How to Use B2B Facebook Ads for Marketing Physical Products?
Who knew updating your Facebook status could involve forklifts and factory machines?
B2B Facebook ads for physical products have emerged as a powerful tool for driving growth. Businesses are increasingly using Facebook’s vast user base and advanced targeting capabilities to reach other businesses. Whether you are selling manufacturing equipment, office supplies, or specialised machinery, Facebook offers a cost-effective and highly targeted solution to help you grow your B2B sales.
This blog explores how to craft compelling ads, target the right audience, optimise lead generation, and set up your ads for long-term success.
Understanding the B2B Facebook Ads
The growing shift towards B2B Facebook ads for physical products reflects the Facebook’s vast potential in B2B marketing. Businesses that sell physical products to other companies often overlook Facebook’s ad platform, assuming it’s better suited for B2C.
However, the platform’s sophisticated targeting tools, combined with its wide reach, make it an ideal place to generate leads, build brand awareness, and drive conversions for physical products.
Unlike other ad networks like LinkedIn or Google Ads, Facebook offers the ability to engage audiences with a mix of creative formats such as carousel ads, video ads, and dynamic product ads, all of which can be tailored for B2B objectives.
Moreover, Facebook’s cost per click (CPC) and cost per lead (CPL) tend to be lower compared to other platforms, making it an attractive option for B2B companies that are marketing physical products.
The primary challenge, however, is understanding how to understand the differences in B2B vs. B2C advertising. While B2C ads may focus on quick consumer purchases, B2B ads for physical products require a deeper understanding of your audience, longer sales cycles, and a focus on lead nurturing.
According to a survey released in May 2023, B2B marketers considered Facebook the social media channel with the highest return on investment (ROI). The platform was mentioned by 22 percent of respondents. Instagram, TikTok and YouTube tied in second, each cited by 16 percent of the respondents.
Let’s get into knowing how to create a compelling ad that resonates with the audience for them to convert.
Crafting Compelling B2B Ads for Physical Products
Creating ads that resonate with your target B2B audience is essential for success. B2B Facebook ads for physical products need to address the specific pain points and needs of other businesses. Instead of simply promoting your product, focus on showcasing how it solves a problem or improves the efficiency of your target business. B2B buyers are often looking for long-term solutions rather than quick fixes.
Here are a few tips to help craft compelling ads:
- Highlight Product Benefits: Focus on the core benefits of your physical product. For instance, if you sell industrial machinery, emphasise how your machines increase production speed or reduce downtime.
- Use Strong Visuals: Since Facebook is a visual platform, your ads should feature high-quality images or videos of your product in use. If your physical product is technical, consider using diagrams or infographics that demonstrate its functionality.
- Customer Testimonials and Case Studies: B2B buyers are more likely to trust a product if they see that other businesses have successfully used it. Include customer testimonials or short case studies in your ads to build credibility.
- Call-to-Actions (CTAs): Every ad should have a clear and actionable CTA. Whether it’s to download a product brochure, request a demo, or speak with a sales rep, make it easy for potential buyers to take the next step in the sales funnel.
For example, Dropbox’s Facebook ad says “Join 90,000+ Businesses,” highlighting their product’s broad B2B user base.
Next, let’s look into strategies to refine your B2B targeting.
B2B Targeting Strategies on Facebook Ads
Targeting the right audience is the key to maximising the impact of your B2B Facebook ads for physical products. Facebook’s targeting tools allow advertisers to get highly specific about who sees their ads, making it easier to reach decision-makers in businesses that are relevant to your products.
Here are some strategies to refine your B2B targeting:
- Use Lookalike Audiences: Lookalike audiences are one of the most powerful targeting tools on Facebook. By uploading a list of your existing customers, Facebook can create a lookalike audience that shares similar traits with your current buyers. This can help you find new leads that are more likely to convert.
- Interest-Based Targeting: Facebook allows you to target users based on their job titles, industries, and interests. For B2B marketing, this is particularly useful as it allows you to pinpoint key decision-makers or influencers within companies.
