Does it feel like you’re doing everything you can to let people know what you can do for them… and you’re not getting enough calls, people in the door, or online bookings? I get it. Been there, had a panic attack about it. I have a solution.

Paid advertising.

Before you have a panic attack about how much that might cost you or what all is involved in making that happen, let’s start with the basics.

What is paid advertising?

Paid advertising is when you are paying to get your ad in front of other people, usually with the goal of getting them to click on your website or other resource. You pay Facebook, Google, and other platforms to get your ad in front of people, and I’m sure you’ve seen the Sponsored posts on whatever platform you use.

Paid advertising isn’t the only type of advertising you should be using, either. You can use print advertising (flyers and mailers) and organic advertising (blogs, social media, etc.) to really get the word out. But when you’re ready to reach new audiences and target more of your specific ideal client, paid ads can be a great way to go.

Questions that come up with paid ads

Trust me when I say I’ve heard every question in the book when it comes to running ads for a wellness or health service business. What should you advertise? What should you spend? How do you know it’s working? What should you target? When will they start to work?

My answer to all of these questions? Listen to Michelle Fernandez’s Female emPOWERED episode! In it, she talks all about what to expect, what kind of results you can see, and how you can decide what to promote.

The biggest thing, though, is to accept that paid ads are a bit of a lab experiment. You’ll need to play with things like your audience and your ad copy to really find what works. I had to learn the hard way, but I want you to learn without all that stress and expense.

What you should really be asking

Ads might seem totally out of your wheelhouse, and I know that those questions I just shared might feel like they’re the right ones. But they’re actually the wrong questions to ask when you’re just starting out.

The right thing to focus on is the end goal. Michelle mentioned this in our episode, where she said “Start with the end in mind.” Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

Why are you running this ad or this campaign? What specifically is your goal?

Let’s say that you decide to run ads because you want to build your email list. Your goal is to grow your email list — from 50 to 100 people. Set that goal first, before you set goals for your ad. From there, you can design a strategy behind that goal, from start to finish. “Done” means you have 100+ people on that email list.

This can also help you decide what to promote. After all, if you’re building your email list, you’re not selling something. (A side note: Don’t start with ads to sell something. Start with value.)

You’ll need to speak to cold traffic — people who don’t know you, but who are your ideal audience. So think about ads that can help you build awareness, get your name out there. Maybe you want to promote a video series you created for new moms who’ve just had a baby, and all they have to do is drop their email. Maybe you’ve created a PDF of exercises for someone who wants to get rid of migraines. 

Whatever your specific niche is, create a freebie that someone will trade their email for.

Where are your ideal customers hanging out? What do they want?

Is your ideal client more of a Facebook user? Instagram? Or maybe they get their information from Google or news sites? This can tell you where to invest your money on paid ads — you don’t want to run Facebook ads to people who don’t really use Facebook!

How do you know where your ideal clients like to go online? Ask them. Send out a poll to your current clients, or you can ask them on Facebook or Instagram.

Then, really think about what your ideal client wants to see on these platforms. They don’t want to reduce tension in their knee, they want to dance at their grandkid’s barmitzvah. How can you create an ad that would hit home for them? 

From there, you can decide the format to share the message. Is it a video to help them work out their knee? Is it a quiz to help them assess their knee pain? Is it a PDF of exercises that they can use? Create ads that promote the resources you’ve made that shows people you get it — and you have what they want!

So… what are the 3 biggest mistakes when it comes to running ads?

#1 Not having a strategy

Remember to start with the end in mind — and to follow all the steps I shared above to create a strong plan!

#2 No follow-up 

The goal of your ad was to get an email or make contact with someone, right? Well, don’t just collect that information and do nothing with it! It’s up to you to close the sale. Once you have them on your email list or you’ve made contact, make sure you have a plan for the follow-up.

I personally recommend having a nurture sequence — a series of emails that welcomes them, delivers their freebie, and then lets them get to know you and your services/business over the course of about 5 to 6 emails. (I actually have a template and entire lesson on this in my 30-Day Build Your Biz Bootcamp.)

#3 Not tracking your results

If you’re not going to track how it’s going, you might as well throw your money down the drain. You’ll want to go back to Michelle’s episode to really get those metrics (and download our free checklist!). You’ll want to track things to make sure you don’t spend a fortune, and to target your ads as specifically as possible.

#4 Not giving it long enough to work

You wouldn’t tell someone you could cure their knee pain in one visit. People can’t say they tried something once and it didn’t work. Same goes for ads! Maybe that first flop was because you didn’t have a strategy or a proper setup, or because you tried to send your first ad ever to a cold audience, and it was to buy something from you. 

Remember: The goal isn’t to get a sale — it’s to get a lead. I really recommend running an ad 3 or 4 times before you really get to see what you need to tweak. You can improve images, copy, targeting, etc. based on the metrics!

Best practices when you start running ads

Want more tips on how to find success? Make sure you tune into the episode of Female emPOWERED. Here are a few tips, though:

• Align paid ads with other marketing efforts. Are you running ads for your video or freebie while also promoting it on your social media, email, etc.?

• Make an ad authentic and genuine. You don’t have to have those scammy-sounding ads (and most platforms will reject them). Make a connection.
• Do not use complicated language. “Idiopathic” isn’t a word to most people. They want to know you’re the solution to their problem, and they want you to say it in a way they understand.

Get started with Facebook Ads – with my free checklist!

My free Facebook Ads checklist helps you decide what your Facebook ad should be about, and how to start with your ads so you don’t miss any steps! Use it to plan out your next (or first!) Facebook ad campaign.