Why Facebook Ads Are Essential in 2024: A Beginner's Guide For B2B Businesses

B2B Facebook ads marketing uses Facebook's ads platform to promote products or services to businesses rather than individual customers.

With over 3 billion monthly active users, Facebook offers B2B marketers access to a huge audience, including business decision-makers such as CEOs, marketing heads, or product managers.

Does Facebook Ads Work for B2B Businesses?

Yes, Facebook ads for B2B are still highly effective for B2B  in 2024. Even though it is seen as consumer-focused, it remains one of the leading social media platforms used for growing B2B brands.

Many B2B businesses use Facebook ads to drive traffic, get leads, and convert them to customers. Here are a few B2B ad examples:

1.HubSpot runs Facebook ads to promote its playbook

HubSpot, a leading B2B CMS platform, is promoting an Instagram growth playbook. This ad targets businesses that use Instagram but struggle to drive success from it. HubSpot is encouraging businesses to engage more on Instagram by using their playbook.

2.Slack promotes its ease of use via a Facebook video ad

Slack, a B2B communication tool, uses a video ad to show how easy it is to work in channels. This video targets the middle-of-the-funnel (MOFU) audience by educating the viewers about the company's product and how it can improve team collaboration.

How B2B ads work differently from B2C ads on Facebook

Common misconceptions about Facebook as a B2B marketing platform

Facebook is only for B2C

The C-Suite  uses Facebook and do not shy away from listing their professional background and designation, so it’s easy to target them.

LinkedIn is better for B2B than Facebook

While LinkedIn might be considered the go-to B2B platform, Facebook is cost-effective and has a broader reach, especially for brand awareness campaigns and retargeting.

My target audience isn't on Facebook

Facebook has over 3 billion active monthly users, including many professionals and decision-makers who browse it for personal and business-related content. So, it is highly likely your target audience is on Facebook.

Facebook ads for B2B don't generate high-quality leads

Generating high-quality leads on Facebook depends on the ability to target the correct type of audience for your product/service and the quality of your ad copy. 

How to Create an Effective B2B Facebook Ads Marketing Strategy

Building an effective Facebook Ads for B2B strategy requires a deep understanding of your audience, strategic content, and continuous optimization. Here's a step-by-step guide:

1.Understand your audience

To create ads that are impactful, you need to know exactly who you're targeting, i.e. their position in the company, what kind of decision power they possess, what problems they face, and how your product can help solve those problems.

When you focus on the specific pain point of your target audience and combine it with the benefits your product or service offers, you'll create a compelling ad that resonates.

For example, when you advertise a productivity app, instead of saying, "It helps you get organized," get into the pain point(s):

“Tired of missing deadlines? Our app simplifies your to-do list, syncs with your calendar, and sends reminders, helping you reclaim hours, reduce stress, and boost productivity.”

To make your ad even more compelling, you can tailor your product or service to end users and target decision-makers. You can describe the benefits for end users while highlighting how your product or service can be helpful for the business. 

In Facebook Ads for B2B, you need to address both end users and decision-makers because each group has different priorities:

• End users: These are the people who will interact with your product or service on a day-to-day basis. Focus on describing how your product benefits them directly, such as increasing efficiency, simplifying tasks, or making their job easier
• Decision-makers: These are the executives or managers who approve the purchase. Highlight how your product or service helps the business as a whole, whether it's driving ROI, reducing costs, or improving overall performance

For some reason, you cannot target them together, but you can use A/B testing to target both audiences separately.

2.Use precision targeting

Facebook Ads allow for detailed targeting, which is particularly beneficial for B2B campaigns. You can reach professionals based on job titles, industries, company size, etc. Use these precise targeting options to create highly specific audience segments:

• Job titles: Target users based on specific roles (e.g., CTO, CFO, Marketing Director)
• Industries and companies: Narrow your audience to people working in particular industries or specific companies (ideal for ABM)
• Demographics and Interests: Use demographic data such as education level, location, behavior, and interests to refine your targeting further

3.Map out your sales funnel

Your Facebook ads for B2B should align with your sales funnel stages. Each stage requires different types of content and messaging:

• Top of the funnel (Awareness): Focus on generating brand awareness at this stage. Target broad audiences with content like blogs, eBooks, or industry insights to capture attention. The goal here is to introduce your product and its value
• Middle of the funnel (Consideration): As prospects become familiar with your brand, offer more detailed resources such as case studies, whitepapers, or webinars. These can help to educate and build trust while addressing specific pain points
• Bottom of the funnel (Conversion): Target users with demo offers, free trials, or consultation calls. At this stage, ads should use strong CTAs to drive conversions. Retarget people who have interacted with your website or engaged with earlier campaigns

Example:

• TOFU: Run an ad promoting an industry report
• MOFU: Retarget those who downloaded the report with a case study of how your solution helped a similar company
• BOFU: Offer a free demo to those who viewed the case study

4.Create compelling ad creatives

Your ad creatives must be visually appealing and contain strong messaging to stand out. Here's how to create compelling ads:

• Choose the right ad format: Depending on your product or service, you may want to experiment with carousel ads, video ads, or lead generation ads
• Highlight benefits, not just features: Your ad copy should focus on the tangible benefits your solution provides, such as time savings, cost reduction, or increased efficiency
• Strong CTA: Even though your ad is amazing, you must remind people what to do after they see your ad. For example, these CTAs might include downloading the whitepaper, signing up for the webinar, or requesting a free demo

Example: A B2B SaaS company could highlight how its software helps reduce the time spent on manual tasks by 50% rather than just stating the features of the tool.

