In three different discussions this past week, the answer to a marketing question from clients and friends was Facebook advertising. One client was looking to test some new product names in front of a very specific audience. Another marketing professional wanted to get their blog posts in front of employees at 100 targeted firms. Finally, another friend wanted to figure out how to gain awareness of a special event she was creating, within a 25 miles radius and had a limited budget. In each situation, the marketing answer was Facebook.
As longtime readers of MomentSlater, my marketing blog know, I am not a big advertising fan due to its intrusive nature.. But sometimes you need a way to reach a very discreet audience quickly and inexpensively to learn something important. Hyper-targeted Facebook ads can help you achieve that goal.
Why was the marketing answer Facebook?
Facebook was the answer because of the way that ads can be hyper-targeted to reach an audience. In the case of the food product, the company needed to reach people who:
- Shopped at certain types of specialty food stores
- Liked to entertain at home
- Already demonstrated a strong interest within a certain food category and showed their interest through LIKING certain competitive brand’s Facebook pages
- Within a certain age range
- Had a household income above a certain level
- Shared recipes using this within this product category
- Could limit the cost
- Measure with analytics how many people would see and click the survey
Facebook advertising allows you to hyper-target. Think of all the data and conversations that occur on your own Facebook page. You write about special family events and the food you served, where you shopped, the products you like, and on and on. Why Facebook? You can increase LIKES and acquire new fans. You can promote posts on your page’s timeline or build traffic to a web based campaign. Encourage people to download your apps who are predisposed to your category’s topics and interest. You can run promotions and incentives to sign up for mailing list. The possibilities are endless.
[Tweet “One friend who runs a dog kennel and grooming service can find most of the dogs in his neighborhood through Facebook. Imagine that!”]
If you buy ads in magazines, there is an enormous amount of waste and no way to know how many people really saw your message or acted on your call to action. Non-digital forms of advertising also leave you wondering if your $1,000 will provide you with the results you need.
The genius of advertising within Facebook is that your target is sharing their interest in your category. It is as if they are raising their hands to ask for more information about the products you market.
Consumers post pictures, LIKE, share, comment and talk about all sorts of things. With that data in the Facebook database, you can find, search and identify with laser precision. In case you are wondering, I’m not paid to promote this ad service by Facebook although they are welcomed to hire me if they need help. I am intrigued by the power of what this targeting can do.
One other super Facebook marketing tip, soon you will be able to use Facebook leads to get people to sign up for your blog or newsletter WITHOUT them filling out a form. Facebook populates the information within Facebook in a new ad product called leads. Check it out here. This could be a big game changer to boast your subscriber lists. The service is being tested but coming soon.
What has your experience been like on Facebook? Check out this video to learn more.
Need help finding solutions to challenging marketing problems? Target your search by clicking here. I can help.
