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Creating a Powerful Instagram Reels Ad in 4 Steps

Source / Alexander Shatov on Unsplash

Creating a Powerful Instagram Reels Ad in 4 Steps

In mid-June, Instagram introduced Reels ads, a new way to reach customers and grow your audience. It’s intended to reach users who aren’t following your account yet, instead of ads targeting people who already follow your account. Reels ads officially launched a couple of months after their April announcement that they would start testing them in Australia, Brazil, Germany, and India. According to the statement, nearly all Instagram users follow a brand on the platform, and many of them use Reels to find new businesses and creators.

Reels ads are full-screen and vertical, and they show up in between single, non-ad Reels on Instagram. However, to be shown an ad, the user has to be in watching Reels in full-screen. Like regular Reels, the short-form video ads will loop, and they can be up to 30 seconds long. Users can comment, like, save and share Reels ads, too, just as they do with other Instagram posts. And they can also skip, hide and report ads if they don’t like what they see (which is the same for all types of Instagram ads).

It’s unclear how often each user will see a Reels ad, but it will likely vary based on how much that specific user is on Instagram.

Before we talk more about making powerful Instagram Reels advertisements, let’s make sure you understand what Instagram Reels are.

What Are Instagram Reels?

Instagram Reels are relatively new – they were announced in August 2020. Reels seem to be Instagram’s version of TikTok – you can record

and edit 30-second videos (which can include multiple clips, if you want), and you can add audio and effects to them.

Reels can be shared with your followers via the feed, as opposed to Stories, which have a designated area at the top of Instagram. To indicate that content is a Reel, you’ll sometimes see this icon on the top-right:

Source / @potterybarn

Reels can also be found in the dedicated tab on Instagram’s homepage, the Explore page, and Stories. Plus, there’s a section of your profile where all of your Reels can be accessed:

Source / @instagram

How to Create an Instagram Reels Ad

Right now, Instagram doesn’t have any unique templates for creating a Reels ad, possibly because they assume that creators already know how to make Instagram Reels. Instagram Stories ads have been around for a while, after all, and TikTok has, too. For many, the medium isn’t foreign.

That said, before you jump into creating Reels for your Instagram ads campaign, you should play around with making regular, non-ad IG Reels. Instagram has an excellent overview of how to create and share Reels to get you started.

When you’re ready to create a Reels ad, do the following:

Go to your Ads Manager, which you’ll access through Facebook.Set an objective for your ad.Choose your general ad settings, like your budget and when you want them to run.Select Manual Placements, then choose Instagram and Instagram Reels.On the next page, you’ll upload your video and select a few more settings, like which Instagram account to connect the ad to.Once you’re finished, publish the ad.

Ads Manager has a ton of options, which means there’s a pretty steep learning curve. If this is your first time using the system, set your budget low as you get familiar with all of the settings and what they mean for performance and spending.

4 Tips for Creating Instagram Reels AdsHighlight a moment

Reels ads are pretty short, capping at 30 seconds. If your scope for the content is too broad, you’ll create a vague, uninteresting ad. Instead, focus your Instagram Reels advertisements on a single moment: ideally, one that has the potential to go viral. Whatever it is you’re sharing – an event, an announcement, behind-the-scenes footage – pick out the most important or outstanding part of it.

Add sound

For Instagram Reels, audio is important. This is its most defining characteristic compared to Stories content, which should function with the sound off. It is also another way that Reels are similar to TikTok, where half of the experience is the audio. When creating a Reels ad, add music that you have the license for or add original audio attributed to your brand. Also, be aware of your global audience. You may want to create different ads with their own audio to match the location where you’re promoting them in.

Research your competition

Which of your competitors are creating Reels, and what is the audience reaction to them? Pay attention to the Reels that your target audience engages with the most, then use that information to decide the type of content you should focus on. For example, throwback content may not perform very well, but bite-sized tips for getting more out of a product or service may get a lot of comments or shares.

Bonus Tip: On top of researching your competitors, you can also check out how influencers in your industry are creating Reels.

Prioritize quality over quantity

You don’t have to create a lot of Reels or Reels ads to have an impact on your audience. Just one ad can get a ton of views, so focus more on the quality of the content you put out than how many you create. You also don’t want to detract from Instagram’s other powerful content types and ads, like regular feed photos, IGTV, and Stories.

Wrapping Up

Just like TikTok content, IG Reels appeal to a younger audience. If that’s your audience – or it’s a segment you want to engage with more – adding Reels to your Instagram advertising strategy can help increase your reach and brand awareness. Remember, though: Reels are for short-form content. If your advertising on Instagram focuses on long-form content – or you’re using Reels to tease a longer video – you can use IGTV.

Want to get even more out of your platforms? Check out our article about using social media to drive customer retention.

