Unless you’re a major automotive manufacturer, beer company or GoDaddy, chances are you can’t afford a Super Bowl ad. Every year, big brands shell out big bucks to get a highly coveted commercial spot during the most watched event in the U.S. annually.

Though a Super Bowl ad can result in online buzz, media coverage and memorability -everything a marketer wants – well after the big game, small businesses do have more affordable routes they can take to get brand exposure and, ultimately, customers. Enter social media advertising.

A report by the Interactive Advertising Bureau found that digital advertising in 2015 grew 19 percent over 2014 – the fastest growth rate in four years. This explosive growth is being driven by three things: social, mobile and video. Social media advertising alone grew 51 percent in 2015.

More than any other platform, Facebook has been the dominant player in digital advertising. In 2014, it generated $12.5 billion in revenue, significantly higher than Twitter’s $1.4 billion and LinkedIn’s $2.2 billion. And with good reason – there are more than 1 billion daily active users.

What does that mean for small businesses? The good news: a single ad on Facebook has the potential to reach exactly the kind of person you want to reach. The bad news: advertising can be annoying. Users don’t want ads all over their feeds – they’re just trying to like a photo of their friend’s cute dog or post about how good Grease Live was (no, really, this is exactly what I was doing this weekend).

But these aren’t the days of irrelevant pop up ads that have nothing to do with you. Today, targeting the right people with the right message at the right time is not only key for marketers, it’s also become the norm. Combining social media management and advertising with an effective public relations campaign will ensure you’re spending your limited ad dollars wisely.

Here are four things you have to do for your Facebook ad to really work and convert customers.

1. Make It Visual

A picture is worth a thousand words, right? That’s never been truer than in today’s fast-paced digital world. We’re visual creatures – in fact, 65 percent of us are visual learners, according to the Social Science Research Network. We want ads that will catch our eyes and explain simply what it’s all about.

Stitch Fix includes a variety of items in its ads that clearly show what its service all about – shopping. It makes each piece stand out with a clean and simple design that catches the eye.

2. Make It Enticing

You want your ad to clearly address the WIIFM: what’s in it for me? Whether that’s to save money during a sale, score the hottest tech gadget everyone’s buying or try the world’s best cookie, people want to know they are getting something valuable.

Blue Apron (which I already love!) does a great job of enticing people to try it. From sending free meals to showing you healthy recipes, you know what you’re getting once you click on the ad.

3. Make It Actionable

Your ad will be worthless if you don’t have a good call to action, or CTA. It should tell the potential customers exactly what you want them to do, and encourage them to act fast and click on your ad because there’s something valuable in it for them. Ad Roll found that Facebook ads with a CTA boost click-through rates 2.85 times.

This NatureBox ad is the perfect example – it’s telling you to try it for free. Free snacks? Sign me up! (Do you see a pattern emerging here? Clearly food ads work on me.)

4. Make It Relevant

Remember what I said about targeting? This is where it comes in. You might have designed the most visually engaging and appealing ad, but if it’s not relevant to someone, you just wasted your money. Data company Webtrends found that if you target ads to fans, you’ll get seven times more clicks. Before you send out your ad, determine who you’re trying to reach. Facebook will make it easy to customize and narrow down your ad settings for your audience.

Not sure if you heard, but last week we had a pretty strong blizzard here in the Washington, D.C. region. Area businesses, the Metro, schools – you name it – were shut down for days. On Monday, when I was going crazy with cabin fever, I saw a post from Nando’s Peri Peri, my favorite chicken place just a block down the road, announcing it was open for business. You better believe that’s where I had dinner that night. If that’s not the best example of Facebook targeting, I don’t know what is!Once you’ve mastered all four of these elements, you’ll be ready to convert customers like never before – and rule Facebook like the Pink Ladies at Rydell High.

Is your company looking for public relations and social media marketing services? Contact Gabriel Marketing Group!