In the world of Facebook, Instagram and Google ads, one major question is constantly floated. Are there ways to increase your ad click-through rates? (This might also be abbreviated as CTR, so if you see that term, don't let jargon deter you from learning. They're one and the same.) We're all eager to know that money spent on our ads goes as far as possible and shows a worthwhile return on investment, of course. Increasing the number of clicks your ads receive is crucial to optimising performance in your ads—your marketing funnel should be one lean, mean selling machine.
Of course, before we dive into improving a click-through rate (CTR), let's lay out what it is first. The click-through rate on an ad is how many people take an action on your ad, usually by clicking on a call to action. Why is that one click so valuable? Well, it indicates interest. Even if someone clicks through and doesn't purchase, the data will show they clicked, indicating they are moving down your marketing funnel and closer to purchasing. (If you'd like a detailed explanation of how a marketing funnel works, this breakdown is a great place to start.) If your ad convinces people to click, it gives you valuable information about what they find compelling in your brand and where they are at in their journey of buying from you.
It's also helpful to have a benchmark, industry number of what a healthy click through rate is. After all, how can you know what needs improvement without it? We've found a 2% click-through rate is very healthy. (Here at Cali Social, we aim for 2-5% and are always striving for a higher rate because we're perfectionists.) Anything lower than 2% and you'll likely benefit from the info we'll share below. Anything higher than 2% and your ads are right on point! (But hey! Stick around and learn with us. You might push that CTR into the exceptional zone by implementing our ideas.)
When people scroll, they need a compelling reason to stop. And then, they need an even more compelling reason to leave that social media platform and visit your website. WIth the amount of ads online these days, a "Learn More" button likely won't entice someone to click it. So, what will? Well, data shows that making your calls to action specific helps tremendously. People should know exactly what they are clicking into, don't be afraid to tell them! Simple adjustments like, "Shop Sale" or "Get Your Own Copy" help build trust and entice a click.
Free Download: 15 CTAs for Compelling Ads That Make Your Audience Want to Click
From e-commerce to service based businesses, we have smart and irresistible calls to action already written for you. Snap it up and cross off “find great copy” from your checklist.
To help build trust, include extensions in your ads! Extensions are extra pieces of info that can be potentially shown when someone sees your ad. (We say "potentially" because the algorithm can occasionally hide them.) They include short snippets of info that give the user more details, so they have confidence in clicking. Examples might include, showing a phone number, displaying pricing, or a special promotion, like free shipping. You can even include payment options (like PayPal) or highlight your returns policy to hint that shopping with you is risk free.
Ads have their power stripped when you target anyone and everyone. Excellent conversion lies in targeting an audience you know exceptionally well. Using your ad spend intentionally allows you to test what this particular group of people respond to. When you have data backed knowledge of what other brands they enjoy, whether your product is a splurge or an easy purchase and everything about their lifestyle, you get to speak to them. This allows you to niche down your visuals, your copy, and even the time of day you show your ads prominently. Knowledge is power—this is an area where skimming the surface can really bog down your ad spent and decrease the return on your investment.
With the emergence of TikTok and Instagram Reels, we're so conditioned to stop and watch a quick video, it makes perfect sense that our audience also feels the same way. Aside from that natural instinct to stop the scroll and watch, video content also has the unique ability to feel like natural content on a platform. When ads feel little more native and a little less salesy, it goes a long way into building up the know, like and trust factor with your people. And since this is a bonus tip, we're going to go the extra mille with information. While high production quality videos might perform really well on your website, user generated iPhone content performs better with ads. Why is that? Well, think back to ad content feeling natural and just another interesting piece of content. If your audience is primarily watching their friends on social media with their iPhone videos, your ads will seamlessly blend in without feeling like an advertisement. (If gathering quality user generated content is outside of your zone of genius, we actually offer this as an add-on when we manage your ads. Our clients rave about this service because it takes the load off of vetting unique and on brand content.)
These 3 ways to improve your click through rate are tried and tested here at Cali Social. Each tip we recommend, we use daily in building campaigns and managing ads for our own clients! And whether you're considering hiring an ads management team or simply learning ads yourself, implementing powerful calls to action, extensions, knowing your audience well, and using video in your ads will serve you well.
