As you like it: why Facebook advertising works
Remember those Tupperware and Avon parties our mothers used to go to, where an enterprising neighbour would get the ladies together for a few laughs and hopefully make a few Rands in the process?
Well, that’s what Facebook advertising is, except without the embarrassing part where you have to ask your closest friends to put down the margarita mix and pay up.
In fact, with Facebook, users don’t have to do anything at all except keep posting, pasting and clicking. Its direct marketing taken to its natural and brutally effective conclusion.
From their burgeoning database of what a big chunk of the planet likes a little and a lot, and who they are linked to and how well, Facebook has created the ultimate mailing list. The Internet economy increasingly encourages customisation and niche marketing, and now Mark Zuckerberg has created the most targeted advertising channel in history.
Does that mean Facebook right for your business?
Probably. Advertising can be very cost effective for small businesses, but you need to understand exactly what you are selling.
Potential advertisers have to choose whether to pay for each click-through on a link in their ad or for every thousand page ‘impressions’, or views of the page where the ad appears. Its a critical decision. Which you choose depends on what you are selling and in what volumes. Is brand-building more important to you, or actual traffic to your website?
The choices would be different if you are trying to direct traffic to your violin-repair or custom cupcake business, or reposition your product in a crowded marketplace. Once you have decided though, Facebook allows you to pick your potential customers down to the town where they live, their sex and their age bracket to within a year and their likes and interests based on keywords of your choice.
If your really do have a niche product, you can go further, selecting Facebook users by their exact birthdays, whether they are married, single or in a relationship and their stated sexual orientations; education levels and even the company they work for.
That may seem extreme, but it certainly beats cold calling! However, the real power of Facebook advertising is leveraged when it is integrated with your own free online content, including your own Facebook page, tweets and blog posts.
Get in touch if you would like assistance with making the most of Facebook by generating your own quality online content.
Writer: Jonathan Davis