While just about every social-networking platform now has its own fully integrated advertising system, Facebook still reigns supreme in terms of features, insights and audience. As a business, that means Facebook is the ideal place to start. But unfortunately, just because Facebook is a great platform for advertising doesn’t mean all brands use it effectively. Many end up wasting money and throwing resources down the drain, because they have no strategy or don’t understand how to use it. Hopefully that’s not you. All it takes to succeed is a little knowledge of how Facebook advertising works and what some of the best practices are.Here are my five tips for creating a killer Facebook ad campaign:Facebook’s Audience Insights is one of the best tools you have at your disposal. It essentially allows you to learn about specific audiences before risking your budget or targeting them. It works by mining available Facebook data and showing you exactly who your target market is, based on people who already like your page.

Related: 3 Simple Ways to Get More Shares on FacebookInstead of taking a shot in the dark, you now know exactly which users are likely to follow through with your ad’s call-to-action. It saves a lot of time and money, allowing you to focus on the quality of the ad and avoid wasting time on targeting.best wine without alcoholOne of the neatest features of Facebook’s advertising platform is that you can create separate ad sets for unique audiences. buy a white port wineIn other words, you can create two different ads and deliver them to two completely unique audiences. best italian red wine brandsOr you can create the same exact ad and send it to two different audiences. beer and wine jobs

Ultimately, the result is better targeting.For example, let’s say you’re a retailer that sells kitchen supplies. Maybe you have a really awesome new stainless steel mixing bowl that you’re trying to market to two different groups. Instead of delivering the same ad to everyone, you can create two unique ads and deliver them to two distinct target markets. best red wine for wine loversThe first ad could be targeted towards professional chefs, whereas the second one may be focused on stay-at-home moms who like quality chef-grade kitchen supplies. best wine for christmas gift 2015The two ads will be completely different, despite the fact that the same item is being pushed.Very rarely should you connect an ad to your website or product page without first pushing visitors through a landing page. Landing pages allow you to maximize your Facebook advertising efforts by educating users before asking them to buy.

Related: Facebook Just Gave Small Businesses a Bunch of New ToolsLanding pages make sense because Facebook advertising isn’t cheap. You’re going to spend money on your clicks and you want each one to count. Simply sending them to a basic website or product page without any clear direction of what they need to do is a waste of money.You’ll hear people teach entire courses on how to write Facebook ad copy, but for some reason, the same amount of attention isn’t given to the images used in these ads. This is unfortunate, since visual content is far more influential than textual content.“You don't have to use a shot of your business, product or service,” says Nicolas Gremion of Free-eBooks.net. “Rather use a (relevant if possible) image that will catch people's eyes and have them read your ad.” Facebook tells you that you can’t use images that contain more than 20 percent words, so it’s clear that images are designed to grab attention, not display a message. Take advantage of this valuable real estate within your ad.

Finally, it’s critically important that you set a bid strategy and budget. Otherwise you’ll end up spending way more than you intended. Thankfully, Facebook makes this easy by allowing you to use what’s known as Optimized CPM.With this tool, you’re essentially giving Facebook the permission to bid for ad space based on the constraints and goals you provide. This generally allows you to maximize your budget and avoid overspending. Until you get an idea of how much ad space costs and how to allocate your budget, it’s best to let Facebook take care of this aspect of your campaign.Creating a killer Facebook ad campaign is all about understanding the platform and utilizing the features you have at your disposal. While you certainly need to think about the ad itself, you have to start with the platform you’re using. Once you determine who you’re targeting and how much you’re willing to spend, you can then focus on the finer details.Using these five tips, you should be able to get started and experience some initial success.

As always, remember that Facebook is constantly changing its advertising platform, so stay on top of any new developments and apply them accordingly.Related: 4 Tips to Create and Groom a Viral Facebook Video AdWhen it comes to jaw-dropping scenery, California’s wine country is hard to beat. And the impending “Cabernet season” in Napa and Sonoma—after the harvest madness has died down—is arguably the most relaxing time to visit: The weather is still warm, you can snag reservations at the region’s galaxy of stellar restaurants, and you have the tasting rooms, backcountry lanes, and spas all to yourself. Here are some of the most stylish places to stay, from winery-owned guesthouses and suites to luxury boutique hotels.1/White House, Napa2/Milliken Creek Inn & Spa, Papa3/4/5/6/7/8/9////For best results, please add a location. A new twist on a common pyramid scheme is circulating on Facebook disguised as a wine exchange. Honolulu, HI – December 12, 2016: Similar to the Secret Sister Gift Exchange Scam that circulated on Facebook last year, this holiday season a wine exchange post has gone viral.

Facebook users are being tagged by friends in a post which explain that if they send a private message to the person who posted it, they will receive a detailed message with instructions explaining to them how the wine exchange will work. The post is asking users to purchase a $15 bottle of wine, to send off to another person and in return they should receive between 6 and 36 bottles back, depending on how many people participate.Last year the Secret Sister Gift Exchange went viral and used a post with nearly the exact same language, and it asked women to send one gift valued at least $10 to be sent off to “secret sister” and in exchange they would receive between 6 and 36 gifts in return. This is today’s version of a pyramid scheme, traveling online rather than through mail, and is illegal. According to the United States Post Office, a chain letter is considered a form of gambling and participants could be subject to penalties for mail fraud. Also, participants will most likely be left empty handed and now vulnerable to identity theft and other scams.

“Not only is something like this illegal, but it requires participants to disclose personal information online, which is never a safe idea,” Gregory Dunn, President and CEO of Hawaii’s Better Business Bureau warns. “Also, this new version, the wine exchange, involves liquor which is illegal to send through the mail and there is no way to guarantee that the recipient on the other end is of legal drinking age.” If a Facebook user comes across this sort of scam, they need to be sure not to pass it on and immediately report the post on Facebook. More details about social media and holiday scams can be found on the BBB website. Consumers can also view all local scams via the BBB Scam Tracker. ABOUT BBB: For more than 70 years, Hawaii’s Better Business Bureau has been helping people find businesses, brands, and charities they can trust. The Council of Better Business Bureaus is the umbrella organization for the local, independent BBBs in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, as well as home to its national programs on dispute resolution, advertising review, and industry self-regulation.