Get These Three Right Before Spending Dollars on Ad Platforms
A client came to me after burning through most of their ad budget with almost nothing to show for it. When we dug into what actually happened, the problem wasn't the targeting. The creative wasn't the issue either. Their bio had no relevant keywords, the feed hadn't been touched in months, and the website wasn't designed to receive a sudden influx of visitors. The ads worked exactly as they were supposed to. They sent people somewhere that gave them no reason to stay.
TL;DR
- Paid ads are an accelerator, not a plan. They speed up what's already working and expose what isn't.
- Your social profile speaks to two audiences at once: the person who clicked and the algorithm deciding who sees you next. Both need clear signals.
- An inactive or inconsistent organic feed is a trust problem. When someone clicks over from your ad and your last post is from four months ago, you've already started to lost them.
- Your website needs a clear point of view above the fold — one headline, one value statement, one obvious next step — before you send a dollar of paid traffic to it.
There’s a way of giving paid advertising advice which jumps right into platform settings, target audiences and allocating budgets. That’s all great stuff , but that’s the second level of conversation. The first one is, "Are we sure the infrastructure beneath the ad can do its job?
Paid ads are an accelerator. If your foundation is solid, then ads will make everything happen much quicker. However, if your foundation is weak, then the money you’re spending on ads will disappear quickly, and will reveal every weakness you have far sooner than you want.
To begin, run these 3 checks before touching anything related to campaign settings:
- Can the Algorithm Identify Your Account Through Keywords in Your Profile?
- Does Your Organic Presence Pass the Test When Someone Looks Deeper?
- Has Your Website Clearly Identified What You Do?
Check 1: Can the Algorithm Identify Your Account Through Your Keywords in Your Profile?
When you optimize your bio for other people, that’s only half of the job.
The platform algorithms need to identify your type of account so they can determine what types of users you should be matched with. Those categories are developed through the use of keywords (in your display name, in your bio copy, in your content, and even in your alt text). If your profile is ambiguous then the algorithm won’t understand who you are or who you should be reaching.
Let me give you an example. Let's say someone has an account based on a craft hobby and they are slowing wanting to turn into a business. If they didn’t include any related keywords in their bio, the algorithm has absolutely no clue what type of account it is.
Now, let's flip this around and consider your business (or nonprofit). If you don't optimize your keywords, your advertising budget is being spent on an algorithm that doesn’t understand your product or know the audience you want to target.
The keywords in your bio need to represent how your customers actually talk, not how you talk. If your customers searches for “non-profit marketing” and your bio says “mission driven communication strategy,” you’ve got a disconnect. The searcher cannot find you. The platform can’t relate you. And the ad you’re going to run has no basis upon which to base itself.
Look at your profile and answer the following questions:
- Can someone know exactly what I do in less than 5 seconds after they land here?
- Does the words I’m writing in my bio match what my target audience would actually search for?
- Am I getting some keyword pull from my display name?
Check 2: Does Your Organic Presence Pass the Test When Someone Looks Deeper?
Think about what really happens when your ad is successful. Someone stops looking. The ad creative captured their interest. However, let's say they do not immediately click on your ad and instead go to your social profile first. They scroll through your feed. They see how long it’s been since you last posted. Whether your content "makes sense" (in other words, consistent) or if it appears as though you’re actively engaging as a brand. In under 30 seconds, they’ve made a decision.
Poor quality, inconsistent, or outdated content and hasn't been updated in months, that decision will be against you. All of that ad spend will end up wasted.
An inactive feed looks like an abandoned brand. Content that doesn’t seem to have cohesive branding elements appears unprofessional. Posts that don’t depict what you actually do raises questions. Once doubts exist regarding your credibility, regardless of how well-crafted your ad creative may be, they’ll continue to exist.
Why does this matter besides how others perceive your first impression? This matters because your organic presence also acts as a signal to the algorithm. Most platforms reward accounts that are active and engaging. If your feed is silent and engagement levels are low, you’re beginning from a disadvantageous position before a single dollar of ad spend occurs. Active organic presence maintains warmth with the algorithm. Warmth with the algorithm leads to improved placement and more targeted reach.
There’s a secondary benefit to creating a solid organic presence. A strong organic presence improves the effectiveness of retargeting later. Many times when individuals are deciding whether to proceed with purchasing something, they look at your social media account and website to see if you truly understand what you do. Educational content, behind-the-scenes clips, client success stories etc., are examples of content that quietly closes sales that were opened via the ad.
Scroll through the last 10 posts you published as if you had never seen them before:
- Would a new follower know what you do?
- Does it appear as though you have an active brand?
- If you found your account for the first time today, would you trust the brand enough to click on an ad?
Check 3: Has Your Website Clearly Identified What You Do?
Ads take people somewhere, so make sure your redirect destination is prepared.
Most common website errors I see are not design-related errors, they are clarity-related errors. Homepages that clearly describe what you do or whom it’s intended for aren’t always apparent. Navigation menus with multiple options and unclear paths aren’t always clear either. Contact forms located two scrolls down in the menu aren’t always easy to locate either.
Your website should act as a 24/7 brand representative at all times. When someone comes from an ad or link, three things need to be immediately apparent when they arrive: what you do, whom it serves, and what they should do next. If any of those three items require scrolling to discover, then your website isn’t ready for paid traffic.
Much of the burden falls on having a solid hero section (which includes information that is viewable without scrolling). It needs to contain a headline that clearly states what you do, a sub-headline that addresses directly who it serves and what they receive, and one clear call-to-action. Not two calls-to-action. Not a menu filled with options. One call-to-action that indicates specifically where the viewer should go next.
There is another issue related to performance that typically receives minimal attention. Some include: sites that are slow to load, sites whose content changes as it loads, and sites that fail on mobile phones provide signals prior to the visitor reading any content. While aesthetics matter, trust signals matter more. Visitors who visit websites that don’t function properly on mobile phones are providing themselves subconscious feedback; that you’re not ready for them yet.
For most small businesses the solution isn’t redoing the entire site. It involves making the hero section clearer, making loading faster, and having dedicated landing pages (such as matching the wording contained in the ad creative) rather than dumping viewers on a homepage with numerous distractions.
View your home-page as if you just searched for it:
- Is it immediately apparent what I do?
- Is it speaking directly to the individual(s) I intend to serve?
- Is there one obvious next step, or are there too many competing for focus?
If any of these answers causes uncertainty for you, then that home-page needs improvement before sending viewers to it with ads.
Lionel Lowery
Marketing Creative Strategist
Lionel works with small and mid-size businesses and nonprofits across the Triad, including Winston-Salem, Greensboro, and beyond, to clarify their message, strengthen their brand, and build marketing systems that actually hold up. Through LIONEL.MKTG, he brings together digital marketing, social media strategy, and graphic design for organizations that are done guessing and ready to move forward.
