Facebook Advertising is becoming an important part of most brands’ Facebook Marketing Plans. If you have not yet tried Facebook Advertising, or are overwhelmed by your options, you are not alone. Let’s take a look at some of the most common questions that Vivid Image Clients have asked us about Facebook Advertising.
Why doesn’t my post show up in people’s newsfeed anymore?
With more people and pages on Facebook than ever, it is a crowded place to be, and based on what we each like, comment, and share, Facebook determines what they think we want to see in our newsfeeds- this is called an “Algorithm”. One of their more recent algorithm updates makes overly promotional posts get less reach, for example. From an enduser’s perspective, Facebook is showing us less posts from Facebook Pages, and more from people that we most often interact with. But many of us are not seeing the posts from our favorite brands.
There are two ways endusers can see more from their favorite pages:
(Page Managers can also encourage their fans to do these things to see more of their Page’s posts)
If you want to see more content from a Page you like, interact (like, comment, share) with their posts more.- If you want to get notifications when a Page you like makes a post, hover over the LIKE button on their page, and click “Get notifications”.
From a marketer’s perspective, Facebook has changed to more of a “Pay to Play” model. There are still many ways that you can get your posts in front of your fans with creative, engaging content (here are some Facebook Newsfeed Optimization tips). However, the most successful Facebook marketing happens with a combination of organic and paid posts (Facebook Advertising).
Who or what can I target with Facebook Advertising?
The targeting within Facebook Ads allows advertisers to get very specific about who they want to see their ads. This allows advertisers to direct relevant messages to a specific group of people.
The Basics: You can target men, women or both, language, and an age range.
Geographic Area: You can target city, zip code, state, and a radius to an area. You can also target an area, but exclude specific cities within that area.
You can target people based on More Demographics including:
Education
Work (field of study, education level, etc.)
Financial (Net worth)
Home Type
Generation (baby boomer, Gen X, Millenials)
Life events (upcoming anniversary, away from family, new job, upcoming birthday, etc.)
… and many more
You can target people with Interests including:
Business and Industry
Fitness & Wellness
Hobbies and activities
Entertainment
Family & Relationships (newly engaged, parents of what aged kids)
… and many more
You can target people with Behaviors including:
Length at residence, recent homebuyer, etc.
Charities interested in
Mobile device user (which type)
Purchase behavior (kids products, online shopping, green products, etc.)
Frequent traveler (for business, family, leisure, etc.)
… and many more
You can target people who have Connections: If you wish, you can choose to target (or exclude) people who are already fans of your page. You can also target friends of your fans.
What’s the difference between an Ad and a Promoted Post?
A Facebook Ad has limited text (90 characters) and it’s purpose is usually to get help you get more LIKES on your Facebook page or drive people to your website. It can be shown in the newsfeed, in the right hand column as a smaller ad, and on mobile devices.
A Promoted Post is just another type of Facebook Ad. Typically it begins as a post on your Facebook page. You can promote or “boost” the post so more people see it in their newsfeed, whether that is your current fans or people who are not yet your fans. There is no limit to the “caption” text that you can include with the image. The main purpose for a Promoted Post is to get that post in front of more people and get engagement (likes, comments, shares). It is not uncommon for Promoted Posts to also generate more Page LIKES, when the post is promoted outside of your fan base.
With any type of Facebook ad, the image you use can not include more than 20% text, or it may be rejected by Facebook.
Can I target people who like my competitor on Facebook?
No, you cannot target people who LIKE your competitor on Facebook. If you sell a popular brand name, you can however target people who have an interest in that specific brand, so if both you and competitor sell brand XYZ, this could be a way to reach that specific audience. You can also target your fans, and friends of your fans.
What’s a good budget for Facebook Advertising?
Your Facebook Advertising budget will really depend on your specific goals for the campaign, and the audience you are targeting. If you are a nationwide business or if you are even targeting specific states, your budget would be more than if you are a store looking to attract local business in a small town. Small, local businesses can often start with a $25 ad campaign, or even a $5 boosted post and see results. If you have a larger target audience, then a larger budget will be necessary, or your target audience or time frame could be narrowed. After testing a few ads, you will see what results you can get for the money you invested. If print ads or radio ads are costing you $500 a month for instance, start with a fraction of that ad budget, and targeting a similar demographic will help you determine where you are getting the best return.
Do I need to have a Facebook page to advertise on Facebook?
Yes! If you want to advertise on Facebook, but don’t have a Facebook page, you probably want to re-think some of your marketing overall to determine a more cohesive plan.
Do you have questions about Facebook Advertising, or want to learn more about how Vivid Image can manage your Facebook Advertising campaign for you? Contact us and we will be in touch!
