Shopify, one of the Internet's leading e-commerce systems, recently posted some helpful guidelines to consider when using Facebook ads to drive traffic to an online store.

You can read all their suggestions here, but the most important suggestions might be the first and last, which are both about staying focused on the goal(s) of the campaign:

1. Define Your Goals: Before you start putting together your Facebook ad campaign, you need to take a moment to layout some goals you want to achieve. Is your goal to drive traffic to your ecommerce store, build awareness, or promote a specific event/contest? The context of your ad campaign needs to be clearly defined. I would suggest using one or all of the goals below as a starting point:

• Conversion

• Engagement

• Awareness
• Audience Growth

Take your time in establishing your goals as this will help maximize the impact of your Facebook Ads.

6. Engage Your New Audience: Many businesses go through the time and money with facebook ads but never update their Facebook page. It’s like purchasing a larger microphone but never saying anything. You have an audience waiting to be wowed, make sure you do so with captivating content and conversations.

Never forget the “social” in social media, it’s about humanizing your business and gaining trust with potential consumers. Remember, picking up a lot of new “Likes” is great but if every other metric remains static, you don't have anything.

Facebook marketing comes down to the product or service you are providing and your overall goal. Large companies such as Redbull, focus on community engagement rather than sales while Starbucks aims to promote awareness for their contests. It’s always a good idea to research companies in your own industry and learn from their successes and failures.