- Layered Targeting: Combine different layers of targeting to get more precise with your audience. For example, if you’re selling office furniture to corporate buyers, you can target by job title (e.g., procurement managers), industry (e.g., IT, finance), and geographic location.
- Retargeting Website Visitors: Retargeting is an essential component of B2B Facebook ads for physical products. By placing a Facebook pixel on your website, you can serve ads to users who have visited your site but didn’t convert. This is particularly useful for B2B, where buyers often require multiple touchpoints before making a purchase decision.
Example: SendinBlue’s Facebook ad could be targeting people who are mostly unfamiliar with their product. The headline “Email & SMS Marketing” says exactly what the product does, so that the ad viewers will associate the brand with email marketing in the future.
And who knows? When a prospect truly needs this kind of marketing tool, maybe SendinBlue will be on top of their mind.
Furthermore, let’s learn the strategies to optimise your ads for lead generation.
Optimising B2B Facebook Ads for Lead Generation
Lead generation is a critical goal in B2B Facebook ads for physical products. Unlike B2C campaigns, where purchases might happen instantly, B2B sales cycles tend to be longer, and lead generation plays a more significant role in nurturing potential buyers.
To optimise your ads for lead generation, consider the following strategies:
- Lead Forms: Facebook’s lead form ads allow users to submit their contact information without leaving the platform. This is a valuable tool for capturing leads in the early stages of the buying journey.
- Offer Value: Encourage users to submit their information by offering something of value, such as a free product demo, an eBook, or access to a webinar. Make sure your offer is relevant to your physical product and appeals to the specific needs of your B2B audience.
- Create Landing Pages: Ensure that any ads directing users to your website lead to a landing page that’s optimised for conversions. The landing page should be tailored to the offer mentioned in your ad and make it easy for users to complete the desired action, whether that’s requesting more information or downloading a product catalogue.
If your product requires some time to get used to, a free trial offer might help to increase the lead-to-sales conversion rate.
For example, Pipedrive’s Facebook ad features a “Sign Up” call to action.
Next, let’s look into the steps to ensure your B2B Facebook ads are set up for success.
Setting Up B2B Facebook Ads for Success
Creating effective B2B Facebook ads requires strategic planning, precise targeting, and continuous optimisation. Here are key steps and best practices to ensure your campaigns are successful.
1. Define Clear Objectives
Establishing specific goals is crucial for any advertising campaign. Use the SMART criteria—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely—to shape your objectives. Common goals for B2B campaigns include lead generation, brand awareness, and conversions.
2. Understand Your Target Audience
Facebook offers extensive targeting options that can be particularly beneficial for B2B marketers. You can target users based on:
- Demographics: Age, gender, location.
- Job Titles: Specifically target decision-makers in relevant industries.
- Behaviors and Interests: Reach professionals engaged with industry-related content.
Utilising custom and lookalike audiences allows you to retarget existing leads or find new prospects similar to your current customers.
3. Choose the Right Ad Formats
Different ad formats can serve various purposes in your campaign:
- Lead Ads: Collect information directly within Facebook, reducing friction for users.
- Image and Video Ads: Showcase products or services effectively.
- Carousel Ads: Display multiple products or features in a single ad13.
Selecting the appropriate format based on your campaign goals can significantly enhance engagement.
4. Budgeting and Bidding Strategies
Facebook allows you to set daily or lifetime budgets for your campaigns. Daily budgets are useful for predictability, while lifetime budgets can optimise spending over a specified period. Consider using:
- Spend-based bidding: Focus on maximising reach.
- Goal-based bidding: Set specific cost targets for conversions or clicks.
5. Optimise for Mobile
Given that a significant majority of Facebook users access the platform via mobile devices, ensure that your ads are mobile-friendly. This includes using vertical images and concise copy that captures attention quickly.
6. Test and Refine Your Campaigns
Running A/B tests is essential to understand what resonates with your audience. Test different elements such as ad copy, images, and targeting strategies to identify the most effective combinations. Regularly review performance data to refine your approach continuously.