5.Leverage Facebook targeting options

Facebook offers advanced demographic targeting options to help you reach the right people at the right time:

• Lookalike audience: Build lookalike audiences based on your existing customers or website visitors. It finds Facebook users who resemble your existing leads or clients, increasing your chances of reaching qualified prospects
• Custom audiences: Retarget website visitors, email subscribers, or people who've engaged with your content. This allows you to stay top-of-mind and move leads further down the funnel

6.Test, analyze, and optimize

Continuous testing and optimization are essential to improving your Facebook Ads for B2B performance. Here's how to fine-tune your strategy:

• Perform A/B testing: Test different ad elements, such as images, headlines, CTAs, and audiences. Compare performance and identify which combinations yield the best results
• Monitor KPIs: Track metrics like click-through rates (CTR), cost per lead (CPL), and conversion rates. Set benchmarks and identify where improvements can be made
• Adjust targeting and budget: As you gather data, refine your audience targeting. Allocate more budget to high-performing ad sets and pause underperforming ones

Facebook Ads for B2B: Best Practices & Tips

To run successful Facebook Ads for B2B, follow these key best practices and tips to maximize your ROI and lead generation marketing efforts:

1.Use trust signals and social proof

In B2B, building trust is critical. Including testimonials, case studies, client logos, awards, and certifications in your ads or landing pages can help you establish credibility. This reassures potential clients that reputable companies have vetted your product or service and can deliver results

2.Retarget warm leads

Since B2B sales cycles are longer, retargeting is essential to keep your brand top-of-mind.

Retarget users who have visited your website, interacted with your content or opened your emails. These warm leads are more likely to convert when they see additional offers like free trials, webinars, or demos

Tip: Use Facebook's Custom Audiences feature to create specific retargeting lists of people who've visited key pages like pricing or case study pages.

3.Build optimized landing pages

Once potential leads click on your Facebook ad, they need to land on a clear, focused, and optimized page for conversions. Key elements of a high-converting B2B landing page include:

• Compelling headlines that reinforce the value proposition
• Trust-building elements like client logos or testimonials
• Simple forms to capture leads with minimal friction (name, email, and a key question or two)
• Clear CTAs that guide the visitor to take action

Tip: Ensure the messaging in your landing page aligns with the ad that brought them there to maintain consistency and increase conversions.

4.Use video ads

Video is a powerful medium for engaging B2B audiences. It allows you to explain complex concepts quickly and showcase your product or service in action. Use videos to:

• Demonstrate product features or walk viewers through how your solution works
• Highlight success stories from current customers
• Share thought leadership content, such as insights from webinars or key industry trends

Tip: Keep videos short (30-60 seconds) and focused on addressing a pain point or showing a solution, making them digestible for busy professionals.

5.Optimize your ads for mobile

Mobile optimization is key as more B2B decision-makers use mobile devices to research products and services.

Find more statistics at Statista

Ensure your ad creative, landing pages, and forms are mobile-friendly:

• Use clear and concise copy that's easy to read on smaller screens
• Make sure that forms and CTAs are easy to click on mobile devices
• Keep the ad images and videos designed for mobile (vertical or square formats work best)

Tip: Test your landing pages across different mobile devices to ensure seamless functionality for mobile users.

6.Set a realistic budget and focus on long-term results

Set a realistic budget that accounts for a longer sales cycle and focus on the bigger picture, i.e., building relationships and generating leads that can convert over time. It's common to:

• Allocate higher initial budgets to attract leads through awareness and middle-of-the-funnel content
• Reinvest in retargeting campaigns for better ROI on warm leads

7.Place ads strategically

Not every placement on Facebook may be effective for your B2B audience. Depending on your campaign goals, you may choose specific ad placements:

• Facebook Feed: For in-depth content like blogs or webinars
• Facebook Audience Network: Reach potential customers on third-party websites and apps
• Facebook Messenger Ads: Great for initiating conversations and collecting leads

Tip: Use automatic placements initially to let Facebook's algorithm test and optimize for you, then adjust based on performance insights.

How to Measure the ROI of Your Facebook Campaigns

Measuring the ROI of your Facebook campaigns is essential to understanding how well your ads are performing and whether they are contributing to your overall business goals. Here's how to effectively track and optimize your campaigns for a positive return on investment.

