How Cambodian SMEs Can Use Facebook Ads to Boost Sales

Facebook is still the most powerful marketing tool in Cambodia. With over 10 million active users, it’s where your customers spend their time—and where local businesses can grow quickly with the right strategy. Here’s how SMEs can start using Facebook Ads effectively.

1. Start With One Clear Goal

So before you start advertising on Facebook using Facebook Ads, first you should define a clear objective for your ads. What is the key purpose of running an ads for your business? Do you want to get more customers, to increase page messages, to boost product sales, or drive people to your shop? Having a clear goal helps Facebook show your ads to the right people. Smart algorithm helps your business achieve your goals.

2. Target the Right Audience

Cambodian audiences respond well to location targeting, e.g., Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Battambang; interest targeting, e.g., beauty, food, health, travel; and custom audiences, i.e. people who messaged your page, visited your website, or watched your videos. For example, a beauty shop in Phnom Penh targets women aged 18-34 who follow makeup pages, which results in cheaper leads and more sales. Before running your ads, you have to clearly define what audience you want to reach. What is your targeted area to sell your products or services? What are their interests that your products or services can serve? Facebook allows you to determine specific target audience by using custom audiences.

3. Use Simple But Attractive Creatives

Creatives that work does not require advanced design skills; what’s important is how it conveys the information to viewers clearly and objectively. Cambodian users love product close-up photos, short videos (5-15 seconds), Khmer captions, and clear prices and benefits. For example, a restaurant posts a 10-second video showing fresh good + special offer so it gets more reach and more customers during lunch hours. 

4. Make the Offer Strong & Easy to Understand

When you advertise on Facebook, it is important that you create offers that are strong and most importantly easy to understand, which is suitable for all types of Cambodian Facebook’s users. Clear offers include, for example, percentage discounts, buy 1 get 1, free delivery, limited-time deals. You should avoid long texts. Just be direct and simple.

5. Boost Best-Performing Posts First

If you are not sure where to start with Facebook Ads, the best way to start is to look at each of your posts on your page to see which performs best. Not all ads need complicated setup. If a post gets good likes, comments, shares, then boost it with 10-20$ targeting local customers. For example, a clothing store boosts a viral post and it results in an increase in sales within 24 hours. Boosting best performance posts help you reach faster and also gain more on return on your ad expense. 

6. Track Results and Improve

You don’t just run a random ad. It’s important to track the results and improve on them. After advertising on Facebook for some time, you will learn which of your ads performs well and which does not. You will see what type of ads work best for your business. What type of creatives work best in getting views, clicks, messages, or even going viral. Use Facebook Ads Manager to check cost per message, cost per purchase, which audience converts best. Stop what doesn’t work. Spend more on what works. 

Final Message

With over 10 million Cambodians using Facebook daily, Facebook is the exploding marketplace for growing your businesses and boosting sales. However, Facebook Ads can work extremely well when you target local buyers, use simple Khmer-focused creatives, offer something attractive and boost what already performs well. If you need help in setting up and optimizing a Facebook page for your business and starting to run your Facebook ads for the first time, please approach our consultancy service of Nara Agency. We are experts in digital marketing for local businesses in Cambodia.