With over 11 options to choose from, it can be tough to know which Facebook ad objective is right for your business. But, never fear! We’re here to help you learn about the options in front of you, and eventually choose the one that is right for your business. So, before we begin, what even is a Facebook ad objective?
What is a Facebook Ad Objective?
A Facebook ad objective defines what you want to accomplish within a specific campaign. So yes, it does exactly what it sounds like. An objective works to optimize your ad(s) for the results you want to see. Simple enough, right? Well, like we stated above, with so many options to choose from, it can be tricky to decide which one is right for you! However, it’s important to remember that you can see a description for each objective Facebook offers by hovering over the I listed beside it (see image below).
Brand Awareness
Brand awareness is exactly what it sounds like! It’s optimizing to raise awareness about the business and/or brand you are choosing to promote. The goal with these is to reach new audiences and leave a good impression. It’s important to note that with this goal, you are not necessarily optimizing for sales, but rather for new, interested audiences. We recommend this tactic to larger businesses, rather than smaller ones. (Sorry, data doesn’t lie.)
Reach
Right below the brand awareness objective, you’ll see an objective labeled reach. With this, you’re aiming for your ad to be seen by as many people as possible! With reach, it’s all about the number of people who are seeing the ad, NOT the number of times they are seeing it. This type of goal usually works best when you have a business with a somewhat broad audience. Targeting this way for anything too specialized doesn’t usually work in your favor.
Traffic
The traffic Facebook ad objective is one of the most utilized objectives of them all. The point of choosing this is to bring as many people to a certain, specified website (or landing page) as possible. It’s important to make sure that wherever you are sending your users is organized and easy to maneuver. Also, remember that this objective will only work so long as you have your Facebook pixel installed! Set this up BEFORE choosing this objective.
Engagement
This ad objective focuses on driving on-platform engagement through the form of post likes, page likes, or event responses. The post engagement ad delivery is typically the strongest bet here, as it optimizes for the platform you want to optimize for. With engagement, you’re optimizing for increased comments, shares, and likes!
App Installs
The app install objective focuses on sending users to your app, A.K.A, getting users to download. If your main goal going into advertising is to encourage more app downloads, this is where you want to be!
Video Views
The video view objective prioritizes…well…having your video viewed! There’s BIG potential with the objective, no doubt about it! However, just because an ad may contain a video, doesn’t mean you should optimize for it! Consider your real main priority before choosing, as some ads with videos do better with other campaign objectives.
Lead Generation
Hoping to gain an idea of who is interested in learning more about your business? Lead generation does just that! It is the process of building interest in your product or business through form. The idea with this is to get a list of individuals who are interested in learning more about what you’re promoting through the use of sign-ups and newsletters.
Messages
Communication is key, right? Well, it is with this objective! A somewhat newcomer on the scene, the messages objective enables people who interact with your ad to be taken straight to Facebook messenger or WhatsApp. (It’s your preference.) With this, you’re optimizing for replies and paying for impressions. The overall goal here is connection and communication.
Conversions
The conversions objective has (like traffic) also become quite the hot commodity in Facebook ads. If you’re trying to optimize for a specific conversion, such as sales, this is your new best friend! For this, you will need to have your Facebook pixel fully set up and ready to go! Once that’s done, you can hit the ground running! Focus on your bid strategy AND your ad copy, as both have a big impact on how your ad performs. Remember, that with conversions, you are encouraging users to take a specific action on your site, such as add to cart or download.
Catalog Sales
Catalog sales helps with keeping consumers engaged, and hopefully driving overall sales. Use this objective if your an eCommerce company who wants to show ads to specific people (a.k.a retargeting!).
Store Visits
Store visits is not used quite as often as some of our previous objectives. However, it’s main purpose is to target people nearby in hopes of…well..bringing them in to visit your store! This objective works well with multiple locations as well! If you’re a brick-and-mortar business hoping to appeal to your audience nearby, this is perfect for you.
Summary
There’s a Facebook ad objective out there for everyone, regardless of your end goal. While each have pro’s and con’s, it’s nice to know that the perfect one is out there for your business and it’s needs!
To learn more about Facebook advertising, and the services we offer, contact us today!