How to Go Live on TikTok

It’s very easy to go live on TikTok. By tapping a few buttons on your screen, you can broadcast your actions to thousands of people on the go. TikTok is a powerful social media app. On TikTok, you can build a fantastic community of people. One of the best ways to engage those following you is by going live. 

Not everyone can use TikTok Live. There are requirements you must meet before going live on TikTok. Once you meet these requirements, as a TikTok user, you can engage your viewers and grow your audience. 

For first-time users, going Live may not come naturally. But in this brief guide, we’ll intimate you with the step-by-step process of the TikTok live stream. 

REQUIREMENTS TO USE TIKTOK LIVE

The requirements to go live on TikTok are pretty stringent regarding age and follower count, unlike most other social media platforms. But these policies ensure quality content sharing on the TikTok app and a safe, fun environment for the platform’s community: 

You must be at least 16 years old.You must have at least 1000 followers as a TikTok user. 

The above are the two essential features that make the TikTok Live function available to you. However, more Live features accrue to those above 18 years. For example, users between 16 and 18 cannot use the ‘gift’ feature on TikTok. 

How to Use TikTok Live

Once you get the TikTok Live feature, here is a rundown of how to do your first Live Stream and more. 

Step 1: Open the TikTok app on your phone. You most likely already have a TikTok account. Sign in. Step 2: At the bottom of your screen, click the Create (+) button. Step 3: The swipe to the Live ButtonStep 4: Pick any image and create a title for your LivestreamStep 5: When set, click on ‘Go Live’

Voila! You are Live on TikTok. If you want to make any setting change, click on the three dots at the screen’s bottom. But, before you go try out the TikTok live video feature, let’s take a look at how you can make the most of the sessions. 

Make the Most of TikTok Live & Get Followers

As with every other social media platform, the aim is to grow your following. Some persons are on TikTok for fun. However, if you need to grow your followers and get more likes, TikTok Live can help. It’s not just about clicking on the live button and doing whatever; there are tricks and tips to make the most of the feature. 

Choose the Best Time 

Many persons wonder when the best time for TikTok Live is. As the user, you need to figure this out on your own. First, though, there are general assumptions of the best time to post anything on TikTok. The most critical factor in determining time is knowing when your followers engage the most. Do your TikTok Live when you notice them be most active. You can study this over one or two weeks. 

Join a Challenge

By doing your TikTok Live in response to a hashtag, more people will likely find you. When you create a live video with a hashtag, people click on other posts and find yours in related content. When they see you and like your content, they stay. 

Show behind the Scenes

As a creator, your audience is interested in seeing the behind-the-scenes of your content creation process.. Showing behind-the-scenes clips can go a long way in building a deeper connection with your followers.  

Final Take

Going live on TikTok is easy if you meet the age and follower minimums. . Despite hitting the requirement, you have lots of work to do if your TikTok live will translate into better engagement and followers. But you’ll never know if TikTok live will work if you don’t try. So give it a shot now!

You Can Hide Likes On Instagram Now—but Should You?

One of the more controversial decisions that Instagram has made recently was allowing users to hide the number of likes they receive. The social media platform made this decision to curb the competitiveness of the app and protect the mental health of its users. However, if you use Instagram a help promote yourself and your brand, this update begs an important question:

You can hide likes on Instagram, but should you?

Does hiding likes impact Instagram’s algorithm?

Whenever we talk about Instagram strategies, we need to start with the algorithm.

If you’re not familiar, the Instagram algorithm decides what content gets seen by who. Every time you log onto Instagram, the algorithm is in charge of filling your feed with other people’s posts and determining what you see as you scroll. The algorithm works by looking at your past behavior, making a sweep of all available content, and then evaluating each post to predict how interesting it will be to you. The algorithm then shoots posts that it expects will be the most interesting to you straight to the top of your feed. 

If you’re a regular user, this just means you have a more personalized feed. If you’re a creator, brand, or influencer, though, understanding how the algorithm works ensures you’re making content it determines feed-worthy. It’s the difference between walking to your destination versus taking a high-speed train.

The Instagram algorithm ranks content based on factors like:

RelationshipInterestTimelinessFrequency of useFollowing Session time

In other words, the algorithm takes many different factors into account when deciding to show your content to others, so likes clearly aren’t everything. And if you decide to hide likes on your posts, the algorithm will still use the same factors to find high-quality, personalized content for Instagram users.

However, likes are still the easiest way for you to get a glimpse of how well your posts are performing, what kind of posts they like more than others, etc. In a way, it’s your indicator that the algorithm is picking up on a few of these more subtle factors you can’t observe on your own. By hiding likes, you’re not changing how well your posts are received or how well the algorithm picks it up; you’re merely drawing the curtain on this window into your content’s performance to avoid the impact that has on you personally.

