Using the Force of Facebook Ads
The message is slowly beginning to filter through: Facebook ads are necessary. Most business owners have given up lamenting the loss of organic reach (or have no idea at all) and have accepted the fact that paying to play on Facebook is the new norm. Facebook ads are here to stay. Whether you’ve welcomed them with open arms like Baby Yoda, or you’ve avoided them like the dark side, the fact is: you need to be utilizing them if you’re serious about Facebook marketing. And given that Facebook is such a dominant platform these days, you need Facebook ads if you’re serious about your social media marketing results.
The Death of Organic?
If you’ve just come out of a frozen carbonite chamber, Facebook News Feed will not show any posts from pages, even if the user is following them, unless they’re actively engaging in that page’s content. Unfortunately, it’s a catch-22 because the only efficient solution that will give your social content the same kind of reach (and potential engagement) as before the update, is paid delivery of relevant social content, even to your followers. Only when a social post has reached a basic level of reach (organic or paid) does it make sense to assess its performance and ‘boost’ it some more if it's getting good engagement.
The Rise of Vertical Storytelling
In January 2020, Facebook announced that 4 million of the social network's 7 million advertisers are making use of its story ad format across Facebook, Instagram and Messenger, which marks a significant uptick from the 3 million story ad users the company reported in April 2019. For now, Facebook Stories Ads present lower CPM rates due to lower competition. With Facebook seemingly turning their attention to Stories Ads, this placement presents an advantageous opportunity for advertisers hoping to boost leads, conversions, traffic, or brand awareness. Research has shown that 62% of people have more interest in a product or brand after viewing a story. Additionally, more than 50% of people surveyed make more online purchases after viewing story content.
The Video Empire Continues to Rule
Until a few years ago, people could have been forgiven for thinking that Facebook was meant for text-based status updates, Instagram for images, and YouTube for sharing videos. Not anymore, though. When it comes to the business or advertising aspect of videos, Facebook has already captured a big share of the market. Facebook has 2.45 billion monthly active users. That’s more than a quarter of the world’s population! According to AdEspresso, Facebook users watch close to 3 billion hours of video every day, including over 16 minutes of video ads every month. It’s no surprise, then, that according to Agorapulse, they found that Facebook native videos have an 86% higher reach than similar content on YouTube.
To Conclude, But Not Concluded...
The bad news is that Facebook wants brands to fork over money to receive value from its platform. It makes sense — if you’re a business, which Facebook very much is, you want to monetize whatever you can. But it's a major downer for companies that were able to achieve results organically before the big, bad algorithm change.
The good news is that Facebook wants its advertisers to be successful so they can keep making that money. That means better tools to make ad campaigns more effective and give advertisers additional opportunities to connect with their target audience. It’s a win-win, even if it doesn’t always feel like it.
If you have no idea as to where to start, that's why we're here. A digital marketing agency that has a proven record in successful Facebook Advertising campaigns across multiple industries. So join the alliance and let’s talk!