How to Get Consistent Results with low-budget Facebook Ads

There is a lot of talk on social media about Facebook Ads scaling and spending budgets of €10k & €100k.

You know drill "How I spend 100k on Facebook ads..." type of posts.

However, there is little to no conversation about small & micro businesses who have small budgets.

What these small businesses want is to have consistent results with low-budgets because their market is more than enough to have a successful business. 

They don't want to scale their business nationally, or internationally.

My agency has these type of clients. I can say that we specialize in helping these type of businesses. 

We spend ~€35k for our clients, and we aim to deliver a 6-7x Return On Ad Spend (ROAS) per year, a feat we consistently achieve and over-achieve.

The general ad budget we work with is around 1k-3k/ad account, or anyway <5k, in most cases.

Basically, this is what we work with and try our best to bring the desired results.

So, million dollars (or euros) question, how can you achieve great results with low budgets?

I compiled 6 steps which I and my team use to achieve our advertising targets.

1. Know Your Customer

I have learned the importance of knowing your customer. Understanding your target demographic is crucial for achieving results with low-budget Facebook Ads campaigns.

Identify your target demographic

Before diving into creating ad campaigns, it is essential to clearly identify who your target audience is. Analyze data, conduct research, and pinpoint the demographics that are most likely to be interested in your products or services.

Understanding the age, gender, location, interests, and online behaviors of your audience will help you tailor your ads effectively.

I like create buyer personas and give them a name: 

"Farmer Phil"

Lives in the countryside, drives a truck, aged 35+, likes manual labour, follows pages related to agriculture and farming.

Understand their preferences and behaviors

Once you have identified your target demographic, go deeper into understanding their preferences, mostly their online behaviors.

What solutions are they seeking?

By gaining insights into what resonates with your audience, you can craft ad content that speaks directly to their needs and desires.

Tailor your ad content to resonate with your audience

Personalization is key when it comes to running successful Facebook Ads on a limited budget.

Tailor your ad creatives, copy, and offers to resonate with your audience.

Speak their language, address their concerns, and showcase how your products or services can solve their problems.

By making your ads relevant and engaging, you are more likely to capture the attention of your target demographic.

2. Understand Your Products (Product-Market Fit)

Product-market fit is the concept that defines how well your product satisfies the needs of a specific market segment. 

Here are some key strategies to help you understand and achieve product-market fit:

Know Your Market

Understanding your market is the foundation of any successful business.

Conduct thorough market research to identify the demographics, preferences, and pain points of your potential customers.

This knowledge will guide you in tailoring your products, offers to meet the specific needs of your market.

Identify Your Unique Selling Points (USP)

Every business that wants to succeed should have unique qualities that set it apart from the competition.

By clearly defining and highlighting your unique selling points, you can communicate the value proposition of your products to potential customers.

This differentiation is key to attracting and retaining a loyal customer base.

Continuous Tweaking Based on Feedback

Customer feedback is invaluable for improving your products and ensuring they remain relevant in the market.

Actively ask for feedback from your customers through surveys, reviews, and direct communication channels.

Use this feedback to identify areas for improvement and make continuous refinements to your offerings.

By simply listening to your customers, you can enhance your product-market fit and increase the chances of success in your marketing efforts.

3. Budgeting and Scaling

When it comes to managing Facebook Ads for small businesses, especially with limited budgets, it's crucial to employ strategic budgeting and scaling strategies.

Allocate Budget Based on Performance Data

One of the key principles I abide by is allocating budget based on performance data.

By closely monitoring your key metrics, so you can identify which ads are yielding the best results.

This data-driven approach allows you to optimize budget allocation towards the most effective ads, ensuring that every euro spent is contributing towards the desired outcomes.

Don't Hesitate to Increase Spending for Profitable Campaigns

It might seem counterintuitive, especially when working with limited budgets, but I have found that increasing spending on profitable campaigns can significantly boost returns.

When a campaign is delivering a high return on ad spend (ROAS), it indicates its potential for further success.

By seizing this opportunity and overspending on the usual budget in these campaigns, you can amplify the results and generate even greater returns.

