December 2021

Facebook has been around for a while, and it has been one of the most popular social media platforms. In the US, 70% of Facebook users log in daily (source: wordstream.com). So running Facebook ads is one exceptional way to boost business. These ad campaigns are easy to track with an instant flux of traffic.

It is one of the affordable ways to run ads, popularize your brand and increase sales. Spending a little amount can give you significant results. 

Why Facebook ads? 

Facebook offers a lot of customization options for your ads. You get creative control over your ads. With more than 2.6 million active users monthly (source:Oberlo.com), a good no. of your customers are using Facebook daily. Facebook gives you extensive target-ranging options to choose from depending upon the demographic, interests, gender, life events, etc.

In addition to that, Facebook tools can help you promote any kind of content that is suitable for your business. You can promote text posts, videos, links to your website, events, offers, etc. using Facebook ads. 

Running a high converting Ad campaign on Facebook isn’t as tough as it sounds. With proper guidance, you can easily run successful Facebook ads for your business.

Here is a complete guide on Facebook ads where you will get to learn everything about Facebook Ads and how to run them.

Building strategy

Before you browse the Facebook ad manager, sit back and develop a strategy for the ad. Without a proper strategy, you’ll be dazzled by the no. of options Facebook ad manager gives you and you’ll end up creating an ad that isn’t converting. This will result in a failed campaign.

Try to analyze the product or service that you are promoting, Target audience, use of the product, pain points, objections, and many more things.  

Decide your objective

Once you are done with the above analysis, decide what your objective is for running these ads. Facebook optimizes ad placements depending on your objective. So it’s important to choose an objective.

You can decide among the following objectives:

• Brand awareness
• Engagement
• Traffic
• Reach
• Video views
• App installs
• Messages
• Lead generation
• Catalog sales
• Store visits
• Conversions

Target audience

Start by analyzing who you want to target. You get a plethora of options to target a specific audience. You can target custom audiences, wherein the ads are visible to particular users from your mail list, or who have taken actions on your Facebook or Instagram business profiles.

There is an option of targeting lookalike audiences, who have similar interests as your custom audience. You can target based on demographics,  locations, interest, connections, etc.

Choose the spots for your ads

You will be choosing what apps, devices, placements you want your ads to be displayed on. You choose one or both among mobile and desktop for your ads to be shown on. 

Set your budget

Next, you’ll be able to schedule your ads and choose the right budget for your Facebook ads. You have the option for lifetime budget, daily budget, you can run ads indefinitely or schedule a start and end for them as well. You can even choose the timings for your Facebook ad to be displayed.  

Choose your Facebook Ad format

Some incredible formats to run your Facebook ads are:

• Image ads
• Video ads 
• Canvas ads
• Collection ads

All types of formats have their unique benefits but it’s the videos ads and Carousel ads that have the highest engagement and CTRs.

Focus on details

At the bottom of the creative section, you get the option of adding small details that are easy to miss. You can put copies, CTA, URL descriptions there. Take advantage of every single one of these. Using rights copies at the right place will bring a huge difference in Facebook ads performance.

Monitor you ads

Once you have started with your Facebook ads, carefully monitor their performance. Some Facebook ads get high CPC when frequency gets high, others get high CPC at the beginning itself. And sometimes the ad might not be as successful as you’d expect.

Facebook ads manager gives you access to watch CPC, frequency, relevance scores, etc. These are crucial metrics and you’ll have to keep a check on them.

Split testing

Facebook has its split testing tool and while it’s not perfect, it’s pretty good. It works well when you want to split test your Facebook ads strategies. You can rely on it but you’ll have to manually test the creative aspects of your Facebook ad.

Final words

With the number of customization options, Facebook ads can be your go-to thing to promote your business. Once you are familiar with the system, you’ll be able to make it work to your advantage. As long as you have a plan, Facebook ad creation will be an easy thing. 

Still, if you find it tough you can always visit Ecliqs.com for getting professional help creating an exceptional Facebook Ad campaign. Our experienced team will help you in customizing your ads the right way.

