I Was Frustrated Trying to Monetize on Facebook Until I Avoided These Crucial Mistakes
As a new creator on Facebook, I made every mistake possible trying to monetize. My common newbie errors cost me time and money until I learned how to avoid them.
When I first started creating content on Facebook, I was thrilled to join the platform with over 3.05 billion monthly active users. I dreamed of effortlessly monetizing my insightful videos, entertaining reels, and valuable posts. However, as a new creator, I made several naïve mistakes that sabotaged my Facebook monetization efforts.
After months of frustration, I finally realized I needed to take a step back and strategically avoid these common newbie errors to genuinely thrive. Once I course-corrected, my Facebook income began to grow steadily amounting to $5000+ a month. In this post, I’ll share the crucial mistakes I made early on so you can sidestep them from the start.
Flooding My Profile with Promotions and Affiliate Links
In my excitement to start earning, I went overboard trying to insert affiliate links and promotions everywhere I could. I stuffed post descriptions with various referral links, plastered product recommendations after every post, and included clunky calls to action in the middle of my videos. Facebook doesn’t want its users to be directed to other platforms, unless a paid post.
While this self-promotional approach led to a slight uptick in initial affiliate sales, it came at a major cost. I noticed my organic reach and engagement decreasing over time as I kept cramming in more promotions. The excessive affiliate links and CTAs came across as spammy, turning off genuine users interested in my content. And can fall to engagement bait as a partner and content monetization violations.
I’ve now learned to take a subtle approach, incorporating affiliate links and promotions only where highly relevant to the surrounding content. Keeping the user experience clean is crucial for sustaining organic growth. Less is more when it comes to monetization calls to action.
Thinking Video Views Automatically Equaled Income
When a few of my early videos received thousands of views, I assumed the ad revenue would start rolling in. However, I soon realized raw view counts didn’t automatically translate to earnings. My videos needed to be optimized for retention and engagement metrics to truly monetize all those eyeballs.
For example, I wasn’t strategically using effective calls to action. My titles, descriptions, and thumbnails were clickbaity but didn’t deliver on the promised value. And my video content lacked a coherent structure or purpose.
Now I carefully optimize each video for watch time, likes, comments, and meaningful actions beyond just views. This increased retention and engagement has significantly boosted my video ad earnings. Chasing viral hits alone won’t make you money — the quality of those views matters.
Ignoring the Power of Facebook’s Native Monetization Tools
As I fixated on affiliate strategies and video ad revenue, I completely overlooked the lucrative native monetization features Facebook provides. I wasn’t even using Reels or Live Video back then, which was leaving a ton of potential profit on the table.
Once I started posting consistent Reels and going Live more often, my income began increasing exponentially. Reels open up bonuses through the Facebook Creator program. And Live enables earning direct Stars from passionate viewers.
No matter your niche, mastering these native formats needs to be part of your Facebook monetization plan. Don’t miss out on the built-in money-making opportunities they offer.
Relying Solely on Facebook Itself for Distribution
I falsely assumed that because Facebook owns Instagram too, they would take care of distributing my content between platforms. However, I soon faced the harsh reality of my organic reach rapidly declining over time, which severely limited monetization.
I didn’t have a strategy in place for when the inevitable Facebook algorithm shifts happened. I wasn’t focused on collecting emails, repurposing content into long-form videos or blogs, or building an owned audience off-platform. This meant I had no direct access to all my hard-won followers.
Now I prominently promote opt-ins, repurposing content, and collect emails on my page to build a subscriber list. I also distribute my content through an external blog and YouTube channel. And I’m active on multiple relevant social media platforms beyond just Facebook itself. However, too many social media platforms can actually divide your time especially when you are working as a solo-preneur. My advice is to master one platform and expand when you reach its maximum potential.
Diversifying distribution and owning your audience is required to sustain income long-term. Never rely on any one platform alone for all your monetization.
Avoiding Collaboration Opportunities
In the beginning, I saw other creators on Facebook primarily as competition. My lone-wolf mentality caused me to turn down various collaboration opportunities that could have accelerated my growth and earnings.
I overlooked the compounding benefits of strategic partnerships, cross-promotion, guest content, affiliate collaborations, and more. But, you need to be aware of fake collaborations that will lead to a Facebook page being hacked. There are so many hackers now on Facebook since monetization tools were released by Meta.
There were so many potential wins I missed out on by avoiding collaboration. Now I actively seek out mutually beneficial partnerships with other creators, brands, influencers, and businesses in my niche. The combined audiences and overlapping reach amplify both sides.
Don’t discount the power of leveraging collaborations and partnerships to boost your income. A little help along the way can make a huge difference.
Final Thoughts
Monetizing on Facebook was far more difficult and complex than I naively expected starting out. But by learning from my early mistakes, I’ve been able to correct course and adopt proven sustainable strategies. Now I see consistent growth, diversified income channels, and fruitful partnerships.
Avoiding these crucial errors I made when I first began will help you bypass months or years of frustration. Have patience, keep optimizing, focus on delivering value, and diversify your distribution efforts and income sources. The lucrative opportunities of Facebook monetization are open to those who can navigate the platform strategically and for the long haul.
Read this: Monetization on Facebook: From Viral Reels to Cash Flow in Your Sleep
FAQs
What are some “newbie mistakes” creators commonly make trying to monetize Facebook?
- Flooding feed with promotions/affiliate links
- Focusing only on video views, not watch time/engagement
- Ignoring built-in monetization tools like Reels/Live
- Relying solely on Facebook for distribution
- Avoiding collaborations with other creators
How can new creators boost their organic reach on Facebook?
Strategies include optimizing content for engagement, using relevant hashtags, engaging with your audience in comments, running occasional paid promotions, leveraging cross-promotion with partners, posting at optimal times, and providing value consistently.
What’s the best way for a new creator to monetize their Facebook videos?
- Produce 3–5 minute videos on high-interest topics (on In-stream Ads)
- Craft Facebook reels between 15–42 seconds as this correlates with the retention of viewers. (Ads on Reels)
- Hook viewers in the first 3–15 seconds
- Hook them throughout the video
- Use strong thumbnails and titles
- It is okay to include CTAs but be careful as they may fall to engagement bait.
- Focus on watch time, likes, comments, shares
- Do not ignore insights and analytics
How should new creators promote affiliate links on Facebook?
Use affiliate links sparingly, only where highly relevant to surrounding content. Do not include them in the description. Just incorporate them naturally in the comment section. I emphasize this a lot in my ebook. Add a natural text caption explaining why you recommend the product. Don’t disrupt the user experience or come across as spammy. The goal is to provide value first.
What makes Facebook Live videos effective for monetization?
- Promote events ahead of time to drive viewers
- Interact with commenters to boost engagement
- Encourage Stars donations from passionate viewers
- Post consistently and foster loyalty
- Tease exciting content to generate hype
- Collaborate with guests for a wider reach
