Facebook ads aren’t just for big corporations, they’re for musicians too. A lot of musicians are constantly asking themselves: “How do we gain more fans and listeners of our music?” It can be a tough struggle… but there are some easy and inexpensive ways to go about it. Us Output guys and gals have been using Facebook ads for the last few years and thought we’d share some of the techniques we’ve picked up along the way. So here you go! Our guide to Facebook ads for musicians.
Using Facebook ads, you’re going to target the fans of your influencers
Take this scenario… If you make music similar to Phantogram and know their fans would probably dig your music too, then you should be targeting Facebook posts to Phantogram fans. Phantogram currently has around 322,610 fans in what Facebook calls an “Interest Group.” These are people who have interacted with Phantogram (like, comment, share) and/or mentioned Phantogram on Facebook. If you reach 10 percent of that audience, that is 32,261 new ears and eyes. If 10 percent of that group clicks your post and listens to your music, you can acquire 3,226 potential new fans.
You’re probably asking yourself, “How much will I need to spend?” You can start with $5 a day for any length of time you’d like. It doesn’t sound like much, but $5 can go a long way. And, you can always spend more.
Why Facebook?
Facebook knows everyone’s interests, likes, and dislikes. It’s your turn to take advantage of that. By understanding how the ad system works, you can use the same tools and tactics employed by large companies to grow an audience. Facebook ads are for all sorts of companies and individuals, including musicians.
But isn’t it sleazy to target people like that? As long as your ad isn’t sleazy and overtly trying to “sell” the listener, it’s not. The golden rule is to be genuine, honest, and speak to your new fans in the way you want to be spoken to.
Getting started
The basic necessities
- A Facebook Page
- A credit card
- An understanding of the general structure and layout of Facebook ads (learn all about that here)
Step-by-step guide
Before we start breaking it down, let’s talk about the “Boost Post” button next to your posts on your Facebook Page. Though the button is easy to activate and works fine, it lacks certain crucial ad options that save you money in the long run. So, we do not recommend it.
1: Create an ad through Facebook’s Ads Manager
When you log into the Facebook Ads Manager, there will be a performance dashboard with all of the ads you’ve previously created. If this is your first time creating an ad, this page will be blank.
There will be three tabs: “Campaign,” “Ad Sets,” and “Ads.” To make a new ad, click on the applicable tab, and then click the green “Create” button located in the top left corner of the page.
2: Name your “Campaign” and select the “Objective”
We recommend “Brand Awareness,” “Reach,” or “Engagement.” Click on the “Objective” type or hover over the “i” icon to learn the description for each.
3: Name your “Ad Set”
An “Ad Set” is a container holding individual ads.
4: Pick the locations where your ad will be shown
Select the geographic location where your ads will be shown. You can type in “Worldwide” to cover the globe or get more specific with countries and cities.
5: Pick the ad’s target demographics
Select the demographic or characteristics of your target audience. The more specific, the better. If the majority of your listeners are aged 18-30, then select that age group. All of this information optimizes your budget to make sure your ad reaches the right people.
6: Dive in deeper with demographics
“Detailed Targeting” is where you dive into the details. Input your audience’s target interests or topics (i.e. influencers, artists, brands, categories). As always, the more specific, the better your ads will perform.
Recommendations of relevant topics or interests will show up as well, as you will keep a fresh list of targeted keywords and influencers with each growing campaign. (Note — not all artists or topics will show up.)
7: Decide if the ad is for existing fans
Select a “Connection” to your Facebook Page. Exclusions can be just as important for targeting the right audience, so decide on whether you wish to specify targeting for “Your Fans,” “Friends of Fans,” or “Exclude Fans.”
8: Choose the spaces where the ad will appear
Select your placement(s), like mobile, Instagram, desktop (news feed, right column), etc.
9: Pick your budget
Set your budget and choose whether the ad will continuously run or have an end date and time.
10: Create the ad!
That’s it! You did it!
Tips for creating an effective ad
Effective ad performance is a very deep topic, but here are some tips you need to know.
Video ads are typically the way to go. The viewer can listen to your music and watch the video while clicking a link to visit your website or landing page for additional information. It’s a good 2-for-1 deal.
The key to building successful ads is to consider the user experience. If your ad is a single image with a link, ask yourself questions like: Where does the link lead? What is in it for them? Is it visually appealing and informative or just eye candy?
Capturing viewer attention is crucial, as the Facebook newsfeeds are crowded with cats and political posts. Ask yourself what will make them pause for your ad — the graphic and text should be consistent and visually captivating, and the video should start with a bang!
Track your results
Once your ad is running, keep tabs on the performance. Track how many views, clicks, engagements (likes/comments/shares) are aggregating in the Ad Manager of Facebook Business. Test out different videos and images to see which ones perform the best. The smallest changes can make a big difference.
In conclusion
There you have it. We hope this showed you that Facebook ads can be used for musicians. One trick for gaining more listeners and growing your fanbase using Facebook ads effectively. Give it a try and let us know if it worked for you. If you want more business tips, check out our guide to making money from home as a musician.
