Over the past few weeks, I’ve been running Facebook ads for my children’s book and print-on-demand products without much success. It turns out that running Facebook ads is similar to placing an ad in a magazine at a doctor’s office. Readers might glance at the content or advertisements, but they are usually just passing the time and not actively seeking out your product.

Passive Audience on Facebook

Facebook users are generally not actively looking for your product or service on the platform. Although some people do click, like, share, and comment positively on the ads, they rarely convert to actual purchases. Even when there’s a click-through to a well-designed website with a clear call to action and plenty of information about the product, conversions remain low.

Increased Traffic but Low Quality

During the ad campaign, website traffic did increase significantly. However, this traffic was largely non-qualified, despite targeting specific demographics and interest segments. The increase in traffic did not translate into sales, indicating that the viewers were not genuinely interested in purchasing.

AI Recommendations and Targeting Issues

I used ChatGPT 4 to suggest ad formats, text, demographics, and segments. The recommendations seemed reasonable based on the detailed product description I provided. However, despite these well-thought-out suggestions, the ads did not perform as expected.

Targeting the Wrong Demographic

One significant issue I encountered was that Facebook mostly showed the ads to the 65+ age group, even though I specifically targeted a much younger audience. The older demographic seemed to be engaging with the ads merely for entertainment, not with an intention to buy.

Conclusion

In summary, running Facebook ads for my children’s book and print-on-demand products highlighted several challenges. The passive nature of the audience on Facebook, combined with ineffective targeting and low-quality traffic, resulted in poor ad performance. For anyone considering similar ad campaigns, it’s essential to keep these factors in mind and explore alternative strategies to reach your target audience more effectively.