, which can streamline the lead nurturing process.

#8: Invite Prospects to a Webinar​

Some of the best gated content comes in the form of eBooks, guides, and reports. But lead magnets don’t necessarily have to be downloadable. Classes, webinars, and other online events can also attract leads, especially if they walk prospects through a problem or offer a solution your target audience can’t find elsewhere.

Live webinars and masterclasses can be particularly effective since they offer opportunities to connect in real time. Yet replays can offer just as much value, whether they cover evergreen topics or time-sensitive issues.

For example, the @neo4j.graph.database Facebook ad below invites the target audience to sign up for a webinar on supply chain optimization. To entice prospects to sign up, the ad copy and creative focus on the benefits attendees can get, including learning to predict risks and optimize efficiency.

#9: Provide a Product Preview​

Webinars are ideal for providing product walkthroughs and helping potential customers see how your service works. But what if prospects need hands-on experience with your product before they make a decision?

By offering a product demo or a free trial, you can give people an opportunity to try your product. This tactic can help get prospects in the door and it can also be useful for qualifying leads. Naturally, prospects who sign up for demos or trials are generally closer to making decisions than those who are just starting their research.

For example, the @sunsamahq Facebook ad below highlights the benefits of the brand’s productivity tool. The call to action invites prospects to try the tool free for 14 days—likely an irresistible offer for people who are actively searching for a productivity tool.

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7 Facebook Ad Ideas for Sales​

With a conversion-focused ad, you can turn those prospects and leads into customers. The ideas below work best with the sales objective in the new ODAX version of Ads Manager or with the conversions and catalog sales objectives in the older version of Ads Manager.

#10: Test a Tripwire​

Offering high-value content for free can be incredibly effective for lead generation. But not every introductory offer has to be complimentary, especially when you want to drive sales.

In many cases, a tripwire can be just as effective. With a tripwire, you can offer something valuable at an entry-level price, such as $10 or less. Because the price point is so low, your target audience won’t have to weigh the pros and cons or get approval for the expense.

Instead, prospects can simply make the purchase. Once they discover how much value you’ve provided, they may be more likely to make a larger purchase. Then you can follow up later with a cross-sell (see below).

#11: Publish a Customer Testimonial​

Another way to instill trust and inspire prospects to make their first purchase is by sharing customer reviews. When you repost reviews, you let your customers speak about their experience with your business, which can position your products more authentically.

For example, the @ShopItalic Facebook ad below includes a five-star customer review. The customer’s statement affirms the value that the company’s free offer provides, giving potential customers the nudge they need to try it.

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#12: Boost Your Brand’s Credibility​

Rave reviews don’t always have to come from customers. In your sales-focused ads, you can also feature a great press write-up, a comment from a media outlet, or even an award your product received. All of these accolades serve as social proof, which can boost your brand’s credibility and encourage your target audience to purchase.

#13: Address Customer Objections​

No matter what you’re selling, your target audience probably has a few common reasons why they’re on the fence. They may be concerned about the quality of your products or the locations where you source materials. They may want confirmation of your product’s durability or versatility so they can feel confident about their investment.

By addressing these objections, you can answer the lingering questions they have and encourage them to buy. For example, the @ZENBLife Facebook ad below clarifies that the pictured pasta is “made from 100% yellow peas and nothing else.” The ad also confirms that the product includes “no artificial ingredients” to allay any concerns about hidden additives.

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#14: Offer a Discount or a Freebie​

When price is the main objection, incentives like discounts and free items can also be helpful for convincing customers to take action. Since offering deep discounts on initial orders tends to decrease profit margins, it’s important to have a plan for turning customers into repeat buyers (see below).

For example, the @sijohome Facebook ad below highlights a 15% discount on first orders. The ad also mentions free shipping on orders over $65, combining two incentives into one compelling offer.

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#15: Convey a Sense of Scarcity​

As tempting as discounts and freebies can be, they may not drive prospects to purchase right away. After all, there’s no rush for them to buy, especially if they’re still actively researching.

When you want to encourage them to act more quickly, conveying a sense of scarcity can help. If you produced a limited quantity of a product or if you’re selling the last of your inventory, then it’s important that customers act before it’s gone.

For example, the @discoversuri Facebook ad below promotes a pre-sale for a new toothbrush. The ad specifies a “limited pre-sale,” suggesting that prospects may miss their chance to get the discount if they wait.

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#16: Make a Time-Sensitive Offer​

Creating a sense of urgency can be just as effective for getting prospects to act. If you have a time-sensitive offer, be sure to clarify when it ends or how many more hours or days customers have to take advantage. Using tools like countdown timers can help get the point across and elicit a fear of missing out.

2 Facebook Ad Ideas to Improve Customer Lifetime Value​

Finally, let’s look at ways to re-engage existing customers. By upselling and cross-selling, you can drive additional revenue and activate loyal customers.

#17: Upsell to Existing Customers​

When you upsell to existing customers, you can encourage them to consider a higher-value item than the one they’ve been considering. For example, you might promote a product set or a subscription to a customer who expressed interest in a single item.

If you have a product catalog linked to Ads Manager, you can upsell automatically using the sales objective. At the ad set level, select a retargeting audience and choose Upsell Products. Then retarget people who viewed or added items to their cart using a collection with higher-value items.

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#18: Cross-Sell to Happy Customers​

If you already have a long list of happy customers, you can cross-sell to encourage additional purchases. For example, they may need to replenish a used product or refresh a style.

You can cross-sell to customers using a similar workflow to the one above. At the ad set level, select Cross-Sell Products and choose a catalog. When adjusting the timeframe, keep your typical sales cycle in mind. If customers generally purchase every 30 or 60 days, expand the timeframe accordingly.

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Conclusion​

Whether you need to expand your retargeting pool or re-engage happy customers, you can choose from more than a dozen advertising tactics. With these Facebook ad ideas, you can refresh your copy and creatives and start optimizing campaigns for your most critical business goals.