So that being said, should you hide your likes or not?

Is it a good idea to hide your likes?

Now that hiding your likes is an option, it might be worth giving it a try for a little to see how it works. Additionally, your mental health is far more important than social media stats, no matter how influential your account is or you want it to be. So if numbers aren’t a concern to you or if your priorities need to shift to protect your emotional wellbeing, hide those likes! 

But if you’re in the latter category, consider coming back once you find yourself in a better headspace. Instagram is an app that’s all about connecting with others and building relationships, after all. As trivial as it may seem at times, seeing who is liking and connecting with other people’s content is a big part of the app’s user experience. Even if you don’t get a lot of likes on your content, it’s not anything to be ashamed of. It’s likely your page just hasn’t been around for long enough, your content needs to be improved, or you need to give it a little more time. Your focus should be on creating quality content, not likes (or trying to hide them).

Growing your Instagram following is like picking up a new hobby or skill;  starting out can be intimidating, and it’s easy to compare yourself to people who have been doing it for years. It might seem like a good idea to stop tracking your progress so that you have nothing to compare yourself to. But believe it or not, people (even strangers) enjoy watching you progress over time. It’s much better to share your growth and success with others and allow them to be a part of it than it is to try and hide your progress.

Because just like Instagram’s algorithm, your posts and following are going to continue to progress in the same way for the same reasons, even if you hide the likes that prove it.

For more tips on how you can continue to build your Instagram following, check out “How To Build A Strong Instagram In 2021 And Beyond.”

Amazon Sponsored Display Ads Are Now on Twitch

Last month, Amazon launched Sponsored Display ads on Twitch, a popular live-streaming platform. 

Amazon has been continuously expanding Sponsored Display ads to a few of its other subsidiaries, such as Kindle. Featuring Sponsored Display ads on Twitch is an exciting development for sellers that are invested or interested in Amazon advertising; the streaming platform has untapped potential for brands to reach a wide audience that is rapidly growing, and Amazon’s tools for Sponsored Display ad campaigns make it easier than ever to do.

What are Sponsored Display Ads?

Sponsored Display is an advertising tool that leverages omnichannel marketing for vendors and sellers on Amazon. It offers more flexibility and accessibility to those who might not have the budget, time, or resources to use display advertising otherwise. It can also be used in conjunction with Amazon DSP to boost their ad campaigns by reaching new audiences and/or targeting specific products.

Why Advertise on Twitch?

Twitch boasts 30 million daily visitors on average – a 19.2% increase from last quarter. Better yet, their audience is highly engaged. Last month, they watched over 1.9 billion hours of content from millions of unique streamers. The global community revolves largely around gaming, e-sports, and music. However, as Twitch continues to gain popularity, its variety of content increases accordingly; channels streaming art projects, podcasts, or even just casual conversations have gained a following in Twitch’s rapidly-growing “IRL” category.  

In other words, having Sponsored Display ads on Twitch isn’t exclusively beneficial to sellers and brands targeting young gamers. Though the majority of the platform’s users are 34 or younger, there are a variety of communities and interests that Sponsored Display ads can tap into — and they’re large enough to give sellers TV-level reach.    

Sponsor Display ads will be placed on Twitch’s Browse and Discovery pages, and will only be available to ad campaigns based in the following countries: USA, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. 

Want to boost your Amazon ads to maximize sales? Subscribe to our newsletter to get top-tier insights for advertising on Amazon, Facebook, Instagram, Google, and more!

3 Tips For Using Remix on Instagram Reels

It seems like about twice a day there is another Instagram update that either alters the way the app looks or adds entirely new functionality. Due to the constant updates, it can be easy to naturally start to ignore them. While ignoring new updates may not matter for most run-of-the-mill software updates, Instagram’s newest Remix feature is definitely one that you should spend some time learning about.

This article will take a look at three tips for using Remix on Instagram reels.

What does the Remix feature do?

You should already be familiar with Instagram’s Remix tool if you’ve ever used TikTok’s duet feature, as it’s essentially the same thing. If not, Instagram’s new Remix feature allows you to incorporate other people’s reels into your own posts via a split-screen. The other person’s original reel will appear on the left and you will be able to create a new reel that plays alongside the old one. 

Now, let’s take a look at three tips for using the Remix feature.

Invite your audience to interact with you

Duets were one of the biggest features that made using TikTok feel more like a social experience, instead of just a passive video watching experience. They directly let people interact with each other, participate in challenges, and share their reactions to other videos. They are definitely part of the reason why TikTok has become so wildly popular.

