We’ve heard the numbers:

• Over 2 billion monthly active users
• $9.32 billion in total revenue in Q2 2017
• More than 5 million businesses advertising on the platform

Yes, Facebook advertising really is the gold standard of paid social marketing.

And it’s for good reason that 62% of marketers recognize Facebook as their most important advertising platform.

With ROI from Facebook ads only continuing to increase year over year, brands are able to enjoy success now more than ever.

Results from Facebook marketing can range from up to a 55% increase in sales revenue within six months to reaching 20 million people and earning a 2X return on ad spend within a single, 7-month Facebook ad campaign.  

There are many elements that go into a winning Facebook ad, though.

Here are six quick tricks for optimizing your Facebook advertising strategy and maximizing your ROI.

1. Switch Up the Facebook Ad Format

Nowadays, people are less convinced to click through an ad that has only a single, static image.

Video ads on Facebook have become increasingly popular, with over 100 million hours of video watched daily on the platform.

Videos have been shown to increase purchase intent by at least 70%, increase brand awareness by 65%, and increase ad recall by 74%.

https://www.facebook.com/onlyinSF/videos/10154912160394219/

Just a few things to keep in mind when you launch video ads on Facebook:

• Use captions – subtitles increase video view time by 12%.
• Keep it short – according to Facebook, people prefer videos that are 15 seconds or shorter
• Track results and optimize – Use the Page Insights feature of the Facebook Ads Manager to analyze how your video ad performed and make adjustments for improvement.

Done right, a Facebook video ad like San Francisco Travel’s can yield 3.8X return on ad spend and a 49% higher conversion rate.

2. Send People from Your Facebook Ad to Designated Landing Pages

Directing users that click on your ad to just your Facebook Business Page or website homepage is not the best way to convert them into paying customers.

Instead, create landing pages for each ad set and audience segment.

Businesses with over 40 landing pages, whether they’re B2B or B2C, enjoy far more new leads.

Even companies that increase total landing pages from just 10 to 15 total experience a 55% growth in lead generation.

Given Facebook’s extensive audience targeting tools, you can show different Facebook ads to different groups of people that direct to a specific landing page suited just to them.

This is all part of an ad targeting optimization strategy that can help you nurture existing leads while capitalizing on new ones.

Once you have a landing page optimization strategy in place, this quick Facebook ad hack can be implemented for greater conversions and higher ROI.

3. Use Emojis in the Facebook Ad Copy

Emojis aren’t just for expressing that you ❤️ 🍕 or would prefer 😴  over 🎉.

They can (and should) also be used in your Facebook advertising strategy.

Studies have shown that using emojis on Facebook increases engagement:

• 57% increase in likes
• 33% more comments
• 33% greater shares

Use emojis in the headline and within the Facebook ad copy itself.

Explore Emojipedia for the ones that work best for your brand and message, then copy and paste them directly into your ad. 

4. Vary Your Facebook Ad Color Palette

Standing out among the millions of businesses advertising on Facebook means catching users’ attentions.

This means bringing it back to basics and literally catching their eye with colorful graphics.

There are two strategies you can take with utilizing color in Facebook ads:

• High contrast and bold colors
• Minimalist, light images on an almost white background

Keep in mind the psychology of color and what will resonate with your target audience.

There are certain colors that appeal to men more than women, and others that are the least engaging.

Do your research, conduct A/B testing, and hone in on the right color palette for your Facebook ad campaign.

5. Show Proof Directly Within Your Facebook Ad

People trust the opinion of others.

In order to build that consumer confidence, include social proof like testimonials and influencer quotes in your Facebook ads.

When it comes to influencer marketing, 33% of people say that a social media influencer is their most trusted source for their purchasing decisions.

And 84% of consumers prefer to hear about other people’s experiences with a brand before they buy.

Facebook now lets brands boost content from influences and celebrities in their ads.

Take advantage of this feature and other forms of social proof in your Facebook marketing to build trust with users.

When people relate to your brand and they have enough confidence to purchase your product, it results in a boost to your bottom line.

6. Hook Them With Your Facebook Ad’s Headline

70% of Facebook users will only read your ad’s headline before sharing it with others.

You need to make sure to hook them right from the get-go with compelling and concise headline copy.

Facebook recommends 25 characters or less in the headline, and 30 or less in the link description.

In order to craft a headline that gets people to click, try employing these best practices:

• Ask a question – Formulating your Facebook ad headline as a question sparks intrigue and makes the user want to click through for the answer.
• Solve a problem – Build value in your ad by briefly stating how your product or service solves a consumer pain point.
• Make it a listicle – Numbers help people make sense of your ad and helps tease the content to make users click.
• Use command words – Directives like “Get” and “Try” will help motivate people to click through and inspire a sense of urgency.

Maximizing your ROI with Facebook advertising doesn’t have to be a long, complex process.

Start by employing a few of the hacks above, A/B test your Facebook ads, and track the results for a truly optimized campaign.