By now, most companies are aware of the value of a social media presence on Facebook. Beyond that, marketers in businesses large and small understand that Facebook offers an excellent opportunity to reach a wide audience and more closely engage with customers. However, understanding these benefits and taking advantage are different concepts. Here’s a look at three skills to help master Facebook advertising.
Targeting Specific Audiences
Just because you roll out a Facebook advertising campaign doesn’t mean it’s going to be a success, or even find the right audience. There are 1.9 billion monthly active users on Facebook, and you can’t possibly market toward all of them effectively. Mastering Facebook advertising requires a deep understanding of a specific audience relevant to your brand.
In addition to the basic demographics such as gender, age, and location, Facebook now has a scary level of targeting capability. You can take a deep look at the various life stages and interests of any user on Facebook, and target people on such specific items as the exact model and make of the vehicle they drive or their income level.
Understanding Ads Require Content AND Context
Successful advertising, online and offline, requires not only engaging content that draws consumers in, but also a relevant context that attracts the initial interest of consumers. In the case of Facebook advertising, this means understanding the difference between when to use the timeline, sidebar, Instagram, Audience Networks, and Instant Articles.
For example, you don’t want to pitch a 30-minute video or suggest an app download to customers on their mobile devices. These individuals are on the go, and your Facebook ads need to match not just their content interests, but the context of their Facebook usage.
Testing to Hone Messages is a Must!
Advertising is all about striking the right chord, at the right time, with the right individual or target audience. A/B testing is a tried-and-true approach to ensure that your message is on-point now, in a month, and in one year. With Facebook ads, you can A/B test anything from budgets and bidding strategies to the targeting of different audiences, use of different images, and the words in your content. Develop an ad campaign, roll it out, digest the data, and revise as necessary.