One of social media’s top advantages is that it’s free marketing. But if you’ve been posting on Facebook without seeing your audience grow, it might be time to invest some money.

Facebook’s massive social database is a boon for driving traffic to your store. If you want to gain a new audience and not simply talk to existing fans, run a Facebook ad. Spending even $100 on ads for one month can attract many new loyal customers.

A brief how–to

But it’s not enough to know whom to target. The most important part of the ad is your messaging. “A successful campaign is really rooted in creating quick sound bites,” says Rachel Kay of Rachel Kay Public Relations, a Solana Beach, Calif.-based firm that runs Facebook ad campaigns for several natural clients. The character count for ads is small, so stick to strong, brief messaging and be sure your imagery resonates.

Tactics to try

Monitor your analytics each day to see which messages cause people to convert to fans, and weed out the messages that don’t.

Once you acquire more followers, ensure they continue to see your posts. Clicking on “Boost post” in the lower right corner of any post allows you to quickly and easily promote it to your fans’ (and their friends’) news feeds. Prices start at $15, and the more you pay, the more people you reach.