Micro-scaling Campaigns

Scale successful campaigns gradually for optimal results.

Scaling successful campaigns is a delicate process that requires careful execution. Instead of rapidly increasing the budget, I prefer to scale campaigns gradually for optimal results.

By incrementally increasing the budget and monitoring the outcomes on a (most cases) daily basis, I can ensure a steady growth trajectory without compromising on efficiency.

4. Strategy for all-year promotions

By planning seasonal promotions and offers, utilizing holidays and special events for ad campaigns, and maintaining a consistent presence throughout the year, you can maximize the impact of your marketing efforts.

Plan Seasonal Promotions and Offers

By aligning your Meta Ads Campaigns with the changing seasons and consumer behaviors, you can effectively engage your target audience and drive sales. 

Understanding the buying patterns during different times of the year allows you to tailor your promotions to meet consumer needs and preferences.

This approach not only helps in boosting sales but also in building brand loyalty among customers.

Don't be afraid to ask for the sale in the holiday seasons

Another effective tactic is to capitalize on holidays and special events. These occasions provide a unique opportunity to blatantly ask for sale.

You can create a sense of urgency and excitement among your audience, ultimately driving higher conversion rates.

Leveraging these events allows you to stand out in a crowded market and make a lasting impression on your customers.

Maintain a Consistent Presence Throughout the Year

Consistency is key in marketing, and maintaining a consistent presence throughout the year is crucial for long-term success.

By staying visible to your target audience through regular communication and engagement via ads, can strengthen brand awareness and stay top-of-mind with customers. 

5. Invest in Ad Creative

When it comes to running successful Facebook Ad campaigns, one key aspect that should not be overlooked is investing in ad creative.

I still see in the market that most business owners do not understand content and creative.

Most "old-school" owners still think that a product photo on a white background is enough to sell their products, or a stock image can sell their services. 

Here are some useful tips when it comes to investing in ad creative:

Create Engaging Ad Content

You know what best ad is? The one that does not look like an ad. 

Ad creative is constantly changing because how we communicate online changes constantly. 

For example, an engaging ad does not have to be pixel perfect, with perfect design elements.

It could be a simple photo shot with a smartphone that catches attention and creates an instant connection with "scroller".

Incorporate Videos

Video content has become increasingly popular in the digital marketing landscape, and for a good reason.

Videos have the power to convey messages in a memorable and engaging way, making them a valuable addition to any ad campaign.

By incorporating videos into your ad creative, you can create a more interactive and immersive experience for your audience, ultimately driving conversions. 

Stand Out from Competitors with Unique Creatives

In a competitive digital advertising environment, it is crucial to differentiate your brand and offerings from competitors.

One effective way to achieve this is by developing unique creatives that showcase your brand personality and USPs.

By investing time and resources into creating ad content that stands out and resonates with your target audience, you can set yourself apart from the competition and leave a lasting impression.

Whether through innovative storytelling, bold visuals, or creative messaging, unique creatives can help elevate your ad campaigns and drive better results.

6. Constant Testing

Implement the MVAC Framework (Minimum Viable Ad Campaign).

I talk about this a lot. Don't over think it, but launch test campaigns consistently in order to have a chance of finding winning ad combinations.

Read more about this in DAS #04.

TL;DR

Know your customer: 

Understanding the demographics and preferences of your target audience is crucial for crafting effective ad campaigns.

Know your products (product-market fit): 

Ensure that your products or services align with the needs and interests of the market.

Budgeting & Scaling: 

Invest in advertising and if works, invest even more. When seeing positive results, scaling your budget has to be a no-brainer.

Strategy for all-year promotions:

Developing a comprehensive strategy for promoting your products or services throughout the year can help maintain a consistent presence in the market.

Spend on ad creative:

Investing in compelling ad creatives, such as videos and designs, is a must in today's attention seeking world.

Constant Testing - The MVAC Framework:

Implementing small-scale ad campaigns, analyzing the results, and refining successful elements based on data-driven insights are essential steps in optimizing ad performance with low budgets.

What do you think about small budget Meta Ads?