It’s not a secret that at Wonderful Machine, we conduct our own web advertising each month. We like to spread our advertisements through different platforms such as Google AdWords, AdWeek, Facebook and Instagram, along with some other more targeted sites. While we’re constantly playing with the ins and outs of advertising platforms and learning the (sometimes strange) lingo that goes along with them, we know that for most photographers, an ad campaign can be quite unfamiliar and feel like a big undertaking. That’s why when Boston and Denver-based Craig Orsini called us up to help him set up his Facebook/Instagram campaign, we were thrilled to dive in and make the process easy for him.
When we talk to photographers about their own advertising, many immediately dismiss it due to two things: concerns over budget and fear of navigating the programs. Many bigger publications have minimum budgets that are far from minimal, but there are other options, like Facebook and Instagram, that allow you to set exactly the price you want, making it simpler to keep within your monthly marketing budget. Craig had already done his research and knew that both Facebook and Instagram would allow him to create his own budget, so he decided they would be great, financially manageable places to start a campaign. What he still wasn’t sure of was navigating the platform, and that’s where we came in.
While discussing Craig’s long-term goals with advertising, he mentioned that he planned to create an ad that he could switch out once a month. With that information, we decided it would make the most sense for us to go into the ads manager on his Facebook page and create a screencast tutorial on the intricacies of putting together a campaign.
In the screencast, we went over where he could target his audience by location, how to schedule his ad times, and how to hone in on ad placement. We also explained the importance of targeting people based on location, profession, and interests, as well as ways to conduct keyword research. With this ten-minute video, Craig would be able to refresh his memory each month on creating ads while being able to go back and get ideas on how to adjust his tactics for the next campaign. Instagram campaigns are created through Facebook, too, so he could use this tutorial for both platforms.
Depending on what route you decide to go with for your own advertising, you will be met with a different set of requirements, and not always just image size and copy. For something like Facebook, there are tons of combinations you can use to focus your campaign. Setting up these combinations is crucial for getting the most bang for your buck, but it can also be a huge headache to navigate. That’s where a comprehensive tutorial can be a perfect fit and ultimately save you some time and frustration, along with getting you the most value for your money.
With a quick turnaround, we sent the video over to Craig, who was able to quickly set up his advertisement after that. With his new setup and an arsenal of ways to target his campaign, he put together the copy and image and launched his first Facebook ad successfully!
Need help with starting up on social media? Reach out!