Analyzing My Facebook Ad's Failure

 

I'm wracked with indecision. Should I pull my Facebook ad now, while it still has four days left to run? The only day I made any sales at all was Day One. Since then, even my number of clicks has been very low, and none of them translated to sales. There's obviously a disconnect somewhere that I don't know how to resolve. The ad copy in relation to my blurb? My book cover? (I'm not changing it.) Zero reviews? (quite possibly)

I'm guessing it's the blurb, but that's just a guess. I revamped my blurb yesterday, but I kept the bulk of it. Maybe I'm approaching it from the wrong angle. It's true that the first third or first one-fourth of the story revolves around Leah's life in Chance, and if anyone glances at the preview, that's evident, but I can't include every minute detail in the description. I felt it would be more "exciting" (I guess) to talk about her experiences once she lands her label deal. Do previewers find that misleading? Something is definitely turning people off. 

Here's what Google tells me:

 

Ad Copy vs. Sales Page

 

The ad copy might be too broad or misleading, attracting clicks from users who don't fully understand the book's subject or tone. 

 

Cover and Pricing

 

The price might be perceived as too high for the perceived value after seeing the book's description. 

 

The cover might not be visually appealing or accurately represent the book's genre and content.

Targeting and Audience

 You might be targeting users who are not genuinely interested in the book's topic or genre. 

Overall Marketing Strategy

The ad's keywords and targeting options might not be effectively matching the book's target audience.

Negative reviews or a lack of positive reviews can discourage potential buyers.

 

Poor Description 

 

The book description might be vague, unengaging, or fail to highlight key benefits, leading visitors to lose interest before purchasing. 

 

Poor Ad Targeting 

 

The ad's keywords and targeting options might not be effectively matching the book's target audience. 

 

High Price

 

Low-Quality Traffic

The clicks could be coming from bots or users who are not serious about making a purchase.

 

 

The pricing and cover will remain the same. $2.99 is more than reasonable, and I like my cover; I'm attached to it. The cover stays.

 

Targeting? Maybe. I didn't do the "comp author" thing that David Gaughran talked about in his video, for a couple of reasons. Number one, I didn't want to limit my book's reach, and two, I don't know my comp authors, dammit! What if I pick wrong?

 

No reviews? Yea, but what am I to do about that? Nothing. 

 

Key words? Was I supposed to use key words? What would they be?

 

All of this leads me back to either the ad itself, the blurb, or the dichotomy between the two. Sure, I'd love to chalk it up to bots, but if that were true, I'd have a ton more clicks than I currently have.

 

There could be, of course, one factor that wasn't mentioned: Facebook ads don't work. I'm not saying that's true, but I'm not not saying it's true.

 

As I see it, I have a few options:

 

1. Stop my ad and give up. Or let it run its course and then give up.

2. Rework my blurb again, especially to match the book's preview.

3. Create a more intriguing ad, something I have no idea how to do.

 

Everyone loves to tout A/B testing, but that's not an option for the poor (like me). I'm already spending practically the minimum amount, but if I multiply that by two, that's $100.00 per week! Come on! Unfortunately, my lottery winnings haven't poured in yet (which reminds me, it's time to buy another dollar ticket), and I can't spend our grocery money on advertising, especially for teeny, tiny results.

 

I don't think I'm quite ready to pursue Option #1...yet. It's not them; it's me who isn't getting this right. Rewriting the blurb is an exercise in frustration, but I'm willing to try. If it goes to hell, well, I still have my current blurb.

 

I'm fresh out of intriguing ad ideas, but I'm willing to play around with Canva some more. Maybe something will spark.

 

Some books, they say, sell themselves. I wonder what that's like.