By now, you probably know that sharing your emails on Facebook is a great way to reach a wider audience and get more from the messages you’re sending out.

When you share your emails on Facebook, you’re able to keep your fans up-to-date on all the great stuff you have going on at your business, and you’re also able to give your social media audience a reason to join your email list.

But in addition to sharing your emails with your existing fans, did you know that you can extend the reach of your email with Facebook’s Advertising tools?

The benefits of Facebook Ads

Facebook Ads allow you to target your message in a way that you can’t with a regular Facebook post.

While ads do require some investment, you don’t need to have an extensive advertising budget to run an ad that can have a big impact for your business.

And because Facebook provides in-depth reporting on how many people are seeing and acting on the ad you promote, you’ll be able to determine whether or not your investment is paying off — which can be difficult with other traditional advertising options like print.

As a business that’s already using email marketing, you’re in a great position to get started with Facebook Ads.

One of the biggest challenges of running an ad on Facebook is figuring out what to promote. Luckily, you’re already creating great email content and announcements that would be perfect to promote to a wider Facebook audience.

If you’re still on the fence about trying Facebook Ads to promote your emails, here are a few additional benefits you should consider:

1. Reach more of your existing fans

It’s estimated that less than 11 percent of your existing fans actually see the posts you share on Facebook.

The good news is that the people who do see your posts will likely be some of your most engaged fans, who consistently interact with your Facebook Page. The not so good news is that if you have something big to promote and want to reach your wider fan base, it can be difficult to have your content show up.

Facebook Ads give you the opportunity to reach more of your existing fans to ensure that the people who liked your page will see the content you decide to share.

2. Reach new people who are interested in your business

In addition to targeting your existing fans, Facebook Ads give you the ability to reach new people who could be interested in your business.

If you already have an email list, you can utilize one of Facebook’s most powerful targeting features — Lookalike Audiences. This feature allows you to use your existing list of email contacts to identify subscribers who are already on Facebook and then create an audience of people have similar interests and characteristics as the people on your list.

This means that if you’re a local business and most of your existing email contacts live in and around your community, Facebook will use this information to create an audience of other local consumers who have similar interests as the people on your list.

3. Get more from your email marketing

At the end of the day, investing in Facebook Ads to promote your emails is really about getting more from the work you’re already doing to promote your business.

Think about the emails you’re already sending.

This could include:

• Major announcements
• Weekly news/specials
• Upcoming events
• Seasonal offers
• Upcoming deadlines

Facebook Ads will give you the opportunity to extend your reach to get your message in front of thousands of potential customers for your business. This can result in more registrants for your events, more sales in-store or online, and more opportunities to drive meaningful results from your marketing efforts.

By adding a sign-up link to the emails you decide to promote, you’ll also have the chance to encourage new potential customers to join your email list, which can result in more opportunities for your business long after your ad is over.

Interested in getting started?

The message you decide to promote should have a measureable action for the recipient to take.

For example, a bike shop may want to promote an email announcing an upcoming sale that includes the hours and location of the store with a link to their website to learn more.

A restaurant may want to promote an email with details about upcoming specials or tastings, with a phone number for guests to book a reservation.

And a consultant may decide to promote an email with information about upcoming seminars or networking events, with a link for fans to sign up to receive more information online.

Give it a shot today!