When working as a social media manager it's only a matter of time before your clients start asking about Facebook ads or maybe they have already.

We've heard every question under the sun, but these are the most commonly asked questions and how you can answer them.

#1 Any questions about boosted posts!

Do they work? Can you boost this post? Why didn't this boost work? I spend £30 on a boost, so why aren't I a millionaire yet?

You name it when it comes to boosts; we've heard it all! So here's some simple advice when it comes to boosts…

If you are simply boosting posts, read this!

The most important thing to remember when it comes to boosts is that Facebook is a money-making machine. So to make money from people who don't understand ads, it sends you a notification telling you that you could be reaching more people and suggesting a boost. For some reason, we still trust Facebook when it makes these suggestions so we hit the boost button, set some simple targeting and hope for everything to suddenly start working.

It's not gonna happen!

If that post wasn’t bringing in the results you wanted organically, putting some money behind it isn’t going to change much! It’s just going to show it to more people that aren’t going to take action! Boosting posts isn't a great advertising strategy. 

These kinds of questions are really common, particularly in the run-up to Christmas when your clients might throw last-minute content ideas at you and expect them to really take off.

#2 Why should I use Facebook ads?

There are tons of reasons to use Facebook ads, shere are just a handful.

You can reach 71% of the UK population with Facebook ads, so it makes sense that they'll probably work for your client's audience.

You can get super targeted with Facebook ads.  Imagine being able to put a leaflet through only the doors of the houses where someone was actively looking to buy from your business… Facebook ads can do that.

You can also retarget your warmest audiences, including people who have been on your website, even if they landed there via a Google Ad.

Finally, you can turn them off! You can't return 5,000 printed flyers if they're not working!

#3 Should I use Facebook ads or LinkedIn Ads?

There is a place for all of these ads, but we think if your client is just starting out with paid traffic, then Facebook ads make total sense.  

LinkedIn ads are good for certain types of businesses but can be more expensive than Facebook ads.  So if your client has a small budget, that should be considered.

#4 How much should I spend on Facebook ads?

How long is a piece of string?  This is a really tricky question to answer as it will vary for all businesses depending on the customer journey, price of their product or service, and the audience they are competing for.

Facebook advertising space is sold in an auction process, so the more you’re willing to spend to get a new customer, the better your chances of success.

This means the popular spaces are more expensive as the competition drives the price up.

Similarly, seasonal trends will also push costs up. When more businesses compete for attention (during the run-up to Christmas, for example, or during a peak sale season in any particular industry), the cost of Facebook ads will go up.

Other things that affect costs include age, location, and popularity of interests.

So when it comes to advising a client on how much they should spend, they need to consider all of that. Which can be tricky!

You can get results on small budgets, depending on the business goals.

The most important thing here is that you are setting realistic expectations so your client knows they can't sell a £5k course on a £5 a day budget, for example!

#5 Why do I have to pay you extra for Facebook ads?

Unless you said otherwise in your initial proposal, paid traffic is not included in a social media manager's job. Therefore if your client wants you to run Facebook ads for them, it will incur an additional cost. It's a whole new skill set which should be acknowledged and to run ads and get results, it can take a serious amount of time!

#6 Will the ads work?

TOP TIP – do not make any guarantees!

There is no definitive answer as to whether ads will work. A few signals to say they could is: if they get sales/leads organically – that's a good sign, and if they have a good functioning website, or you know their competitors use ads etc. These are all good signs but not a given that the ads will leave your client laughing all the way to the bank, so don't over-promise! 

One thing you can say is that if they are spending money on ads, it makes sense that they'll want to know what results they are getting, and you'll 100% be able to do just that. 

In theory, you could go overboard with the data available here, you could blow their minds if you promise to report back on every piece of data you can get your hands on!

Tell them you'll focus on the data that matches their original goals. E.g. if they wanted sales, how many have they had and what was the total value? What was their return on ad spend, and how many people didn't buy?

#7 Can we make sure the ads only show on Instagram… that's where my target customer is.

Well, yes, you can do this. But it's not a great strategy.

Because you might think your audience is just on Instagram, it's pretty likely that they are also on Facebook™️. And while they might engage with posts and stories on Instagram, Facebook might be the platform they buy from.

When using ads for clients, you don't want to gamble with their money and should be properly testing to understand exactly where their audience is and which platform you can convert them from. Putting all your eggs in the Instagram basket can work… if you're sure you've ruled out all other placements first. 

Learn to use Facebook ads properly!

If you already have clients asking you to help with Facebook ads, then you must learn how to use them properly. Don't gamble with their budget.

There are so many moving parts when using Facebook & Instagram ads. Giving yourself a good understanding of the basics will put you one step ahead of the crowd, so you can beat the competition to get your client's ads shown to the right people.

Being trained in Facebook ads also means you can increase your income. This is an additional service you can charge for if you offer a good service.

Choosing a Facebook ads course can be overwhelming, as so many choices exist. Read our comprehensive guide to choosing the best Facebook ads course.