References

• https://sixads.net/blog/facebook-advertising-most-valuable-tips-for-beginners/
• https://www.oberlo.com/blog/the-beginners-guide-to-facebook-advertising
• https://adespresso.com/guides/facebook-ads-beginner/setting-up-your-facebook-ads-account/
• https://buffer.com/library/facebook-ads-guide/amp/
• https://disruptiveadvertising.com/social-media/facebook-ads-guide/
• https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2016/06/29/best-facebook-ads
• https://neilpatel.com/blog/unbeatable-facebook-ad-campaign/?lang_geo=us&amp
• https://www.leadguru.co.uk/facebook-advertising-tips/
• https://www.webfx.com/blog/marketing/amp-up-campaigns-personalized-marketing-infographic/

Engagement and followers are a form of currency in the social media world. While there are a lot of social media platforms to promote your business, with over a million users Instagram remains the sweetheart of the social media world especially for B2C brands targeting youngsters(source: brandstatic.com)

In 2018, it was reported that about 35% of the world’s population is using Instagram(source:brandstatic). And 8 in 10 users follow a business account. So, businesses need to have their account on Instagram for better engagement and connection with the audience. 

While creating an Instagram Business Account is easy, growing it isn’t(if you don’t know the right tricks). Wanna know how you can do that? Well, here are the tips to grow Instagram Business Account engagement and followers.

#1. Optimize your captions for search

Including keywords in your captions can help in increasing the visibility of your business account. Your captions should include relevant hashtags and a good line with keywords that describes your posts. Include a call to action line in your caption to drive a relevant action.

#2. Upload Reels

Instagram Reels is the easiest way to increase both engagement and followers.

You can create reels that describe your business or the latest products. Reels have the highest visibility on Instagram. 

With reels, you can give a full description of your business to the audience, along with entertaining them. 

#3. Engage with Instagram Stories and Use Story Stickers

Stories help a lot in driving engagement. Behind the scenes, an informal update and regular posts can be shared through stories to gain more eyeballs and engagement. Story stickers help further in interacting with your audience. You can start a poll or seek the audience’s opinion about any service or product. There are a ton of stickers that you can use. It creates a sense of conversation in the minds of the audience and they can connect more with your business. 

#4. Hashtag strategy

Hashtags are the biggest tools for increasing followers and engagement. Adding relevant hashtags wherever possible makes your posts and content visible to a large audience. 

Hashtags on Instagram are an identifier for the Instagram algorithm for placing your content in the right place. Hashtags give context to your post. 

Before posting, do proper research about the trending hashtags that are relevant to your post and include them in the post, stories, reels, etc.

#5. Set up a profile for the first impression

When a user visits your profile, it should be a delight for him/her to see it. Organize all the content that’s there on the profile. 

Add a proper highlights section, write a compelling keywords-rich bio that includes relevant hashtags. Set up a business profile picture for your Instagram Business Account. 

#6. Create relatable and shareable memes

Memes work like magic. When users find relatable memes, they will most likely share them with someone with the same interest. 

Relatable memes not only help you in engaging better with your audience, but they also get you free promotions when your audience shares them. 

For creating memes, try to find the latest trends. Understand the sentiments of your target audience. A trending meme that balances your brand’s niche along with the target audience’s sentiments will help you in driving better engagements. 

#7. Collaborate with influencers

Collaborating with like-minded influencers may get expensive as some influencers charge a lot but it is a win-win situation. You get a chance to place your business in front of a large audience of influencers. 

Having exposure to such a large audience in one go can result in a high engagement and increased number of followers if done right. You can align with the influencer’s audience and grow your trust. Influencers give you the exposure that is otherwise hard to get.

#8. Savable graphics

Instagram users love to share quotes and informative graphics on their stories. Quotes, graphics, and repurposed tweets are perfect for driving engagement. 

These aesthetically appealing graphics along with quotes help you in getting free shoutouts from your audience. 

#9. Giveaways 

Hosting a giveaway is one good way to engage better with your audience and drive in new audiences.

Host International giveaways enticing both your existing audience and target audience. With prizes like products, services, or experiences you’ll be getting a greater engagement and followers through these giveaways.

#10. Post on the right time

Tap the insights button on your Instagram Business account and observe the time when your audience is most active.  Schedule your posts for that time.

Posting at the right time makes your content visible to your audience instantly when you’ve uploaded it. It’s fresh, relevant, and updated, all of this helps in creating better engagement. 

#11. Post consistently 

They say consistency is the key to success. This holds in this case as well. Post consistently from your Instagram Business Account. Schedule your posts and follow the schedule strictly.

According to tailwind, business accounts that post regularly see better growth than those that post less frequently.

#12. Learn how the Instagram algorithm works

Forget about how to beat the Instagram algorithm, instead try to use it to your advantage. The six factors that determine what shows up in a person’s timeline are relationship, timeliness, interest, frequency, following, and usage.

Following all these factors may sound like a complex task but when done right, they surely boost engagement. One simple way is to create high-quality content consistently.

