The advertising market today is not the same as it was 20, 15, 10, or even 5 years ago. The world has changed, which includes the marketing world. We’re spending more time online, particularly on social networking sites such as Facebook, even if we like it or not :-] And while you’re here be sre to check out How TO: Set up Facebook in Order to Promote Yourself Effectively
So this is a post covering Advertising for the Next Now Generation – Facebook ads are especially useful because they target a smaller, and potentially more likely, market for your products by focusing on factors such as location, age, education, etc., while weeding out the least likely customers.
Facebook is now one of the most popular online social networking websites; passing MySpace as the “place to be†ages ago and Twitter, despite a strong following, cannot compete with Facebook’s numbers. People spend ages on the site making new friends, interacting, and playing games. An advertising message transmitted over Facebook will result in more website traffic, more inquiries, more interest!
How to use this veritable gold mine of possibilities? Two of the most successful and popular ways to advertise are social ads and fan pages.
Social Ads
Social Ads are the little square boxes that appear to the right of every Facebook page, targeting people based on age, gender, interest, marital status, location, almost any piece of information located on their own Facebook page. By targeting customers in such a specific way, less time is wasted on general advertising. Target markets are selected with a much higher chance of success. For example, perhaps you run a wedding planning company if the ad targets only engaged women, you have already selected the core group your client base would come from!
Fan Pages
Fan Pages are very common for advertisers. Once creating a fan page for a company or product, anyone who clicks on ‘become a fan’ will have your information automatically added to their home page feed. You can post promotions, discount codes, and sales on the page, and reach every single person who had chosen to become a fan. As the fans invite their friend’s numbers will rise exponentially. You can use this medium also to gather valuable feedback from people who use your products. For example, Holyclothing, a popular online retailer of plus-sized clothing, has a large fan page including 6.513 fans as of 1 p.m. on April 12, 2010. This retailer uses her site to request fan opinions on possible clothing styles so she can focus on what her customer base wants.
One can find fan pages on Facebook for hundreds of companies. Wendy’s, the popular fast-food giant, has a fan page that as of 1 p.m. on April 12, 2010 had 354,234 fans. McDonalds’ tops this with a staggering 2,069,604 fans, and even Burger King is playing the game with an impressive 221,341 fans. Companies big and small are discovering the possibilities of a Facebook fan page, and best of all? It’s 100% free to create! A single employee can maintain and run the page for an entire corporation. The output of money is nothing compared to the influx of sales and customers.
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Great advice. Looking forward in advertising, and keeping up with the changing landscape is always important. Thanks for the post.
[...] Facebook Phenom – Advertising for the Now Generationcatalin zorzini on 04 16 10 So this is a post covering Advertising for the Next Now Generation – Facebook ads are especially useful because they target a smaller, and potentially more likely, [...]
lovely article……keep up the good work
I like this post and the way I see it a Facebook fan page is a must for any business. I have not dove into the social ads yet as I want my fans to happen on my page organically. I’m not ready for a bunch of people I don’t know hanging around my page as is what would happen if I ran social ads. Maybe in the future when I need to care more about the numbers :D
[...] The Facebook Phenom – Advertising for the Now Generation … [...]
nice article thanks for the info!
The fact remains the same: the generations who are online the most simply ignore ads.
Targeting with Facebook ads is remarkably powerful, but only to a point – due to people simply ignoring or even blocking ads. The FB generation has become accustomed to getting the information they want when they want it, they have no need to look at old-fashioned advertising.
This is where the power of fan pages comes in. If done right, a fan page can completely replace social advertising campaigns. Interacting in a social environment and providing value – not advertising your brand – are how businesses should be responding to the Facebook phenomenon.
How are you reaching customers who ignore standard advertising?
very informative and nice article.
important for every business website… Every website owner must create fan page on facebook and connect with twitter.. Important information..
[...] The Facebook Phenom – Advertising for the Now Generation [...]
[...] Do you know there are over 20 million people join as fans of Facebook Fan Pages daily? If you can get 5% of those people to land and join your fan page, the impact will be significant. Time to boost popularity of your fan page with the right Facebook applications. While you’re here be sure to check out Promote Yourself Effectively on Facebook & Advertising for the Now Generation [...]
[...] The Facebook Phenom – Advertising for the Now Generation [...]
Very good summary on how to utilize Like buttons.