7. Monitor Performance Metrics
Track key performance indicators (KPIs) such as click-through rates (CTR), conversion rates, and return on ad spend (ROAS). Use this data to make informed adjustments to your campaigns
In an interview with the SocialMedia Examiner, Facebook ads expert Tara Zirker shared, “If you go into your ads with a testing strategy—no matter your industry—it will resolve at least 80% of your problems. The other 20% are probably just making sure you have the right strategies specific to your niche or industry in terms of what you’re advertising, such as your offer.”
Just setting up the ad is not enough; measuring and optimising your ad performance is very important to a successful campaign. Let’s see how to do that.
Measuring and Optimising Ad Performance
Once your ads are live, measuring their performance is crucial for ensuring your B2B Facebook ads for physical products achieve the desired results. Facebook provides a wide array of metrics you can track, such as click-through rates (CTR), conversion rates, and cost per lead (CPL).
Key tips for measuring and optimising your ad performance:
- Monitor Metrics Regularly: Track the performance of your ads daily or weekly to see which ones are performing best. If certain ads aren’t delivering the expected results, consider pausing them and reallocating the budget to higher-performing ads.
- Adjust Bids and Budgets: If certain ads are underperforming, you may need to adjust your bid strategy or increase your budget to ensure your ads are getting enough exposure. Your advertising budget should account for 5-15% of your overall revenue, depending on how much growth you’re aiming to achieve.
- Optimise Creatives: If you notice your CTR is low, consider tweaking your ad copy or changing your visuals to make them more appealing to your target audience.
Your choice of ad optimisation can directly impact your ad costs.
If your ad is optimised for conversions, for example, Facebook might only show it to the 10,000 people most likely to convert out of an audience of 300,000. For landing page views optimisation, however, Facebook may deliver your ads to 200,000 people, but they’re not as likely to convert.
Lastly, it’s very crucial to use user-generated content to build trust with your target audience. Let’s get into knowing that in-depth.
Using User-Generated Content
One of the most effective ways to build trust with your target audience is through user-generated content (UGC). Incorporating UGC in your B2B Facebook ads for physical products helps establish credibility and fosters engagement with potential buyers.
Here are a few ways to use UGC:
- Customer Reviews: Highlight positive reviews from current customers in your ads. B2B buyers are often looking for social proof that your product will deliver the results you promise.
- Case Studies and Testimonials: Use case studies and testimonials from satisfied customers to demonstrate the effectiveness of your physical product in solving real-world problems for businesses.
- Product Demonstrations: Share user-generated videos of customers using your product in real-life settings. These videos can serve as powerful testimonials that resonate with your target audience.
According to Content Marketing Institute’s 2017 benchmark study, social media and blog content are the most widely used types of B2B content marketing tactics.
Now, with all this information let’s see some examples where B2B Facebook Ads worked wonders.
5 Best Facebook Ads Examples
When it comes to B2B Facebook ad strategies, a few brands stand out for their creative and effective approaches. These examples illustrate how different ad formats and tactics can capture attention and generate leads.
Dermalogica
Dermalogica is a professional-grade skincare brand that is a subsidiary of Unilever. Dermalogica runs a B2B business that allows customers to place orders. Dermalogica used Pepperi to create a single B2B sales and service hub.
It is an example of a simple image with straightforward text in this advertisement. The little splotches of sunlight maintain the product’s brightness and summeriness. To draw attention to the offer they are attempting to promote, the text appears in a dark typeface.
Joybird
Joybird offers a free trade program for businesses, including architects, designers, developers, and retailers. It is a manufacturer of upholstered furniture.
You may question why Joybird is on this list based on its image. You could snap a picture like this at home. It doesn’t seem like anything exceptional, and it’s not a high-quality picture.
Even if this room still has a lovely couch and pillows, it would most likely appear to be a friend’s post when you read through your newsfeed, which is what they want.
Instead of a brand trying to push their product down your news stream, it makes the advertisement seem like it’s from a friend.