#13. Use Instagram tools

There are a lot of tools that can help you in building a strategy for your Instagram Business Account. Here is the list of some good ones:

• Later:- this helps you schedule your Instagram post and automatically uploads them from your device. It makes sure all your posts get uploaded on time. It helps you maintain consistency with your posts. 
• Iconosquare:- it gives insights about your info and analytics.
• Webstagram:- helps you find the best hashtags for your posts and people for sponsored posts.

#14. Analyze your results

Once you have done all this. Now try to figure out how your audience responds to the different strategies that you have implemented, take a look at Instagram insight from your profile. Observe the posts that get the maximum no. of views and likes and generate the maximum no. of followers. 

References

• https://www.shopify.in/blog/14288561-how-to-build-a-massive-following-on-instagram
• https://later.com/blog/get-more-instagram-followers/
• https://buffer.com/library/instagram-growth/amp/
• https://brandastic.com/blog/how-to-grow-your-instagram-engagement/amp/
• https://later.com/blog/how-to-increase-instagram-engagement/

There are billions of mobile users globally. And this number is constantly increasing year by year. 

What this means is that the market for the creation and purchasing of apps is also increasing. 

With more than 2.6 million apps in Google Play Store and over 2 million apps in the Apple App Store which are used by more than 3 billion mobile users around the world(source: MobiLoud), strategic optimization of the app store is a must as it will help in better visibility of the app and increasing the no. of downloads. 

To accelerate your app’s performance, here is a complete guide on App Store Optimization (ASO) which will cover:

• What is ASO?
• Why is it important?
• How is it done?

What is App Store Optimization?

It is the process of improving the app’s visibility on the app store.  It includes applying the scientific method to increase:

1. Visibility
2. Downloads
3. Engagement
4. Reviews

Why is ASO important?

As you can probably guess,  the higher your app gets listed in the app store, the more users and downloads you’ll get. With new apps coming daily, it has become quite a difficult task to rank high on the app store. You can’t just rely on a good app name to get listed higher.

ASO helps you in growing your app users organically and continuously. It is cost-efficient and provides steady growth.

How to optimize your App for App Store/Play Store?

Understanding target users and their needs

The first step is to understand who the target user is. Sit down with your team and analyze the target users. Try to understand:

• Who is currently using your app?
• Who might be interested in your app?
• What makes them interested in using your app?
• Why your app and not the competitor apps?

Discussing these questions and understanding the answers to these questions will help you in building expertise in further steps in ASO.

Keywords for ASO

If you’re familiar with search engine optimization, you already know how powerful keywords are. And in the case of app stores, they are even more powerful.

According to App radar, nearly 65-70% of downloads come directly from the search. And to rank high in search, the use of keywords wherever possible is necessary.

App name and title

App name is not only about branding, it is also considered as one important factor in ranking high on app stores. A unique app name sets your app apart from the competition and makes a good impression on the user. 

The title of your app is also an important factor. Including keywords in the title helps in getting more downloads. 

A unique app name along with a keyword-rich title will help in better listing of the app in search results.

Use high-quality screenshots and video previews.

Screenshots give an insight to the viewer. It educates them about what’s in there for them. High-quality screenshots that highlight the most important features of the app help in building a lasting impression on the viewer. It also gives the viewer a sense of professionalism.

The same goes for videos. A video that is high in quality guides the viewer about the main features in a more detailed way, pursuing the viewer to engage with the app more and possibly download it.

Pick out the right category

A large number of users browse apps by category. Choosing the right category for your app is thereby an important part of ASO. It becomes easier for the user to find the app when placed in the right category. 

So, understand the categories on the app store and select the category that fits the best for what you are offering in your app. 

App icon that stands out 

The first element that the users see is the icon, so invest it. The app icon is something that the user is going to see every day if they have downloaded it. 

A unique and high-quality app icon helps in creating a lasting impression. According to Udonis, app icons can boost conversion rates by up to 30%. 

App description that intrigues users

The description of your app should include keywords but it should not be focused on search engines. The prime focus of the description should be to educate the viewer about what they are going to get in the app. 

Write a description that highlights the main features and points out the new improvements  you’ve done to the app.

Localize 

The process of localization in ASO includes translating the app into different languages, adapting to the needs of users from different countries, customs, and habits of the user from different geo-locations. 

A well-localized app creates a sense of familiarity in the minds of the users. The user feels more “at home” when using an app that has been localized according to him or his surroundings.

Get ratings and reviews

An app with a good rating becomes more trusted. A high rating and high no. of reviews influence the new user to download the app. 

The fastest way to get reviews from the user is to ask them. Having a good rating creates a positive impression on new users checking the app page.

