Advertising Literacy & Basic Skills Programs Using Social Media

Improving our messaging to increase recruitmentBrittany Howlett

Communications & Social Marketing CoordinatorCESBA

December 1, 2016#CESBA2016

What we’ll look at:

• What is social media advertising?• How to create a paid ad campaign on

Facebook and Twitter• Sample ad messaging for LBS• A Case Study of PSW ads

Today’s takeaways:• You’ll understand the value of advertising

on social media• You’ll know how to make an effective ad• You’ll be able to create your own online

advertising campaigns for LBS programs on social media

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What is social media advertising?

Social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter provide a platform for users to connect, communicate and share news and information.

Advertising on social media is form of digital marketing.

It is an effective and efficient way to promote goods and services online to your target audience and build awareness.

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Why pay to advertise?

• Builds greater awareness and visibility = more engagement and sharing

• You can target your audience to reach your specific target market

• Gain insight about current & potential LBS learners through data collection

• Other forms of advertising are $$$(search ads, radio, TV, billboards)

• Big budgets not required - paid ads with $50 or less!

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Getting StartedYou’ll need:

1. A Facebook Business Page for your school board/adult ed institution, and/or a Twitter account for your school board/adult ed institution

2. An advertising account for Facebook and/or Twitter:www.facebook.com/ads/createhttps://ads.twitter.com

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Use the Ads Manager to pick an objective

Some options:• Send people to your website• Advertise an event

Choose your own adventure!

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Target your audience

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Set your budget & ad schedule

Add budget

Select timeframe

Ignore the rest!

Add budget

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Choose your images

• Facebook allows up to 6 images per ad campaign

• Choose from your own photo library or use stock images.

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Have fun with the Slideshow or Carousel options on Facebook

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Add your messaging (tip: keep it short!)

Preview your ad while you create it!

Catchy Headline

Descriptive Text

Call to Action

Tweet (140 char.)

Catchy Headline

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Pick a catchy headline and give more info with a brief description

Literacy and Numeracy

Description:• Gain confidence in reading and

writing. Our free course for adults can help you get there!

Headlines:• Improve your reading & writing skills • Give your reading skills a boost! • It’s never too late to learn.

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Headlines

• Your pathway to possibilities

• Discover your potential

• The right training for the right skills

• Build your skills for life and work

Descriptions• Gain the skills you need to succeed in life & work – sign up

for our program today.• Prepare yourself for the working world with our skill

upgrading programs!• Get trained in the skills you need for work & home with our

flexible programs.

Essential Skills

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Computer use/digital skillsHeadlines:

• Are you connected?

• Get computer savvy!

• Computer Essential Skill Training

• Computer skills for a digital world

• Give your computer skills a boost!

Description:• Gain confidence in computer use for a

digital world. Our free course for adults can help you get there!

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Employment-focusedHeadlines

• The right training for the right job

• Are you ready for your next job?

• Get employment ready!

• Employers need YOUR skills!

Descriptions• Get the job you want by gaining the skills you

need! Work at your own pace. • Flexible, low-cost employment preparation

courses for adults. Learn at your own pace!• Free employment training programs available!

Learn new skills and work at your own pace.#CESBA2016

Desktop News Feed (Facebook)

Mobile Devices(Twitter)

Right Column (Facebook)

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Your ad will look different depending on where it’s shown

Mobile News Feed(Facebook)

Testing, testing!

A/B Testing is a great way to test your LBS ad’s effectiveness.

Try testing different ads to see which ones perform better:

• Different text• Different images• Using text on image• Different target audience

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Analyze your results

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Case Study: Advertising Personal Support Worker (PSW) Programs on Social Media• The goals:

• Boost program enrollment • Spread awareness of programs

• What we did:• PSW Committee came up with key messaging to use in ads• Presented workshop on social media advertising at PSW Work Day in May 2016• 5 boards ran social media ads (4 Facebook, 1 Twitter)

• Algonquin Lakeshore CDSB• Conseil des écoles publiques de l'Est de l'Ontario (CEPEO)• York Region DSB• Kawartha Pine Ridge DSB (Community Training & Development Centre, Cobourg)• Simcoe County DSB

• Boards sent in the data from their ads to be analyzed

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Some examples

564 clicks19,944 impressions$0.35 Cost-per-click (CPC)

636 clicks41,655 impressions$0.78 CPC

322 clicks27,015 impressions$0.62 CPC

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The Data (all campaigns)

• Total clicks: 1,911

• Total impressions: 114,344

• Average CPC: $0.81

Most active age groups

1. 18-24

2. 25-34

3. 35-44

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…but did it impact enrollment?1. York Region DSB (Twitter campaign):

Out of 77 paid and registered students in 3 programs: • 30% heard through online/social media• 39% from past student referral/word of mouth• 21% were Ontario Works/Second Careers candidates• 2.5% were returning students 2.5% were referred by a community partner• 5% other

Historically, over 50% of referrals come from word of mouth. Data supports an increase in website traffic/social media access.

2. CEPEO (Facebook campaign):

Intake data not recorded, however did see new students in the program and planned on surveyingstudents to see how they found out about it.

3. Algonquin Lakeshore CDSB (Facebook campaign):

No firm data yet, but program did see an increase in registrations this year.

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Conclusions

• More data needed!

• The only way to prove effectiveness is to try it

• Test your ads!

• Intake information is just as important!

• Give it a try!

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Questions?

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Have a question? Need help? Get in touch!bhowlett@cesba.com

@CESBAOntario

Please follow us!

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Tools and Resources

• Make a fantastic Facebook Ad https://www.facebook.com/business/a/creative-guide-making-ads-tips

• Facebook Design Recommendations https://www.facebook.com/business/ads-guide/clicks-to-website/

• 63 Stats & Tips to Help You Become a Better Twitter User [Infographic] http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/twitter-stats-tips#sm.00001yh3wu4bfmdawucdxmzj1fci

• How to Create Stunning Facebook Ad Images with Canvahttps://adespresso.com/academy/blog/how-to-create-stunning-facebook-ad-images-with-canva/

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Get the LBS Promo Package at www.cesba.com/lbs-social-media-promotion-package/

Sources

• Paid social media advertising for non-profits – Wired Impact https://wiredimpact.com/blog/paid-social-media-advertising-for-nonprofits/

• TOP 10 Social Media Advertising Hacks of ALL TIME - Internet Marketing Software – WordStreamhttp://www.slideshare.net/WordStream/top-10-social-media-advertising-hacks-of-all-time-58068524/66-Power_of_Social_RemarketingSo_Push

• How to advertise on Facebook – HootSuite https://blog.hootsuite.com/how-to-advertise-on-facebook/

• 10 Best Practices for Social Media Advertising – SalesForce https://www.salesforce.com/blog/2013/05/10-best-practices-for-social-media-advertising.html

• 10 examples of Facebook ads that actually work and why – HubSpot Bloghttp://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/33319/10-examples-of-facebook-ads-that-actually-work-and-why.aspx#sm.00001yh3wu4bfmdawucdxmzj1fci3

• How to Create Stunning Facebook Ad Images with Canva – Ad Espresso https://adespresso.com/academy/blog/how-to-create-stunning-facebook-ad-images-with-canva/

• 5 Tricks to Improve Facebook Ad Images – Ad Espresso https://adespresso.com/academy/blog/5-tricks-improve-facebook-ads-images/

• Facebook Earnings Q4 2015 – TechCrunch https://techcrunch.com/2016/01/27/facebook-earnings-q4-2015/#.9g6vfdk:SEVl

• An Introduction to Advertising On Social Media, Dale Denham www.slideshare.net/therealdaledenham

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