Like the rest of the digital marketing landscape, Facebook ads have evolved from the glory days of organic reach, when putting up a business page and amassing a large cache of fans were enough to funnel traffic to your site and keep it prominent across your fans’ newsfeeds. Now, according to statistics, a staggering less than one percent of your followers will even see your business page in their feed – no matter how often you update it with relevant, irresistible content. The good news is that Facebook ads remain affordable for businesses of every size and budget, and remarkable scalability and targeting tools help you get the ads in front of your ideal audience – no guesswork, wishing or luck necessary!
How to Know if Facebook Ads Are Right for Your Business
The first steps in determining if advertising on Facebook is right for you are to understand how Facebook ads differ from other forms of advertising and to understand your market. While they are estimated to generate over $4 billion dollars in revenue, Facebook ads are best suited for marketers looking to generate demand, not make a hard sell. It may seem like a vague distinction, but it’s important to keep the end user in mind. While Facebook ads may be generating billions of dollars in revenue (which means people are definitely clicking), on the whole, people use Facebook to connect with other users and engage with content. They do not use it as a search engine to find and purchase products like they do with Amazon or Google.
Think of Facebook ads as a relationship-building tool. While the end goal may ultimately be to generate revenue from a product or service, they are most successful for marketers working with a sales funnel that converts prospects gradually over time. The ad is the first step in a process that eventually leads your target to convert.
Like any digital marketing tool, a little trial and error may be necessary to help determine whether you should incorporate Facebook ads as part of your marketing strategy.
3 Benefits of Incorporating Targeted Facebook Ads Into Your Digital Marketing Strategy
If you decide that advertising on Facebook makes sense for your business, there are a number of tools to help leverage your marketing dollars and capitalize on the built-in advantages of the world’s biggest social media network.
Volume
In terms of finding eyeballs and bringing your message to the market, it doesn’t get much bigger than Facebook. With roughly two billion users around the world, Facebook is a massive market for products and services of all types.
Reach
Because ads on Facebook can be shared, they have the potential to get your content in front of a broader audience as more and more people engage with and share your posts. Think of it as a helping hand in increasing your content’s organic reach and visibility.
Targeting
Targeted ads are the mother lode for digital marketers. With the ability to break down and target your audience by key demographics such as age, gender, location, interests, contacts, and online behavior, they make your message as relevant as possible to a specific audience, increasing the likelihood of getting a conversion.
With the right time and resources, and a little trial and error, Facebook ads can help you develop a highly targeted and sophisticated marketing funnel that’s within your budget.
