Part 1: Introduction to Facebook Advertising

In this post we discuss the benefits of Facebook Advertising, and how to decide if you should include Facebook Ads in your marketing mix.

Posts In This Series:
Part 1: Introduction (this post)
Part 2: How To Choose A Facebook Marketing Objective
Part 3: How To Choose The Perfect Target Audience For Facebook Ads
Part 4: How To Pick The Right Facebook Ad Type

Why Advertise on Facebook?

If you’re new to online advertising or are considering adding social media advertising to your mix, here are some of the top reasons to include Facebook in your marketing plan:

  • Despite growth in other channels and an abundance of emerging social media options, Facebook remains the most popular social network in the U.S.
    • 68% of all U.S. adults are Facebook users, while only 28% use Instagram, 26% use Pinterest, 25% use LinkedIn and 21% use Twitter (Source: Pew Research Center)
  • Worldwide, there are currently 1.86 Billion Monthly Active Users on Facebook. (Source: Facebook, as reported by Zephoria Digital Marketing)
  • On average, there were 1.15 Billion Daily Active Users on Facebook in December 2016. Worldwide, this is a 23% increase from December 2015. (Source: Facebook, as reported by Zephoria Digital Marketing)
  • Facebook allows targeting by demographics and/or user behaviors.
  • There is a wide variety of creative options with Facebook ads.

When Should You Use Facebook Ads?

Like any media channel, it’s important to set measurable, realistic goals before deciding where to advertise and how much to spend. Unlike some other media channels which are best suited for one objective or another, Facebook has many targeting and placement options for a variety of marketing objectives.

Consider adding Facebook ads to your marketing mix if:

  1. You have a defined target audience.
    1. You have a marketing list and want to reach people similar to them.
    2. You’ve tracked website visitors or app users and want to reach out to them again.
    3. You are advertising to a specific demographic, people in a specific location, or people with similar interests or behaviors.
  2. You have defined goals and objectives you want to accomplish:
Goal Campaign Type Why?
Impressions & Awareness CPM, oCPM Reach a defined target demographic (based on age, gender, location, and/or interests) by the thousand impressions. You pay for the impressions – the more targeted and competitive your audience, the more you’ll pay.
Website Visits CPC Pay for website clicks from users in your target audience. You only pay when someone clicks on your ad.
Website Action CPA Get someone to take an action on your website or mobile app (make a purchase, register for an event, or contact you). CPA advertising allows you to optimize for people who are most likely to complete these actions, and you only pay when that action is taken.

Summary

No matter who (or where) your target audience is, it’s highly likely they use Facebook at least once per month. You should consider adding Facebook Ads to your marketing mix if you know who your target audience is, and if you have measurable objectives for your digital campaigns.

We can help you define and reach your target audience through Facebook Ads and other digital media. Learn about our services or contact us to learn more.