DARTdrones
DARTdrones advanced their company’s operations. This Facebook advertising helped us reduce the CPA by 65% and improve conversions by 223%.
The key was to work smarter, not harder. With a 400% increase in traffic, the optimisation increased the conversion rate by 135% and got more hits than ever before.
Greenlight Card
Greenlight is a financial technology company that offers a debit card and money app. Greenlight offers a B2B product called Greenlight for Banks. Greenlight combined visuals with a picture that looked like a camera roll. The large numbers and vivid colors will grab your attention if a toddler clutching a credit card doesn’t. The identical advertisements sans the images are also being shown by Greenlight. Which one is doing the best for them, I wonder? Tests of these items are always beneficial.
Fashionphile
The outcomes? ROAS increased by 76% while CPA decreased by 27%.
All of the value props that their target client is seeking are met by this advertisement: Authenticity is 100% guaranteed, the retail price is significantly reduced, and the product is beautifully displayed to showcase its quality, color, and size.
It focuses on how customers will feel, the use of creative imagery, and the inclusion of a snappy, memorable headline for impact.
Now, most importantly let’s see how Growthpep can help businesses scale with B2B Facebook Ads.
How Growthpep Helps Businesses Scale with B2B Facebook Ads?
Growthpep has a proven track record of helping businesses scale and achieve measurable growth using B2B Facebook ads for physical products. A great example is our work with Athlos, a company looking to boost its presence and increase sales through targeted ad campaigns. By leveraging Facebook ads, lookalike audiences, and continuous optimisation, Growthpep played a pivotal role in their remarkable growth journey.
The challenge was to introduce Athlos to its target audience, regularly engage them to build brand recall, and ultimately drive purchases. Growthpep’s data-driven approach and advanced targeting strategies helped Athlos scale efficiently. Here’s a breakdown of the results:
- 6x Growth in Customer Base: Over 10 months, Athlos saw its customer base grow by 6 times, thanks to well-executed Facebook ad campaigns that targeted the right audiences at the right time.
- 3x Increase in Total Revenue: By focusing on driving high-quality leads through B2B Facebook ads, Athlos experienced a 3-fold increase in total revenue over the same period.
- Cut the Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) by More than Half: Through continuous optimisation and smarter targeting strategies, Growthpep reduced Athlos’ customer acquisition cost (CAC) from $15 to $7 in just 10 months.
These results demonstrate how Growthpep’s expertise in B2B Facebook ads can help businesses not only reach their target audience but also convert them into loyal customers, all while maintaining cost efficiency. Growthpep’s services, which include social media marketing, lead generation, and e-commerce sales, are designed to scale businesses by crafting and executing tailored marketing strategies across digital platforms.
By using the power of Facebook ads and AI-driven optimisation techniques, Growthpep ensures that businesses like Athlos achieve impressive growth, improved customer engagement, and a strong return on ad spend (ROAS).
Conclusion
B2B Facebook ads for physical products offer an untapped opportunity for businesses looking to increase their reach and drive sales. By crafting compelling ads, utilising advanced targeting strategies, and optimising your campaigns for lead generation, you can successfully use Facebook’s ad platform to connect with key decision-makers and generate meaningful leads.
The key to success lies in understanding your audience’s unique needs and challenges and crafting ads that speak directly to them. With a combination of creative storytelling, precise targeting, and continuous optimisation, B2B Facebook ads for physical products can be a game-changer for your business. Don’t forget to track your performance and adjust your strategies over time to maximise the effectiveness of your campaigns.
By creating tailored marketing strategies and focusing on continuous campaign optimisation, Growthpep helps solve common pain points such as low return on ad spend (ROAS) and high customer acquisition costs (CAC). Whether it’s through Facebook, Instagram, Google Ads, Amazon, or Flipkart, Growthpep leverages AI and data analytics to ensure businesses achieve significant growth in revenue and customer engagement.
Contact Growthpep today and let them help you unlock the full potential of your digital marketing efforts.
