Before I start this post, I highly recommend that if you are using Facebook ads that you manage all your ads in FB Editor. FB editor is a game changer for me when it comes to both targeting and overall campaign management. Also this strategy does not cover Facebook Customer Audiences, I use another split testing strategy for that.
Facebook split-testing is defined by me as ad experimentation through the the recreation of the same ad multiple times with one specific change and then measuring the results to see which ad experiment works the best to reach your given results or goal.
When I setup split tests, I organize my campaigns, ad groups, and ads in the following way
(1) Campaigns: For organizational purposes I only setup new campaigns when I am trying to drive a new type of action. Actions include “Likes” “Off Facebook Actions” or other types of engagements. Whenever I launch a new campaign, I usually create 4 different ad groups with 16 ads in each group totaling 64 different ads. This is equal to 4 ads with 4 different variations in each ad group. This is only the starting point but I am big believer in simplicity to start when I launch a new product.
(2) Ad Groups: I only setup new ad groups whenever I launch a new type of ad placement such as “Facebook Sponsored Post Ads”, ” “SideBar Ads” “Mobile Newsfeed Ads” etc. I do this just to keep things simple and organized.
(3) Ads: Whenever I launch an ad I usually replicate the same ad four different times to start. Each time I replicate I am the changing the following variables on the ads.
(A) Image: The most important element of a high CTR Facebook Ad is the image. It doesn’t matter where the placement is on Facebook. You need to pick images that disrupt the user flow. When I say disrupt, I mean disrupt the user in a way to get them to pause themselves from socializing and influence them to either either click on an ad or engage in your brand. Facebook ads in general is what I refer to as “Low Intent” traffic
(B) Title: As weird as this sounds the title does not need to describe the image in a Facebook Ad. The title is part of the image and the main goal of the “Title” is to get the person to either read the ad,click on the ad, or even better “like” the ad. I like to try “Title’s” that talk directly to my users in their own words. I know the customers words through my earlier customer development research. Remember we are disrupting the page, be belligerent, crazy, psychotic, creative or something in between.
(C) Body Text: The body text is the selling point for the user. If you got their eyes all the way into your body, your chance of success sky rockets. Obviously if your running newsfeed ads then the likely-hood of them reading your body goes up.
When I split test “body”, I like to change the body 100% and come up with a completely new variation.
(D) Targeting: Facebook is always coming out with new targeting features most recently they came out with “Partner Categories” which allows you to target ads to people based on past purchases or buying history. They do this through third party data sources.
For targeting I like choosing a max of three precise interests for my audience, when I split test interests I will then either create three totally new interests or just slide in one interest for another.
To be successful on Facebook, you have to be both organized and methodical with your split testing strategy.
I usually record most of my split tests in excel and then analyze the results to find the highest CTR ads.
