According to the Wall Street Journal, Facebook is expected to launch a new advertising platform at Advertising Week 2014 in New York City. This new advertising platform will allow brands to track Facebook user activity off of the Facebook platform. Via data from third-party mobile apps and websites, advertisers will be able to target users based upon not only ads they have clicked on but also ads they have only seen. This new advertising platform is said to be a direct result of Facebook’s 2013 purchase of Atlas Advertiser Suite. If this reported launch does in fact take place, there are a number of factors business users are going to have to consider to maximize Facebook advertising ROI. Consider the following tips if you plan to take advantage of this latest offering from the social media giant.
Target Audience
Make sure you create your ads with a very specific audience in mind, but don’t be creepy with your targeting activity (mysocialsherpa.com/the-ultimate-retaliation-pranking-my-roommate-with-targeted-facebook-ads). The more specific you are when creating your ad, the better your results are likely to be. While your initial response might be to cast a broader net to attract more potential customers, your ROI is likely to be better by zeroing in on a narrow niche.
Know Your Audience’s Image Preferences
Monitor the types of images your social media followers react to on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Using image types that your followers have responded favourably to in the past is an excellent way to see increased interaction with your advertisements. If product images receive few retweets or likes, why would you want to use that type of image when creating an ad?
Monitor Analytics Closely
If you want to maximize the potential of your Facebook ads, you’re going to have to set aside time each day to for analytics monitoring. If you notice activity at certain times of the day or on certain days, you’ll want to use that information to your benefit. The ability to target potential customers based upon their mobile activity should lead to a treasure trove of information for marketers. The closer you monitor this data, the better your return on investment is likely to be.
While some businesses are decreasing their usage of Facebook marketing in favor of owned media on their own websites and blogs, savvy marketers who know how to capitalize on targeted advertising are increasing their usage of the platform. Targeting very specific buyer personas can lead to excellent advertising results if you are knowledgeable in your ad creation practices. Do you think you will be taking advantage of Facebook’s new advertising platform once it is publicly available?
