A Facebook ad campaign is a tool that quickly provides more reach and exposure.
It’s no secret that free social media is important to growing and marketing your massage practice.
But if you’re ignoring paid advertising, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to bring in new business.
With over 2.6 billion active users worldwide, and over 223 million users in the U.S., there’s a good chance your ideal next client is accessible on Facebook right now.
Maybe you’ve never a Facebook ad campaign, and you have no idea what to do. Or perhaps you’ve tried it in the past and for whatever reason you couldn’t make it work for you.
In this article, we’ll look at what you need to know in order to successfully use a Facebook ad campaign to attract clients into your private practice.
The Core Components of A Great Facebook Ad Campaign
Just like a well-prepared meal, the success of a Facebook campaign depends on starting with the right ingredients. There are three components you need to have before you’re ready to launch a great campaign:
• A clearly defined target audience. Facebook has the ability to dial in to a target like no other marketing platform. If your ideal clients are 36- to 45-year-old men who like dogs, the outdoors and have a college education, then you can target them!
This is arguably the most important component. Having a clearly defined niche or ideal client will affect who you target, what you say to them, and what you’ll offer in your ads.
The better you know your ideal client, the better success you’ll see with your campaigns.
• An irresistible offer. There’s no such thing as a great campaign without a great offer. An offer is not just a discount. It’s simply a specific way of presenting your services for a specific price.
An irresistible offer is something that makes your ideal client say, “Holy cow! I really want and need this!”
• A clear next step. What should people do when they see your ad? Should they send you a message? Call the office? Visit your website? Download a coupon?
The end goal is for a stranger to become a paying client, but whatever is supposed to happen immediately after someone clicks on your ad should be simple and clear. You need to tell your potential client what to do.
With all of those components in order, you’re ready to start putting your campaign together.
The 4 Questions Your Facebook Ad Needs To Answer
Anytime you create an ad, there’s a set of questions going inside a potential client’s head that you need to answer.
Question #1: “Why is this relevant to me?”
Remember, you’re not just competing with other massage therapists. You’re competing with everyone on Facebook—business, acquaintances, personal friends and strangers alike.You have only a split second for someone to see your ad and make a decision if they’re going to actually read it.
Try using words and imagery that make it clear your ad is relevant. For example, you can mention the name of your city in the first line of your ad, or use a photo of a pregnant woman if you’re advertising prenatal massage.
Question #2: “I can see that the ad is relevant to me, but why should I even get massage?”
Spell out the benefits of massage clearly. Is it about pain reduction? Stress relief? Whatever it is, let people know how and why massage will benefit them.
Question #3: “Why should I get a massage from you rather than someone else?”
You’ve got someone convinced massage is going to benefit them, but why should they get one from you? Is it because of your location? Is it because of your training and specialization? Is it because of a special or unique offer? Make it clear why you or your team are the right choice for their next massage.
Question #4: “Why should I sign up now rather than later?” Spell out the rush to take action right away. Is it because the pain is unbearable? Or maybe there’s a limited time offer or limited number of spots.
Make clear the benefits of taking quick action—and the consequences of waiting too long.
A Simple Formula For a Facebook Ad Campaign That Attract Clients
One of the most important components of an ad that attracts clients are the words you say. This is commonly referred to as your sales copy. Here’s a quick formula you can use right away:- Attention, Interest, Urgency, Scarcity, Action (A.I.U.S.A.)
Get their attention, pull their interest, introduce your offer with scarcity and urgency, and finally wrap it up with a clear call to action.
Try putting your niche and services into this template:
Attention: Expectant Mothers of New York!
[Interest] Are you in search of a way to decrease the pain and discomfort of pregnancy on your body? Our custom tailored massage sessions are designed specifically to address lower back and hip pain, neck tension, leg cramping, swollen feet and ankles, and overall fatigue during pregnancy.
[Urgency + scarcity] Right now, Awesome Massage Co. is offering Mommy-Time Massages for only $XX to the first 20 women who book their appointments!
[Action] Click below to learn more.
How Much You Should Spend On Facebook Ads?
Facebook ads aren’t exactly like buying ads in a newspaper or magazine. There isn’t a fixed price for a fixed reach. The amount you can expect to spend for your ad to be seen—and to attract even one new client—can depend on many factors.
Things like your location, seasonal competition, and how well your ad resonates with its audience may affect how much you get for your dollar. That being said, here are some guidelines you can use to get started:
The minimum acceptable budget. The minimum amount you can spend on Facebook Ads is $1 per day, or $30 per month. With this budget, you’re likely to only book a small handful of clients, if any at all. However, you can continually spend this minimum amount to make sure your online presence is always visible.
The recommended budget. If you’re a solo, self-employed massage therapist, a starting budget of $50 to $100 per month is recommended. With this amount of money you can get a clear picture of how well your ads are working and make changes along the way as needed. You should start by spending $20 to $25 at a time before deciding if you need to make any drastic changes to your ads.
For a multi-therapist practice, $200 to $500 per month is a great starting point. This larger amount gives you enough to explore advertising and promote your various therapists and modalities offered, as well as different target audiences. Spend $50 to $100 at a single time before seeing if you need to make changes to your message.
When To Spend More
Typically, finding the right ad that works will take a few tweaks and adjustments. The bigger the starting budget you have, the faster you can find your winning campaign. The good thing about Facebook ads is they scale very well. Once you have a winning campaign, you can continue to increase your budget to see increased results.
Remember, you’re not just advertising for one client to come in for one session; you’re advertising to bring in a client, ideally, for life. Additionally, there is no upper limit to Facebook ads. Feel free to continually increase your marketing budget as you see fit. The most important thing is to spend less on ads than your client spends on your services.
Some Final Things You Should Know
• Facebook ads aren’t a magic wand. It’s important to remember that just because you’re spending money on advertising, it doesn’t mean your ads are going to suddenly work. Facebook ads are simply a tool that quickly provide more reach and exposure. Instead of spending your time, you’re spending your money to put yourself there. Be sure to commit time to dialing in your message, refining your offer and learning the tools.
• Ad fatigue is real. Eventually, even your best ads will stop working. Do you remember every billboard you’ve driven past—or do you tend to ignore them after a while? You’ll know when it’s time for a new or refreshed campaign when things stop working quite like they used to.
• Test, test, and test some more! The most successful campaigns aren’t all-or-nothing attempts. Always try out multiple ads. Test out different images, different audiences, different copy, and even different offers. Every test you make gives you another chance to find out what works best for you.
• Don’t be afraid. Venturing out into Facebook ads can be scary, especially if you’ve never committed to paid advertising before. Trust that it may take a little trial and error, and don’t be afraid to ask for help along the way if you need it.
About the Author:
Darryl “DJ” Turner is a husband, amateur bread baker, Facebook marketing specialist and the founder of Massage Marketing & Growth. an educational and products company and podcast, where he helps massage therapists consistently identify, attract and book their ideal clients without relying on steep discounts or sleazy sales tactics.