On the 29th of October the Mashable blog published an insightful article on four possible options to maximise advertising performance on Facebook: http://on.mash.to/bT6tF7
In this article they discussed how Facebook provides a platform for brands to communicate with consumers and fans, while also offering personal information about its users. This provides marketers with an exceptional opportunity to target a mass base of users on such factors as the conventional: age, gender and location. As well as the more exceptional: employers, hobbies, friends, relationships and the newly established real time location through Facebook places.
However, despite this exceptional opportunity offered by Facebook, there is relatively little information at present on the best way to capitalise upon it. Despite the uncertainty surrounding Facebook advertising, there are definite conventions starting to establish that are believed to help marketers obtain the most from Facebook advertising. Mashable defined one of these as the ‘need to tailor your ads to work within the Facebook experience.’
The reason this is such an underlying issue in successful Facebook marketing is due to the fact while users are logged on they communicate with friends, share information and events and connect with causes. They are not searching for products, brands or services as is expected in traditional internet use. As a result of this advertisers must look for alternative ways to attract their targets attention.
Mashable believes in order to successfully do this advertisers must
Carefully select images, modify calls-to-action and subtly change messaging to reach Facebook users.”
To successfully achieve this marketers must remember what users are hoping to experience while using Facebook. Subsequently, brands should move away from redirecting users via links to external websites.
It is believed that by keeping users on Facebook and establishing a tailored page or application, the brand establishes an integrated and flowing browsing experience, that is proven to result in a lower bounce rate. Further more by using the opportunities presented to marketers on Facebook pages, once a user is on their sight if they are able to persuade them to click the ‘like’ button they will have generated a channel of communication with the user that would not be possible on a website.
Mashable also discussed how marketers can hope to reach the maximum users in their target audience on Facebook. This is achieved through the use of ‘Root Analysis.’
Facebook users have freedom to write in their personal information and are not restricted through lists. This can potentially be an obstacle for Advertisers in communicating with users as there likes may not include the general term marketers are targeting. Mashable illustrates this with the market of ‘camping,’ if marketers simply use the tag word camping they will not be connecting to users who have suggested likes or interests in ‘camping in the mountains’ or ‘tent camping.’
Root analysis can get around this problem, connecting the advertiser with users who have expanded on their likes beyond conventional terms. For successful root analysis, the marketer must establish a root word. Therefore if we follow our previous example the root word would be camping.
Next the advertiser will expand upon this in the likes and interests section on Facebook. By inputting Camping and then following it with each letter of the alphabet the marketer will be able to see all other categories on Facebook involving the word camping.
For Facebook advertisers, new issues are also present in ensuring the advert sticks out not only from the other advertisements but also from the Facebook interface. The nature of Facebook means that users tend not to read every bit of information presented to them on a page but instead scan over it, making an advert easily overlooked.
Specifically when use is not directed towards a brand or serve but rather the sharing of information between friends. However, their are ways to reduce this from occurring. The best method to stop this occurring is to ensure the ad is supported with a bright and interesting image, that will catch the users eye as they scan over the page.
Mashable presented some interesting points in their article, although this is not to say their advice will work for every company. However, it offers information for advertisers looking to get the most out of Facebook, in a field that has experienced relatively little research.
It is clear in the future more marketing theory will be available for Facebook advertising and many brands may choose to spectate until such a time. However, the opportunities currently available are exceptional with such a large number of users currently using Facebook and a relatively small number of Facebook advertisers. Although, this is starting to change as the benefits become more obvious.