Keep all of this in mind when you are creating Remixes on Instagram and encourage your audience to share and participate in your reel. Encouraging people to remix your reel (or creating content that is easily remixable) opens up your videos to the possibility of going viral. The first step in doing this is to make sure that the Remix feature is actually turned on, which has to be done manually before posting a reel.

Let your creativity show

In social media, it seems like challenges and “meme formats” dominate the landscape. By this, we mean that a framework emerges for creating successful content so people take this framework but tweak it slightly to make it their own. This phenomenon was first seen during the Harlem Shake phase, where everyone took the framework of a video idea and altered it just slightly to make it unique. While it’s important to participate in challenges and viral movements when they come along, don’t forget to always bring your own ideas to the table.

To do this, really think about what sets your online brand apart and how you can use a Remix to exemplify that. This could be anything from humor, sophisticated editing, education, or opinionated pieces. Platforms are saturated with generic content so set yourself apart by being original.

Always include closed captions

This may sound like a minor or obvious tip but it’s so incredibly important that it might be the most critical on this list. A huge majority of people don’t have sound on when they’re scrolling through reels. Making sure that you have closed captions on will make a huge difference in whether they stop and watch or simply scroll past. 

We hope that you’ve found this article valuable when it comes to understanding 3 tips that you can use for using Remix on Instagram reels. If you are interested in learning more Instagram tips and tricks, check out our article on building a strong Instagram account, or subscribe to our newsletter below!

Amazon’s New Feature Lets You Contact Unhappy Customers with Bad Reviews

Amazon sellers were shocked to find a casual message on their dashboard recently, which informed them of the platform’s new feature: the option to message and even offer refunds/reimbursements to negative reviewers. This “Contact Buyer” button came out of the blue, with no official press or testing ever being announced by Amazon regarding this decision. 

Now that it’s here, how do you contact negative reviews on Amazon Seller Central? How does it allow you to contact a specific Amazon reviewer? And lastly, how could this help you improve your seller feedback and boost sales?

When can Amazon’s Contact Buyer Feature be used?

Not every seller on Amazon has access to this new feature. The company has only given the option to sellers enrolled in Amazon Brand Registry. Additionally, not every customer review will have the “Contact Buyer” option. There are two main criteria to determine which customers you can contact using Amazon’s new feature. Firstly, the review has to be critical (i.e. 1-3 stars). Secondly, they have to be from a verified purchase. 

How to Contact a Bad Review on AmazonFirst, you need to see your product reviews on Amazon Seller Central. To do so, select the “Customer Reviews” button under the Brands Menu.Search through your product reviews. Identify reviews of specific products by entering their Amazon Standard Identification Number (ASIN) in the search bar. Find a customer review that is 3 stars or less. Click the “Contact Buyer” button located at the top right of the review. Note: there is a glitch that results in this option being unavailable despite the review meeting the criteria. However, this minor glitch is easily fixable after being reported.After selecting “Contact Buyer,” you should see a window with two options: Courtesy Refund, or Customer Review.

Courtesy Refund

The courtesy refund option allows sellers to offer the reviewer a full refund for their item or a replacement item. Once you select “Courtesy Refund,” a review window will appear including a template message to the buyer, product information, order ID, and more. The customer then has the option to either respond “Full refund” or “Replace item” depending on their preferences.

Customer Review

Similarly, if you select the “Customer review” option, a second window pops up including the customer’s information and product information, but with a different message template. Instead of offering refunds or replacements, this template quotes the review the purchaser left on your product and prompts the customer to respond anonymously to the brand’s inquiry.

Contacting Critical Amazon Customers: Is it Worth it?

Though many might rejoice at the thought of being able to change the hearts of their customers to get a better review, others remain wary, and for good reason. Contacting critical reviewers to offer refunds or reimbursement is now both encouraged by and prohibited by Amazon simultaneously. In fact, their official policies on customer reviews still state that it is a violation if “…a seller offers to provide a refund or reimbursement after the buyer writes a review (including reimbursement via a non-Amazon payment method). This could be done via buyer-seller messaging on Amazon or directly contacting customers or using 3rd party services, websites, or social media groups.”

This leaves brands in a confusing middle ground when it comes to using the “Contact Buyer” feature. Secondly, this option could easily change buyer-seller relationships on the platform or perhaps even create a toxic environment. Brands could be incentivized to lose out on profits to please upset customers, and opportunistic individuals could become incentivized to leave negative reviews in return. 

However, others are extremely happy with the ability to contact negative reviewers. Many devoted brands have longed to be able to make things right with unsatisfied purchasers, and it could do wonders for a brand’s reputation to turn a 1-star reviewer into a loyal fan. Previously, sellers had no option but to accept negative reviews unless they violated Amazon’s guidelines. Brands now have the choice to take action, communicate, and maybe even turn ranting reviews into raving ones.

