Reasons Paid Ads Fail

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August 13, 2021

Reasons Paid Ads Fail

It may seem wise to start an advertising campaign to increase brand awareness and reach more people. Of course, you’ll spend time, energy, and money to build those ad campaigns, and we want to help you put your best foot forward online.

When it comes to creating a successful Facebook ad, we can learn a few things from ads that haven’t performed well. So, instead of talking about what you SHOULD do for a successful paid ad campaign, we’ve found that it’s equally as helpful (if not more so) to share the things that don’t work!

Here are 5 reasons paid ad campaigns can fail:


1. You didn’t establish an online presence first.

Before you even think about advertising, there is a lot of work that needs to be done first. Running an ad without putting in the leg-work to establish your overall brand would be like advertising for a bookstore before you even had any books on the shelf.

Putting in the work to develop an informative yet interactive and gorgeous website is the step you must take before advertising is even an option. 

Think about it: if you’re trying to get your audience to do something (e.g., buy your product, go to your church, donate to your cause), how will they do that if there is no home base to complete your call to action?

Not only is it essential to have a quality website, but establishing a social media presence is also very important. The way paid ads work is that the more money you spend, the more likely your ad is to reach a broader audience. Simply, right? But if you don’t have an established presence on social media, a follow-up process is much. This is why we must value the organic part of advertising (i.e., genuine user interactions, replying to comments, etc.). 

These methods help to boost your social media presence without cost, and then when your paid ad runs, it will direct people to an already established social media account.

2. You didn’t define your target audience

Another important thing you must consider before even thinking of running your paid advertisement is to define your target audience. Sure, you could throw a bunch of money at Facebook or Google and say, “here, reach all the people!” But, how effective do you think this would be when it comes to reaching those you want to reach?

The target audience, or target market, is the group of people you specifically want to reach to “buy what you’re selling,” whether a product or a service or a combination of both. This market has certain characteristics you want to see in your ideal client or consumer. 

They:

  • Are a certain age
  • Live in a geographic location
  • Have a specific socioeconomic status
  • Have unique interests and experiences

They are real people with real lives, families, jobs, feelings, and pressures. Part of defining your target audience is who you want to help and how you can help them.

Defining this target market should be a part of your initial process for marketing and can change over time depending on where you go as a company. But overall, figuring out who these people are is critical, especially in advertising. You don’t want to be wasting precious advertising dollars on people who are not interested in what you’re offering.

This can be a tough reality to face, especially for organizations that have a global-level mission. Not every church or organization is meant to reach every single type of person. That is why there are so many distinct non-profits and church ministries!

Instead of reaching everyone, concentrating on a specific group of people is much more realistic and allows you to serve that group better.

3. Your ad’s design isn’t eye-catching or engaging.

This point is a no-brainer, but it is one worth the time to discuss! If you’re like most digital consumers, you can easily scroll past certain ads without a second thought. We love closing the pop-ups and skipping past the ads in YouTube videos. 

Despite how annoying advertisements can be, people still view them all of the time. The right ad won’t annoy the consumer; it will engage them. 

How is it then that some ads are easily bypassed, but others are clicked on? The difference between these 2 types of ads is purely the ad design.

Moving from planning for a paid ad and running it comes to the design process in between. Designing an ad is an ever-changing process that morphs depending on which platforms you run your ad. Facebook ads, Instagram ads, Google ads, and more all have different styles, dimensions, and even purposes. Platforms like Facebook focus on a click option, while Instagram has options to ‘swipe up.’

In addition to the different types of ads, the actual style of the ad is of utmost importance. Is the ad something you would want to continue watching, or would you skip right past it? 

When it comes to design, the ultimate goal is to stop the scroll. This means that when someone is just perusing their feed, they see your design and do a digital double take. They can’t help but stop at your design and interact with it somehow!

The question then is: are your ads stopping the scroll? If your ads are not engaging, they will appear glaringly inauthentic and will not encourage the interaction you want them to have.


4. The steps after the “click” aren’t clear

So you’ve done the research, defined your audience, did the designing and planning, and now your ad is running - congratulations, you’re famous! Well, not quite. The ultimate goal of a paid ad is obviously to get someone to click on it! So this part of the process also needs to be well-thought-out.

Digital advertisements usually include the option to “click here” or “swipe up” for more. This will then lead the consumer to the webpage of your choosing. On Instagram, there is even an option to direct the consumer right to your Instagram page as well. Where the consumer ends up post-click is something you have to really keep in mind.

Determining the purpose of your advertisement is important when picking the advertisement link. Are you goal to provide information, sell a specific product, or encourage them to donate? Our advice is to link directly to the page you want them to be focused on. 

The last thing you want is a 6-step process to get them to the destination you desire. No one wants a connecting flight when they click on an ad. It was hard enough to get them on board in the first place!

5. There is no follow up

You’ve done it! You got your ad out there, people are clicking on it, and some are even taking the call to action! Mission accomplished, right? Not necessarily. 

Even if the interactions and sales are successful from a paid advertisement, it can still be a total fail if there is no follow-up process.

This is especially true when it comes to churches and nonprofits. Let’s say someone did take the leap and actually attend your church after seeing a paid ad of yours. The relationship just didn't end there, though! You don’t want that person to just see your ad, attend church, and move on; you want to continue the relationship!

There is why paid advertising and organic advertising must co-exist. However, once the initial contact has been made by paid advertising, there is a necessary follow-up process if you actually want to build a long-term relationship.

There are so many ways you can do this; here are a few:

  • Send a coupon code after a customer’s first purchase
  • Mail a first-time church guest a thank you letter & gift 
  • Send a personal email checking in to see if the product is suiting their needs
  • Interact with their content on social media

Bringing in a personal touch post-ad campaign is the secret sauce to keep customers and build a true relationship with them that will last beyond just their initial “click.”

Paid advertisements are an extremely helpful component of your organization’s digital strategy. It can help get your product, church, or non-profit at the forefront of people who wouldn’t otherwise see it. Remember, though, utilizing both paid and non-paid advertising makes for the perfect advertising combination!
Ready to turn paid ads that failed into ones that are thriving? As a Facebook Marketing Partner, our team at Pro MediaFire will help you create content, write copy, and reach your target audience online. Sign up for our growth bundle to get started today!

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