While it didn’t even exist 10 years ago, Facebook advertising is a key component to most company’s media mix. For some companies, it has overtaken or even replaced traditional media as their most effective marketing platform. For smaller companies, though, without a dedicated digital team or designated social lead, it may seem like a massive undertaking or commitment. Here are some tools that make it quick and easy to harness the power and audience of Facebook.

Editing Tools for Videos

You may not have a studio or professional camera, sound, lighting, or editing equipment at your disposal (most companies don’t!) But chances are, you have a smartphone that can shoot in HD or even 4K resolution with the Facebook mobile app on it. That’s all you really need to take advantage of the Ads Manager’s new features in Facebook advertising. You can automatically crop video to fit mobile screen sizes, trim and set in and out points to eliminate awkward beginnings and endings, and even overlay text or images over video. Facebook works as a basic video editing program that anyone can use!

Automated Advertisements

Automated ads are an innovation that walks you through the process of cross-posting, and even takes much of the guesswork out of picking and choosing between Facebook’s platforms (Messenger, Instagram, Audience Network and Facebook.) It works by asking a series of intuitive questions about your goals for the Facebook advertising campaign, desired demos and customers, and budget.

From there, it will give you personalized recommendations about placement, the right type of call to action buttons to use (“click here!” “learn more!” etc.) and even creative details. In addition to gathering information from your answers, it will also factor in analytics from your business’ Facebook page. It may seem too good to be true, but Facebook wants your repeat business, so it’s in their best interest to steer you down the avenue with the best return on investment.

Appointment Booking Capabilities

If a customer sees your ad and likes what they see, they can now use the call to action button to book an appointment, service, or consultation. You can even set it up so that reminders are sent through text or Messenger, and you can manage your business’ appointment calendar through your business page as well.

Having a great social media advertising strategy is crucial to a company’s success in modern times. These tools make it easier for you to have one!