The impact of this new feature has yet to be seen, and it’s likely Amazon will make adjustments to it in the future. Regardless, now that sellers have this ability, they should consider its impact on their customer service strategy, and keep it in mind when creating a top-notch Amazon marketing strategy.

6 Creative Tools to Level Up Your YouTube

If your brand isn’t using video for marketing yet, it’s definitely time to get on top of the trend. As much as 60% of businesses are now using video as a marketing tool, and 50% of marketers who use video have been doing so for at least a year. Some brands are putting out videos several times a week, and a few are even putting new ones out daily.

Video content can help you do everything from raise awareness and engage with your audience to build trust and drive sales. And while you can post video to platforms like Instagram and Facebook, YouTube has the best ROI.

Knowing you need a presence on YouTube is only part of the battle, though. Actually being able to create video content is tough, especially if you don’t have an in-house team at the ready. (P.S. You’re not alone there – 17% of marketers have to completely outsource video creation, and nearly half of marketers use some sort of software or tool for making videos. Few people are bona fide videographers!) Luckily, these six tools and services will help you stay competitive.

Kaizen Ad

If you already have existing photo and video content that you need converted into ads for YouTube, Kaizen Ad can help. Bonus: Their ads are optimized for mobile, so you won’t be excluding that entire segment of viewers.

Instead of using templates, actual designers will take your collateral and turn it into YouTube video ads. In less than a week, you can have multi-format ads at your fingertips, ready to run on YouTube. And if you don’t like what you see at first, you can ask for up to two rounds of modifications.

The process is simple. You’ll explain what you want to a Customer Success Manager, and then a creative brief will be created. Creative professionals, called Optimizers, are assigned to your brief based on their background, and in one week, you’ll receive the video and submit any modification requests to the Optimizers.

Tongal

With Tongal, you can connect with other Creators to share your ideas and get inspired. Who are the Creators in the community? They’re animators, editors, directors and writers – basically, every type of talent you need to create compelling video content for YouTube (and other social media sites, like Instagram, too).

By subscribing to Tongal, you’ll have unlimited access to a creative team, plus online tools to improve your workflow. After letting Tongal know your most urgent creative need (for example, maybe you need an animator for a video), they’ll create a brief for the community. Then, creatives will pitch you their vision by doing something like submitting a treatment or showing you a relevant piece from their portfolio. You can greenlight the creator(s) you like best.

Genero

Genero is aimed at marketers and marketing teams, offering a Professional creative network, a software platform and efficient workflow tools. Genero helps you scale your creative resources without hiring more in-house personnel or increasing your overhead by too much, and their efficient management tools let you oversee the entire process, from the brief to production.

The creatives who are part of Genero are located around the world and are proficient in creative, marketing and/or production. Like with Tongal, you’ll upload your creative brief to Genero and receive pitches, which you can choose based on the one(s) you like best. Your in-house team can then work with those you’ve partnered with through Genero to create the most compelling YouTube content you’ve put out yet.

Thanks to platform partnerships with YouTube and other social and streaming brands, your videos will always follow the necessary best practices, too.

SmartShoot

If you know that you need to create YouTube content but you don’t have an in-house or freelance photographer and/or videographer to depend on, SmartShoot may be the solution you’re looking for. You can get customized images and videos created specifically for your brand and with your guidelines in mind.

Through SmartShoot, you can connect with photographers and filmmakers around the world. And the content you receive is scalable, too – web-based tools mean you can collaborate, monitor, edit and download everything, and you’ll also be able to keep it safe with cloud storage.

With SmartShoot, you actually have two options. The first is to use their service to handle the entire photo and/or video creation process for you. The second is to use their tools with your own photographers or videographers.

VidMob

VidMob helps you create better ads so that your budget can go further and you can get better results. What VidMob has that other platforms don’t have (or that they at least don’t put front and center) are excellent monitoring tools. You’ll be able to check your creative health score to see how your own ads are performing and how you compare to the competition. You can then use those insights to change ads that are mid-campaign to quickly improve the results.

The Agile Creative Studio is where your best recommendations will live. You’ll be able to get actionable insights that give you suggestions for improving your ads in the moment and get the boost you want right away.

Creadits

Access creative talent from around the world with Creadits. Their strategists, directors and producers will take your concept and turn it into a YouTube ad that will deliver results. The best part is that Creadits has some of the most well-rounded teams of any service on this list. They go far beyond photographers and videographers to bring you professionals experienced in:

3D animationCinematicsConcept artCopywritingHTML5 playable adsLive shootingLocalizationMotion graphicsStoryboardingVoiceovers

They don’t have standard plans to choose from. Instead, they customize plans per client based on how many ideations and assets are needed.

