According to one recent study, Facebook still has an enormous network of more than 2.74 billion monthly active users. That figure is impressive on its own - but when you consider it's actually a 12% increase year-over-ear from 2019, it becomes downright staggering.

That's right - somehow, Facebook is still getting more popular. But not only does it have an enormous audience, it has an incredibly engaged one, too. Another recent study indicated that the average Facebook user clicks on about 12 ads during a given month. To put that into perspective, that's at least one ad every two and a half days. Women actually click on ads a bit more than men do, at 15 per month as opposed to 10 per month.

So yes, Facebook advertising is as powerful - and as effective - as it ever was. And this is one trend that shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. However, simply running ads on the platform in and of itself isn't enough to get the job done.

You want to get the right message in front of the right person at exactly the right time. To get to that point as effectively as possible, there are a few key Facebook ad manipulation techniques that you'll need to be aware of moving forward.

To be clear, when we say "Facebook ad manipulation" we're not necessarily talking about manipulative ads in a traditional sense. Rather, we're speaking to how you can manipulate the Facebook ad platform - and the content you show on it - to better meet your needs and drive sales.

#1 Separate Your Promotions

For example, one of the major techniques that you'll want to take advantage of involves promoting separate catalogs of products for broad items versus seasonal or otherwise theme-driven items. If you sell certain types of products to women and other types to men, you wouldn't necessarily want to lump them all into the same ad group. You would want to target their audiences separately, thus allowing you to get more specific with your content and creating an experience that is more memorable as well.

#2 Prioritize Video

Along the same lines, you'll also want to experiment with as many video advertisements as possible because Facebook absolutely prioritizes video content in peoples feeds. Simply using video alone makes it more likely that your content will be seen as opposed to if you were just using static ads.

But beyond that, video ads simply create a far better experience on behalf of your target audience members. Not only are they more memorable, but they're more exciting to interact with. They get even complicated ideas across in a far more effective way than text alone ever would.

Plus, you get to show your products in action as they're actually being used - which in and of itself may be the perfect opportunity to differentiate yourself from your competitors.'

#3 Target High-Value Behaviors and Characteristics

Another important Facebook ad manipulation technique to be aware of involves not just what type of targeting you're using, but who you're targeting with your campaign. Think for a moment about the sheer volume of information that the average person hands over when they create a Facebook profile. They tell the site about their education. Their interests. Their hobbies. The list goes on and on.

All of this is incredibly helpful when it comes to Facebook advertising, which is why you need to start using it to your advantage. You could target people who have already visited your website, for example. This is a great technique to try because they already know at least a little bit about what you do, so you're starting off farther down the sales funnel than you otherwise would.

You could also make an effort to target people who are already in the act of buying something. It's true - in the "Behaviors" part of your Facebook ad account page, look for the'option labeled "Purchasing Behavior." At that point, you can choose to display your ads to only people who are already in the process of buying a particular product or service like yours. You can do this for nearly anything - from electronics to fashion accessories and beyond.

Another effective targeting option involves showing your ads to people based on their income, or based on the amount of money they tend to spend online. You can learn a significant amount about your audience that way, all while reaching people who are more than willing to part with their hard-earned money once they find something they like.

This is especially helpful if you sell premium products, for example.'If your main offering is a $500 pair of shoes, you'll obviously want to target people with a high net worth and who spend more than the average person on the Internet.'

#4 Stop Selling

In the end, one of the most important Facebook ad manipulation techniques that you'll want to use is also, for most people, the one that will require the biggest shift in their thinking.

Stop selling.

That's right - if you only see Facebook as a giant ad platform and nothing more, people are going to get a sense of that pretty quickly. They'll soon learn how cynical and calculated your content is and, at that point, they'll start to assume the same thing about your brand. Before you know it, you've totally lost their attention - and there's probably no getting it back again.

Instead, you need to master the fine art of selling without selling anything at all. Instead of focusing on your products or services, instead focus on using Facebook to strengthen your brand identity.

Be bold. Be visual. Be inspiring. Offer value to people. Make sure they walk away with something after interacting with your ad that they didn't have before.

That's how you get people to establish a legitimate bond and connection with your business. If you're able to do that, there's truly no limit to what you'll be able to accomplish.'