Updating app descriptions, screenshots, preview videos frequently

With trends changing overnight and brands giving a slew of updates to their apps, it’s important to keep updating your app page with the latest features and include the screenshots of the updated user interface. 

This helps in keeping your app relevant and in line with the latest trends. You can also analyze the reviews and try to find out some interesting suggestions regarding the app and update accordingly. 

Build backlinks

Link your app to the relevant websites and keep a check on Google’s algorithm standards. These backlinks help in better user engagement and help in giving a more descriptive answer to the question that arises in the minds of the app page viewers.

Drive traffic to your app store page using an SEO optimized website.

An SEO-optimized website that redirects the user to your app page will help in moving the web traffic to your app page. 

This way you can rank your app on Google. It will directly send the user to your app page and will likely help in improving the conversion rate. 

Conclusion

ASO is one of the most important marketing efforts that directly helps generate more downloads on your app. Get to know your user, place keywords wherever possible, educate the new user as much as possible in short points in the description. Keep up with the ongoing trends and update accordingly.  

ASO is necessary if you want your app to grow. Run tests and make required changes to ASO strategy for constant growth and build a trusted user base. 

References 

• https://www.semrush.com/blog/app-store-optimization/
• https://www.searchenginejournal.com/app-store-optimization-how-to-guide/241967/

Technology is changing fast and so are the website trends. What used to be modern and innovative are now being called boring and tired. So it’s necessary to have an idea about the latest trends so that your website doesn’t look outdated and lacks critical website standards. 

But as mentioned above, these trends keep changing. There are new trends every year. Not updating your website according to the latest trends may result in a low conversion rate. The business may take a toll. These constantly changing website trends often confuse web designers. 

So, the question is what are the most popular website trends of 2021-22?

To answer this question, we have listed Six of the most popular website trends to follow in 2021-22.

1. 3D motion elements 

                                                                                     (Source: wixblog)

This is an ongoing trend but experts believe that it has not reached its peak yet. 3D motion elements create a truly unusual effect. Having these on your website makes it look modern and well designed. The 3D motion element gives it a sense of realism. 

2. Glass morphism

                                                                                (Source: superdecresources.com)

A frosted glass effect added to the website is called glass morphism. It adds a subtle surprise to the website. It blends easily with what’s already there on the website giving it a unique look. This allows the web designers to highlight what they want to highlight and blur other elements. 

Using this effect with colors adds a sophisticated dimension to the website. It is a versatile trend.

3. Chatbots        

                                                                                      (Source:- theedigtital.com)

Chatbots are popular these days. They increase user engagement and customer support. They also help in monitoring consumer data to provide them a personalized experience which will make them feel more connected to the website as well as the business. It increases the engagement of target audience and enhances lead generation.  

People prefer chatting over calling so integrating a chat bot to your business website is important.

4. Content personalized according to geolocation and browsing history 

Most advanced websites track the user’s browsing history. This helps in delivering more relevant content to the user and increasing the chances of conversion. This is going to be a very important trend in the upcoming times for building a successful web presence.

5. Micro Animations

As the name suggests, these are small animations. These add an element of playfulness to your website. Using micro animations organically will keep the visitor engaged. Micro animations that are optimized according to the business helps in increasing customer interactions. 

6. Comfortable Colors 

                                                                                   (Source: Beauregard)

According to PR Newswire, 39% of web users are drawn to color more than any other element of the website. Colors give a distinct look and feel to the website. But if you use too many colors, it can be a minus point for the website. Soft color palettes are going to be in trend. These make the website look less jarring than pure black or white and give it a relaxed and calm feel.

Conclusion

Website trends are going to revolve around making the websites minimalistic yet elegant. Choosing the right colors and gradients will not only make your website look modern, but also it will increase the interactions. Micro animations will direct the visitor through the content and add a playful character to the website.

Following these will keep the website fresh and fun for a long time. A check on the ongoing trend is also necessary to make changes accordingly. It keeps the website relevant for a large audience.

References

• https://envato.com/blog/web-design-trends/
• https://www.mindinventory.com/blog/web-design-trends/amp/
• https://www.bluecompass.com/blog/web-design-trends-to-watch-for
• https://www.wix.com/blog/amp/2020/12/web-design-trends
• https://www.theedigital.com/blog/web-design-trends
• https://www.creativebloq.com/amp/features/web-design-trends-2022

• https://designmodo.com/web-design-trends-2021/
• https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.dotcominfoway.com/blog/important-benefits-of-integrating-a-chatbot-with-your-business-website/
• https://www.beauregard.ch/