Are you ready to elevate your fantastic YouTube content even more? We have a lot of help on our blog, including how to boost channel subscribers and engagement using giveaways, tips for analyzing the most important YouTube metrics and how to increase your subscriber number.

Facebook Retargeting Strategies You Haven’t Tried Yet

We all love online shopping for one reason or another, but how many times have you laid in bed, adding item after item to your cart, only to leave it be and not actually buy anything? For brands, those abandoned carts are new opportunities to connect with potential customers. And there are other similar chances to reach out to an almost-customer, too.

FabFitFun / Facebook Ad Library

As an advertiser, you have to be savvy and creative to get those potential customers back and converted. That’s where retargeting strategies come in – and Facebook makes it easy to run these sorts of campaigns.

In this article, we’re going to cover Facebook retargeting strategies that you can use to reel in would-be customers who are close to converting.

Note that while there are differences between remarketing and retargeting, for our purposes, we’re going to use the terms interchangeably.

What Are Remarketing Facebook Campaigns?

Remarketing campaigns show customized ads to users who have already somehow engaged with your brand. How do they do that? Whenever a user visits your landing page, social media page or website, their browser logs a cookie or pixel. You can then digitally follow them around the web, showing them content that’s targeted right to them – like ads for the exact items they left in their cart.

If a potential customer somehow got off of their customer journey and stopped traveling through your sales funnel, this is one highly effective way to get them back. With the Facebook remarketing pixel, you can do the following:

Cross- and up-sell products to recent customers.Encourage a user to complete their purchase or learn more about an item they’re on the fence about.Show your message to users who visited specific landing or website pages.

The reason retargeting works so well is because the information available is extremely specific to the user. Now, let’s get into the strategies.

Encourage Past Customers to Buy Again

New customers are always welcomed by brands, but old customers are much more valuable because repeat purchasers tend to buy over and over again. With retargeting ads from Facebook, you can continually appeal to them to keep enticing them back (and back again).

For example, you can run an ad that shows them a newer version of a product they purchased a year ago. You can also run a cross-promotion ad for an item that will go with something else they purchased. Or, customize discounts just for your best customers to treat them like the VIPs they are.

Know Which Blog Visitors to TargetSkyBlue Portland Real Estate Group / Facebook Ad Library

By using website parameters in ads, you can narrow in on the blog visitors who are most likely to become valuable for your brand. Those include:

People who have viewed two or more blog posts.People who visited both a blog post and a landing page.People who visited both a blog post and a pricing page – the pricing page shows that there’s a lot of interest in what you’re offering.

Essentially, you can set up remarketing ads to show to people who engaged with your content on a deeper level than simply reading one article and leaving your site.

Reach Users Who Showed Interest in a ProductSunny Health and Fitness / Facebook Ad Library

For users who checked out a product page but didn’t add an item to their cart, you can target ads to them that show the product they clearly had their eye on. Facebook even lets you exclude users who went through with an order so that you’re not showing them products they just purchased. The idea here is that the user may not have been ready to buy when they looked at the product, but they may be ready now – and showing them the product again can remind them of that.

Reduce Your Cart Abandonment Rate

If a potential customer went so far as to research, find and add an item to a digital shopping cart, odds are they’re pretty interested in buying it – even if they abandoned the cart without making a purchase. They’re so close to the part of the sales funnel where they actually buy that you can give them the tiny nudge they need with a retargeting campaign. (You can also run campaigns that encourage people to purchase items on their wish list.)

Create Special Offers

Few things are more motivating for shoppers than a discount. When a user has already shared their content info to score a freebie, like an ebook or free trial, you can target ads to them that offer a paid product or service at a discounted price. Or, if you think that the user still isn’t ready to spend money and they need to be nurtured more, you can offer another freebie, like an extended free trial.

Choose the Right Timetable

The point of retargeting users is to keep your brand and product front and center in their minds. You can only do that if you get to them in the right window of time. For brands with a short sales cycle (and a limited number of touchpoints along the customer journey), remarket to users within 15 to 30 days. If your sales cycle is more nuanced, you can take a bit more time.

Also, don’t remarket too soon to recent customers. If a user just converted, they don’t want to see an ad promoting the product they just bought or even pushing your brand in general. Unless you have an excellent cross-sell item to show them, don’t remarket to recent customers until two weeks after their purchase.

Wrapping Up

Shoppers go through the trouble of finding items they’re interested in, selecting their preferences and adding those items to their cart – only to then forget about them and never actually make a purchase.

That’s a lot of money you’re not making, not to mention missed moments to make a stellar impression on a soon-to-be loyal customer. If you don’t want to let all of that go, check out how to create a retargeting campaign on Facebook – or chat with us about handling it for you.

