Facebook is a powerful social media outlet, even for B2B marketers.
Though it's known as the social network of choice for B2C companies, and some have concerns whether organic Facebook marketing is still viable for B2B companies, the fact remains that with 1.5 billion monthly active users, Facebook still reigns supreme for market reach potential, regardless of industry.
How can you make use of Facebook when organic reach for B2B seems to be declining? The answer, in part, is "pay to play": Facebook advertising.
Beyond the power of tailoring ads to specific segments, Facebook ads allow marketers to be creative and grab users' attention as they scroll through their packed News Feeds.
Here are six examples of Facebook ads that are winning at that game. We'll take a look at what makes each ad successful and what takeaways you as a B2B marketer can apply to your own social ads.
1. WeWork
This ad succeeds because it invites the audience right into the product: a modern, well-appointed coworking space. The picture alone helps sell the product, as professionals can immediately picture themselves in the space and envision spending their workdays there.
In addition, the headline copy, "New York's Leading Workspace for Small Businesses," communicates to the audience three vital pieces of information: geographic location (New York), offer quality ("leading," which in a city as big as New York says a lot), and target audience ("small businesses," which, if relevant to the viewer, immediately piques interest).
Takeaway for B2B marketers: Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words, and if the product is bigger than what words can possibly describe, a simple picture of it might do a lot of the selling for you. In addition, remember to pack useful information into your headline copy. Take advantage of Facebook's targeting options to define an audience that you can speak directly to.
2. The HOTH
This Facebook ad keeps things simple. It opens with a question, "Wasting time with SEO?" which immediately speaks to the frustrations of digital marketers who have tried their hand at SEO techniques just to come up short.
And the headline delivers on the promise implied by the first line of copy. The prospect who clicks through will get a free list of SEO tools—a "cheat sheet," which carries the connotation that not everyone is privy to these secrets—that he or she can instantly implement for better marketing results.
Takeaway for B2B marketers: Leading with a question that's relevant to your audience often gets their immediate attention. One way to determine your target market's interests is to follow their activity on Facebook and get involved in discussions there. Then, you can provide the solution to the questions you pose with the headline for your offer.
3. DaPulse
This ad makes a bold statement, which you might first notice as embedded text in the eye-catching image: "You don't need a Project Management tool." The natural question that follows is, "well, what do I need?" Of course, the answer is DaPulse, the product itself.
The ad takes a risk by defining project management tools as "obsolete" in the first sentence of the copy, telling the audience that "This is not" one of those old tools in the headline, and proposing a product that is radically different—one that will, the implication goes, revolutionize project management itself.
Also, note that the image features white text against a dark background, helping the image as a whole stand out. The words "You don't need..." are bold and on the first line, speaking directly to prospects from an authoritative position.
Takeaway for B2B marketers: Make a bold, even controversial, statement in your copy that will elicit an emotional response. If you manage to make prospects curious, however, make sure the offer completely delivers on the promise.
4. Source Wave SEOs
This ad gets attention in a few ways. For one, the word "Free," which makes clicking through an easy decision, and the number 524, which indicates a high reward for downloading the PDF—a long, very useful list of profitable niches. The blue image is eye-catching and will stand out from a lot of other News Feed content. Finally, note that the phrase "524 niches" is repeated three times: in the copy, embedded in the image, and in the call to action. Whoever might be interested in this offer really can't miss the main benefit.
Takeaway for B2B marketers: Emphasize the benefits of the offer up front. If the offer has an attractive price (such as "free"), or has another feature that appeals to your target audience (in this case, a large quantity of helpful information), make sure those things are prominent in your copy—and don't be afraid to repeat them once or twice.
5. Screenlight
This ad takes full advantage of Facebook's video ad offerings and uses the capability to full effect. The video is a fun, quirky take on the video marketing process that soon begins to delineate the benefits of the Screenlight software for video production. The ad seems to be aimed at young professionals (perhaps Millennials) who appreciate sketch comedy and the awkwardness that's so often a facade for simple honesty. The headline makes a key point that's sure to seal the deal for many leads: "free to use, for as long as you like!"
Takeaway for B2B marketers: Facebook's video ads are here, so take advantage. Construct videos that appeal to different market segments, guided by your buyer personas. Then, make the offer even more irresistible by suggesting a great value.
6. Placester
This ad gets attention first via the picture. It's a clock, indicating that time is running out, with eye-catching blue text. The offer is simple: It's a New Year promo that comes with huge savings, specifically for "Agents." The time constraint ("offer expires on 12/31") plus the large savings combine to make the right prospects sit up and take notice.
Takeaway for B2B marketers: Tried-and-true marketing techniques—using time constraints and pushing great value—still work, and they can work on Facebook. Especially for occasional promotional offers, catch users' eyes with bold, colorful text, and immediately mention the benefits.
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As you can see, any number of techniques can be used to make for a successful Facebook ad. What's worked in your B2B Facebook marketing initiatives?