1.Set clear goals

The first step to measuring ROI is setting clear, measurable goals that align with your business objectives. 

For example: Generate 100 new qualified leads for the SaaS product within a month or Achieve a 200% return on ad spend (ROAS) for a lead generation campaign over 60 days.

These goals provide a framework to measure your success and give you specific metrics to focus on when calculating ROI.

2.Use Facebook's conversion tracking tools

You'll need to set up Facebook Pixel on your website to track conversions and gather valuable data. The Pixel is a small piece of code that tracks visitor actions after interacting with your ad. You can track specific actions, such as:

• Form submissions

• Product purchases

• Page visits

• Demo requests

This allows you to see how many people from your ads are completing these actions and whether your ad budget is generating meaningful results.

Tip: Use Event Tracking to categorize different actions (e.g., page views, add to cart, lead submissions), which helps segment user behaviors and measure their journey through your funnel.

3.Track relevant KPIs based on goals

To measure the ROI of your Facebook campaign, you need to track the right KPIs based on your campaign goals. Some of the most important KPIs include:

• Cost per Lead (CPL): Shows how much you're spending to acquire each new lead. A lower CPL indicates more efficient lead generation
• Click-Through Rate (CTR): Measures how effectively your ads are driving users to click. A high CTR suggests your ad creative and targeting are aligned with your audience's interests
• Return on Ad Spend (ROAS): Measures how much revenue you earn for each dollar spent on ads. A ROAS of 3:1, for instance, means you earned $3 for every $1 spent
• Customer Lifetime Value (CLV): For long-term ROI measurement, consider the average revenue generated per customer over the course of their relationship with your business. This metric is crucial for understanding the overall profitability of your campaigns
• Conversion Rate: The percentage of users who took a desired action (e.g., filled out a form or made a purchase) after clicking on your ad. This helps determine how well your landing page or offer converts traffic into leads or customers
• Impressions and Reach: While not directly tied to ROI, these metrics help gauge how many people are seeing your ads and how wide of an audience you are reaching

4.Improve your Facebook lead ads campaigns and apply the knowledge

After tracking these KPIs, use the data to analyze your ad performance and make improvements:

• A/B Test: Run tests on ad creatives, copy, audience targeting, and placements. For example, if one ad has a higher CTR but lower conversions, analyze the landing page experience or ad messaging
• Optimize Bidding Strategies: Adjust your bidding to optimize for your goals (e.g., conversions, lead generation) rather than just impressions.
• Audience Refinement: Look at which audience segments respond best to your ads and refine your targeting to focus on higher-converting groups
• Improve Ad Creatives: If certain ad formats (e.g., video, carousel) are performing better, focus your efforts on those formats for future campaigns

5.Repeat the process

Measuring ROI is an ongoing process. After making improvements, you'll want to continually:

• Monitor KPIs to ensure the changes are having a positive effect
• Set new goals based on your updated performance benchmarks
• Iterate your campaigns over time by testing new ad creatives, targeting strategies, and placements to see what delivers the best ROI

Partner with Industry Experts to Maximize Your Return on Facebook Advertising

When it comes to maximizing your results with Facebook ads for B2B, partnering with industry experts can make a huge difference. TripleDart is one of the leading agencies specializing in Facebook ads tailored specifically to meet the unique needs of B2B companies.

Here's how TripleDart helped Ascend Now with their PPC campaigns:

Client overview

Ascend Now is a premium education platform assisting students with IB, SAT, IGCSE, AP, and college counseling.

Challenge

Ascend Now needed to increase revenue and ROAS while maintaining the same budget.

Results

Through strategic optimizations, we achieved:

• 20% Increase in Click-to-Lead Rate

• 25% Boost in Marketing-Qualified Leads (MQLs)

• 60% Growth in Lead to Sales-Qualified Lead (SQL) Conversion

• 92% Increase in Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)

Book an intro call with us today and discover how we can help drive your B2B growth with strategic Facebook advertising.

FAQs

1. Should I use Facebook Ads for my business?

Yes, Facebook Ads for B2B can be effective for many businesses, especially when targeting specific audiences, creating compelling ad content, and leveraging analytics for ongoing optimization.

2. Can Facebook Ads really drive leads for B2B companies?

Absolutely. With the right approach, Facebook Ads for B2B can capture high-quality leads by targeting niche audiences and providing valuable offers that meet their needs.

3. How much should I budget for Facebook ads for b2b?

Budgets vary, but B2B companies generally see results with a monthly budget of $1,000–$5,000 for small to medium-sized businesses, depending on campaign goals and audience size.

4. What types of Facebook ads work best for B2B marketing?

Lead generation ads, retargeting ads, and video ads tend to perform well for B2B marketing, helping capture leads directly and re-engage interested audiences.

5. Is Facebook better than LinkedIn for B2B?

Each social media platform also has its strengths. Facebook can be highly effective for broad reach and cost-efficiency, while LinkedIn often excels for direct B2B networking and targeting professional audiences. The right platform depends on your specific goals and audience.