Casting a Wide Net is NOT The Answer

I'm somewhat known for my rants when something gets under my skin. And lazy marketing is definitely one of the things that gets under my skin.  

The last few days my newsfeed has been crammed with ads for quick fixes to grow my business from 0 to 7 figures in an arbitrarily short amount of time. Usually by watching a 30-minute free masterclass or downloading a 2-page PDF.

I haven’t heard of the majority of the marketers who are showing up in my feed lately. That’s not what I'm taking issue with. We have to start somewhere, and Facebook Ads are an excellent way to expand your audience.

The issue is that because I don’t know them, I haven’t had the opportunity to figure out if I even like or (most importantly) trust them.

So when these ads show up in my newsfeed, they feel intrusive. I’m automatically skeptical and distrustful.

Part of that distrust stems from the fact that it’s clear the marketer hasn’t put any kind of care into how they’re targeting these ads. If they were, I wouldn’t be seeing them because I’m not a brand new business owner, I’m not a health coach, I’m not a network marketer, and I’m already “living the dream life” of an online business owner.

(The latter is not all it’s cracked up to be. More on that another time.)

They’re not putting in the right level of care because casting this wide net reduces their cost per conversion as they grow their marketing list. While that number looks great on reports when you can keep it low, it actually costs you more in the long run.

Why and how?

Because the misaligned folks on your list are dead weight. When misaligned folks are on your list, your open rates plummet. And if they’re not opening your emails, they’re sure as hell not buying from you.

So yeah, I’m automatically distrustful of these marketers because to them I am just a nameless, faceless email address in a sea of other nameless, faceless email addresses.

There are smarter strategies to using FB Ads to list build. Strategies that foster KLT – know, like, trust.

They are long-game strategies, though. The kind that take months. And, holy Hanna, the pay out! But they require investments of time, money, and patience… 3 things I’ve come to discover that many of these quick-fix peddlers simply don’t have.

(I might have mentioned my skepticism and distrust?)

My point here is, take the time to test and fine-tune your Facebook ad demographics. Accept a higher cost per conversion and a smaller target audience when it means you can enter into a relationship with a person aligned with your mission and message. It’s so worth it.

Also, when I say “take the time,” what I actually am saying is “hire someone who will take the time.” Because if you’re still trying to do your own ads, and you’re not a FB Ad person by trade… Well. I don’t want to make my mother turn in her grave.