TechCrunch reports that Facebook exceeds 2 billion monthly users, crowning it the leading social media platform in the world. Its size and popularity also make Facebook ads one of the best ways to reach your target audience.
The social media giant offers a vast array of targeting options, which makes use of demographics, interests, and other user data to enable very precise advertising.
With accurate targeting and the right strategy, it’s possible to drive engagement and referrals that grow your business and place your offerings in front of the audience members who will get the most out of them.
Facebook ads vs. Boosted Posts
There are two primary Facebook ad offerings that most businesses gravitate towards. Facebook’s Boosted Posts are pieces of your content that appear in other users’ News Feeds. To get started with Boosted Posts, create a normal post using your brand’s Facebook page, and then “boost” it by specifying your target audience and budget.
Standard Facebook ads are similar to typical online advertising methods: they’re static ads that you create specifically for paid promotional purposes. Instead of appearing within News Feeds, Facebook ads have a number of different placement options, allowing you to experiment with different ads and placements to maximize your return on investment.
Both formats are effective, and the right option depends on your goals. If you create original, engaging content and want to leverage it to reach a target audience, Boosted Posts is a great vehicle. For more traditional purposes (such as product advertising), Facebook ads might be a more viable option.
Whichever method you choose, your success will be determined by how well you’re able to identify and target your audience members.
Defining a target audience
To get the most out of your advertising budget, create an imaginary profile that best represents your core audience. If you’re targeting multiple audience segments, you can create as many of these profiles as you want, and save them within Facebook’s advertising platform.
Social Media Examiner states that Facebook’s targeting capabilities go beyond the user data sourced from profiles, page “likes,” and other app-based behaviors. Marketers can choose to filter users according to their locations, or even upload email subscribers and other customer lists to the ad platform.
As ad and Boosted Post campaigns are launched, marketing strategies can also be used to increase brand interactions. By creating campaigns for users who already show an interest in your ads or promoted content, you can recover conversions that might otherwise be lost.
Experiment to determine what works
Just like content creation, trial-and-error can help you figure out what works best. As you begin boosting posts or buying ads, you’re likely to discover new tricks that increase your engagement rates. Try variations, and test different elements of your ads to generate insights that can increase their effectiveness.
Reach potential fans, no matter who they are
With its powerful audience selection tools, Facebook can help you reach virtually any demographic. The key to success is understanding the audience that you seek to engage with, and choosing the service that’s most likely to get their attention.
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