7/27/2010
10 Reasons Why Advertising on Facebook is Simple and Profitable – Part 2
Facebook Advertising Simplicity Factors
Advertise on Facebook
6. Simple Ad-Creation Process
Facebook provides an easy-to-use ad template to simplify the ad creation process. Once you’ve created your first ad, subsequent ads are even easier to create by choosing the “Create a Similar Ad” option, which opens a new ad template that has the information from your previous ad already filled in. You’re then free to alter the ad’s content to create your new ad. Your new ad doesn’t automatically cancel the earlier ad, so you can run both ads simultaneously if desired.
7. Ad Content Control
While Facebook ultimately determines whether to run your ad, as long as you don’t breach the site’s guidelines while creating it, you can safely expect your ad to run. Within the parameters Facebook has delineated, you control the content of your ad. Facebook’s advertising guidelines clearly point out prohibited content to help you design an ad that says what you’d like it to say but that’s much more likely to be approved.
8. Automatic Ad Optimization
Once you’ve created and properly targeted your ad, Facebook will do the rest. The site will automatically display your ad on pages viewed by your chosen demographic. It will also indicate to your targeted users which of their Facebook friends have “Liked” or used your product or service. However, if you are interested in checking to see how your ad is performing, you may do that by setting up automatic conversion tracking, which can help you further refine your targeting and improve the ad optimization process.
9. Ad-Creation Guidance
Facebook offers clear and comprehensive guidance on creating and designing your ad, through its Help topics “Success Stories and Best Practices,” “Advertising Guidelines,” “Suggested Best Practices,” and “Common Ad Mistakes,” which provide numerous illustrated examples to aid understanding of the ad-creation process. To help new advertisers get started, the site also offers a New Advertiser Guide for download.
10. Ad Creation Support
Though not exactly live support, Facebook’s Ad Inquiry contact form does allow you to submit questions you may have that aren’t answered in the ad-creation Help section. While you may have to wait a day or two to hear back from Facebook about your query, at least you know you’ll receive an answer to your question. After all, you can safely assume that Facebook will be motivated to help you place an ad on its site!
Facebook’s Profitability and Simplicity Can Work for You
As you ponder your advertising budget and determine where your marketing dollar will go, give some serious thought to Facebook – a site that isn’t likely to drop from the top of the social media heap any time in the near future.
What are your thoughts on Facebook advertising? Do you view Facebook differently as an advertiser than you might as a consumer? If so, how might that knowledge affect your future Facebook ads?
4 Responses to 10 Reasons Why Advertising on Facebook is Simple and Profitable – Part 2
Hi Jeanne – I hadn’t really considered Facebook advertising at all, until you began this series. But now I can see the benefits.
As a consumer, when I see that a friend has liked something that sounds interesting and I check it out, I don’t see it as an ad. I just assumed they were all fan pages. And I guess that is a good thing, as you don’t feel as though you’re being advertised at.
Hi, Cath! That’s so true. When our Facebook friends Like something on the site, we usually assign a great deal more credibility to that item. It’s only natural. And what better way to get our attention — and get into our good graces — than to have our friends Like a piece of content (whether it be an ad or any other type of content ), thereby encouraging us to do the same. Somehow, we rarely see it as an intrusion when an ad or other item is “recommended” by a friend via the Like button. As you’ve said, we simply don’t see ourselves as being “advertised at” — and there’s real value in getting the consumer’s attention without resorting to the “annoyance factor” that’s so prevalent in so many types of advertising.
Thanks for your input!
Jeanne, Cath – Personally I don’t mind advertising all that much if it’s relevant. The problem with most display ads is they are irrelevant, and hence, annoying. Most of the FB ads I see are interesting, and by interacting with the ads I can let FB know my preferences. Over time, ads become more and more relevant, similar to how Amazon book recommendations become more precise as you rate items.
Good point, Brad. Increasing relevance is certainly one attractive feature of Facebook ads. It’s also one great reason to click and/or “Like” the ads that interest us. Thanks for pointing it out.