You don't have to quit your job, move out west, and found a tech startup to become an entrepreneur.
You can start by taking just a few small steps toward finding ways to generate some extra cash.
A small but lucrative side project that depends on Facebook ads can be a great way to introduce yourself to entrepreneurial endeavors.
Whether it's selling t-shirts, or reminding husbands to pick up some flowers for their anniversary next week, there's actually a surprising wealth of options out there for creative solopreneurs.
In a recent blog post, AdEspresso lists a few great ideas.
All of these side businesses can be run almost entirely through Facebook ads.
This means that while you do need a little bit of capital to get started, it's a pretty accessible strategy overall.
Here are a few cool ideas.
1. Hybrid T-Shirts – Intersecting Interests
Interests > Taco
Interests > College football
T-shirts are a classic DIY item, well known and loved all over the world. That leads to a large market for T-shirts with all kinds of designs.
You can stand out from the crowd (and narrow into your select customer base) by selling shirts which combine two different interests into one design:
a hybrid T-shirt.
Say you want to design a shirt that speaks to football fans…who love tacos.
Intersecting those interests in Facebook means selecting users that match all of these interests.
[image source: AdEspresso]
Hit fans of both football and tacos.
As they’re scrolling through Facebook, they’ll stumble upon your shirt and think: “that’s so me.”
Why this only works with Facebook ads
What other avenues allow you to specifically cater to someone who likes both the football and tacos?
If you were to open up a shirt shop, either on a busy street or online, you may be able to find people of 1 interest, but the smaller sub-section within that group that’s interested in thing 2 is much harder.
Before you go forth and post your ad, get a sense of how big your audience is for intersecting interests by going into Facebook Ads Manager.
[image source: AdEspresso]
Compare the numbers for users who have both interests (“and”), versus any of them (“or”).
If the number on the right is too small (and CPC too expensive), then you might want to reassess which interests your shirt is representing.
2. Timely Travel Guides – Currently Traveling
Currently Traveling > Portland
Most people who organize their own travel have a lot of details to keep in check.
Lodgings, food, attractions, transport—the list goes on.
Things are sometimes unpredictable on the road, and that’s when travelers need the most support.
You can swoop in to save the day with well-timed e-travel guides.
Your target audience would be people who are “currently traveling” and in need of advice about, say, places to eat in Portland, Oregon.
If you’re an expert in local cuisine, you can schedule an ad to go on at noon PST.
The beauty of the side business is that you can play to your strengths and hobbies, so if you love writing, then this ad would be a great opportunity to link to your food blog.
Maybe you love designing infographics and maps—then you can give your travelers a handy PDF of one that they can download on mobile.
Why this only works with Facebook ads
Travelers usually buy travel guides, or do their research before they travel.
For people who check their Facebook on the road and in the country where they’re staying (if that country allows Facebook), official travel guides aren’t as handy as mobile PDFs or articles for local, up-to-date, immediate information.
More and more people use their phones as a way to navigate and make travel decisions on the fly, so having a stronghold on Facebook is a great way to make a side business out of people’s existing travel behavior.
When choosing your ad placement, be sure to keep in mind that mobile users have a different reading pattern than desktop users, and their attention span is shorter.
To combat these differences, make your copy snappy and use more visuals.
3. Pre-Anniversary Prep – Anniversary Within 30 Days
Demographics > Anniversary Within 30 Days
You can build your side hustle helping anniversary planners get what they need for the big day.
It’s simple if you focus on one aspect of the planning, like flowers, catering or stationery—and let Facebook’s anniversary targeting take care of the rest.
With the “Anniversary within 30 days” option, you can focus your services on people who definitely 1) have an anniversary coming up and 2) would need your service, urgently!
Why this only works with Facebook ads
When you offer planning services off-line—say, at a flower shop or a catering service—you get a lot of different people coming through, only a portion of whom are looking to celebrate their anniversary.
With Facebook, you can systematically narrow down your clientele to just the people who have an anniversary coming up, and within a specific time period.
Anniversaries are quite reminiscent of weddings, of course—so the aesthetic of your ad matters.
It’ll help to keep your overall image pastel, with cool tones that are remarkably popular with sites like Pinterest (often used to plan events).
That way, your ad will not only answer a functional planning problem—it’ll also get your customers excited about the look and feel of the celebration.
You can find more great side hustle ideas in the full post from AdEspresso.
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