Everything You Need to Know About Facebook Rise

Advertising professionals who have been impacted by furloughs or layoffs during the COVID-19 pandemic now have a way to get serious career help…and without spending any money on continuing education or certificate training courses. Facebook has stepped up to help those in the ad industry learn the skills needed to compete for a job through their no-cost Rise program. Possibly more importantly, the program specifically caters to those who have lost their job (in some way) due to the pandemic. For those who fall under that umbrella, there’s help where there wasn’t before – and possibly a new job in the near future.

In this article, we’re going to tell you everything we know about Rise, including who qualifies for the program and how you can access it.

What is Facebook Rise and Why Was It Created?

Rise is a free program that Facebook launched to help people make career changes or enhance their skills so they can be in a better position to find and excel at work. The program takes place within a private Facebook Group, which is part of how it connects industry personnel with one another. By basing the program in an interactive, social setting like Groups, more opportunities can open up naturally, and you’re not only depending on the ones that Facebook itself seeks out and brings you.

According to Facebook, “Ad agency professionals continue to grapple with job cuts and uncertainty during the coronavirus pandemic…Alongside these trends, internet media employment is at a record high. Digital roles in marketing are among the fastest-growing in the industry, providing opportunities for agency professionals to develop new skills, hone old ones or even pivot careers.”

The program is run via Facebook Groups and was initially launched in Brazil in July of 2020. Now, it’s been adopted across several other countries, including the U.S. and Canada. People in Italy, Latin America and Singapore can also get involved with the program, though they’ll sign up through different Groups specifically for their location.

What Can You Do With Facebook Rise?

Here’s what Rise strives to do:

Help you make industry connections.Offer Facebook Blueprint training (more on that below).Provide digital skills training for ad agency professionals.Stream live Q&As and pre-recorded sessions.Tune you in to valuable industry insights.

A little more about Facebook Blueprint training, as referenced above: The Blueprint program lets you access certifications, online courses and training programs so that you’re better able to use Facebook’s marketing tools.

The idea of Rise is that with all of this help, ad agency professionals should be able to up-skill and/or re-skill in order to meet the demands of the market and find available positions in their field.

What Type of Content Does Rise Offer?

Rise’s content falls into three categories: Learn, Grow and Thrive. Let’s briefly get into each one.

Learn

These educational resources will help professionals enhance their digital skills and technical know-how. Live sessions with trainers from Blueprint will cover topics like creative strategy and media buying. You’ll also get training from marketing science experts at Facebook to learn in-depth about the factors that drive digital ad performance.

Grow

Career perspectives and soft skills training are offered to help you develop professionally. You’ll be able to access sessions that cover topics like building your portfolio, writing your resume and preparing for an interview.

Thrive

You’ll have the opportunity to listen to inspirational accounts from entrepreneurs and influencers on business and career topics. The idea of the Thrive content is to help you feel inspired, strong and resilient during an uncertain time.

Who is Facebook Rise Available To?

In general, Rise is open to ad professionals at any level (just about; super-new beginners are excluded), but you had to have been impacted by COVID-19 by being furloughed or laid off during 2020. If you were let go for another reason during 2020, you won’t be able to take part in Rise. Also, the program isn’t open to first-year, entry-level employees who weren’t able to find a job in 2020 due to COVID or who were quickly let go from one of their first positions in the industry.

In order to qualify for Facebook Rise in North America, you have to meet the following criteria:

You reside in Canada or the U.S.You were furloughed or laid off due to COVID-19.You’re not employed at an agency right now.You have a minimum of one year of ad agency experience.

If you can say “yes” to all of the above, you’ll be able to join Rise’s private Facebook Group and access all of the guidance for free. (There’s a bit more information about joining the Group if you follow that link, but the essentials are covered here.)

How Do You Sign Up for Rise?

If you meet the criteria above, you can sign up for the program. Here’s how:

Step 1: To join Rise’s North America Facebook Group, you can do one of these two options:

Go to this link in your browser.From within Facebook (the browser or mobile app), search for “Facebook Rise – North America,” which should bring up the Group.

Step 2: Click Join Group.

Step 3: There are three quick questions to answer, and you’ll also see the Group’s rules.

Step 4: Wait one business day for acceptance (assuming you meet the necessary criteria).

That’s it! You’ll then be part of the Rise Facebook Group and able to take advantage of everything the program offers, all for free.

Final Thoughts

Rise offers support and career advancement opportunities that you’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere else, especially for the low, low cost of absolutely nothing. Here’s what you need to keep in mind, though: Once you’re in, it’s important to pay attention to and stay active in the Facebook Group. That’s where the true magic happens, and it’s your best chance (within Rise, at least) to make important industry connections. You never know who you might meet who can tell you about a job opportunity or give you invaluable advice you’ve never heard anywhere else.

