(This is Part 3 in a three part series. See Part 1 or Part 2.)

Social media advertising can be daunting and perplexing for both new and seasoned advertisers. Many who have ventured into social media advertising, for instance, Facebook Ads, often fail to achieve the success they expected or heard others have attained.

Social media advertising, when executed correctly, can be highly effective. It can offer a higher ROI (return on investment) than most other advertising mediums. In some instances, it can even go viral, significantly boosting a company's sales leads!

The key lies in reaching the right audience, with the right ad, at the right moment, addressing the right need, at the right price.

Failure in social media advertising can be attributed to various factors, but it usually boils down to one of the following six areas:

Misdirected Audience

Any advertising campaign, be it offline or online, must target the right audience and demographic. Displaying ads to an irrelevant audience might raise general awareness but is often a misuse of advertising budget if it doesn't reach the right decision-makers.

Most contemporary ad platforms offer criteria for selecting a target audience, ensuring the ad reaches the demographic most likely to respond.

Unclear Messaging

Clarity trumps creativity or cleverness. Ad copy (the text of the ad) should be clear, concise, straightforward, and to the point. There's no room for confusing jargon or flowery language that a customer might not comprehend.

In today's fast-paced world, attention spans are fleeting. If an ad doesn't capture a user's attention within a second or two, they'll likely move on to something more engaging.

Absence of Benefits

Surprisingly, prospects are less interested in the company's history and more in what they stand to gain. They want to know how a product or service will address their needs.

They're interested in the "unique value" they'll derive from purchasing the product or service.

In essence:
They're not just buying a potato peeler; they're buying a tool to simplify potato peeling.
They're not just buying jeans; they're buying the most comfortable, best-fitting pair of jeans they've ever worn.

Inefficient Landing Page

Often, potential customers land on the ad landing page, only to exit within seconds.

Experts generally agree that for traffic from social media, the most effective landing pages are those solely focused on the deal/product/service, devoid of distractions.

Each landing page should have a distinct goal, aligned with the user completing the offer mentioned in the ad. Avoid any distractions that might deter the user from completing the offer.

Lack of Guidance

Many social media ads fail due to insufficient instructions on how to complete the offer.

Prospects need clear directions on the next steps, often referred to as a "Call To Action" or CTA in the marketing & advertising industry.

• When generating leads, it's crucial to clearly guide the user on where to input their contact information and when to expect a response from a company representative.
• If selling a product or service, there should be clear instructions on initiating the purchase process. After the purchase, the customer should be informed about when to expect the product delivery or service scheduling.

Inadequate Follow-Up

Most customers don't purchase upon first viewing an ad. Hence, incorporating follow-up steps in any advertising campaign is crucial.

Follow-up methods will vary based on the industry, product, and service advertised. They can range from:

• Immediate requests for email newsletter signups;
• to using "after the fact" Facebook, Google, or similar remarketing services (these services keep the ad visible to the user as they browse different websites);
• to deploying marketing automation systems for automated follow-up.

Ads with any of the above issues are likely to yield ineffective or poor campaign results. Adhere to basic social media advertising guidelines to avoid these pitfalls.