How to Use Facebook Dynamic Ads for Streaming

Facebook Dynamic Ads for Streaming are a brand new, niche ad option for marketers of streaming content brands. Facebook added this type of ad option because of the popularity of streaming services and what those services offer users: options. Users try out streaming services because of the range of content available, and Facebook decided that they needed an ad style to match.

Glenn Carstens-Peters / UnsplashWhat Are Facebook Dynamic Ads?

To understand the new Dynamic Ads for Streaming, it helps to first understand Facebook’s basic Dynamic Ads option. With Dynamic Ads, Facebook shows users the ad format and item (like from an e-commerce product catalog) that they’re most likely to engage with based on their activity on either Facebook, Instagram and/or your site.

What Are Facebook Dynamic Ads for Streaming and Why Are They Important?

Dynamic Ads for Streaming work in pretty much the same way as regular Dynamic Ads, but instead of showing users a catalog product or service listing (like hotel room booking options), they’re shown a video that’s personalized to their interests. Like with regular Dynamic Ads, the interests are based on activity on Facebook or Instagram. For example, if the user liked a Facebook page about haunted house attractions, they may be shown a trailer for a scary movie; if they’re a fan of a celebrity’s page, they could be shown a video that stars that person.

When a user views an ad for a streaming service, they’ll be able to swipe through to see the titles that are most relevant to them. There will be a call-to-action (CTA) button, too, so that users can start a free trial or sign up for your service.

Source: Facebook

The idea is that streaming brands can now highlight the videos from their content library that will best match the viewer’s interests, creating a better opportunity for engagement and conversion. Before these new ads were launched, advertisers would have to promote titles in their library separately, targeting different segments of their audience for each one. With Dynamic Ads for Streaming, personalized ads are generated from one campaign, and targeting is mostly handled for you. This means you can reach an audience you didn’t even know you had and that you’d be missing if you were to set the demographics yourself.

How to Be Effective With Dynamic (and Other) Ads for Streaming ServicesAndrea Piacquadio / Pexels

Dynamic Ads for Streaming are brand new, and tips and tricks for making the most of this ad type will emerge in the coming weeks, but we already have a handful for you to test out.

Showcase Different Types of Content

Let’s say you run a travel-centric streaming site. You want the videos you upload to your campaign to cover a wide variety of topics, like different types of locales (city vs. beach) and vacation styles (adventure vs. relaxation). The idea of all of Facebook’s Dynamic Ads is to show the breadth of what you offer so you can reach a wider segment of your target audience(s).

P.S. Through the process of creating Dynamic Ads, you may realize that your content library isn’t robust enough. You may feel that you don’t have the content to reach the audiences you want to. If that’s the case, this is the perfect chance to round out your offerings. And as you do, you can add those new titles to the ad campaign’s options so they’re added into the mix.

Create Videos That Match Intent Stages

Let’s take another example: A cooking video streaming site that requires membership. For users in the discovery stage, you want content that shows the types of cooking videos offered on the site. For users who are more along in the customer journey and are closer to signing up, you can show a video about all of the perks that come with membership. By matching the content to where the user is in the buyer’s journey, you can cater best to what they’re interested in right now while gently nudging them to take the next step.

Catch Users Before Their Free Trial Ends

Whatever you do, don’t miss the chance to snag a subscription right before a free trial ends. As the free trial nears the end – like on day 29 of 30 – show users ads that remind them to sign up. Don’t forget to show them all of the great content they’ll miss if they don’t subscribe. You can also offer a discount for their first one, two or three months of service, or give them a unique referral link to share with a friend for another free month.

Use Other Ad Types In Your Strategy, Too

Dynamic Ads for Streaming offer marketers a new and effective way to show relevant video content to potential fans and customers, but they shouldn’t be the one and only type of ad you run. For example, Facebook also has app install ads, which are excellent for brands that can deliver content via a mobile app (as most streaming services can). With these ads, you can direct a Facebook user to the app listing in their smartphone’s app store – and since so much Facebook traffic is already mobile, they’re on a prime device for pressing that download button.

Wrapping Up

Dynamic Ads for Streaming work similarly to how streaming services work in general. When you go onto the Netflix app, you don’t simply see a random preview of a title that’s available. Instead, you see personalized recommendations based on what you’ve watched in the past.

Dynamic Ads for Streaming work in the same way, catching the attention of the user with content they’re interested in and giving them confidence that they’ll be able to find what they like if they use your service. And because they’re so easy to set up – Facebook does the heavy lifting – they’re just as beneficial for advertisers as they are for consumers and viewers.

If you’re new to Facebook advertising, we’ve gathered 100 of the top resources to help you hone your skills. Check them out here.