Do Facebook ads really work? It had been one of several first questions the media began asking after the company went public in 2012. And, the question continues to acquire asked to the day. Though more and more companies are spending big on Facebook advertising, reports on the potency of those ads continue to offer conflicting results.
Plenty of that uncertainty arises from the sheer undeniable fact that using Facebook as an ad platform is just a new choice for businesses. But as more data exists to be collected it would appear that the answers are improving. Mashable reported that the initial of the annual Social Media Intelligence reports released by Adobe discovered that "ad clicks, ad impressions and advertisers'return on investment were all higher in 2013 than in 2012."
The analysis viewed significantly more than 131 billion impressions on Facebook ads , and over 4 billion social engagements. That data indicated that Facebook ads were clicked on nearly 30% more often in 2013 and that investors'returns on those ads increased nearly 60%.
With numbers that way, it's not surprising that Facebook remains the social medium that brands turn to the majority of often. The Technorati Media's 2013 Digital Influence Report discovered that 57% of top brand's social media marketing budgets visited Facebook, when compared with just 13% to Twitter and YouTube.
Despite those stats, doubts still linger. Businessweek recently took a glance at that divide pointing to a current Forrester report which "surveyed 395 marketers about what sort of online advertising they find most effective. They often expressed skepticism about social media marketing websites generally, ranking Facebook at the bottom of the list."
And, MediaPost recently wrote when it comes to a study that found "just 37% of the marketers surveyed said they believe their Facebook advertising campaigns are effective, while 22% disagreed and 41% were uncertain."
Several of the doubts could stem from the undeniable fact that lots of the analysis of Facebook ads is founded on a "last click model." Which means that when users see an ad for something they're thinking about on Facebook but continue to buy it later, without clicking through the ad, the Facebook ad likely drove the purchase, but wouldn't have the credit.
All told, there are several tactics that a lot of companies can see quite effective to take advantage of with Facebook ads. Due to the vast reach of the Facebook platform, and the specificity with which brands can target, there's opportunity to attain a sizable, potentially interested audience. And since the ads can simply be changed or replaced, many companies report success once they test several variations of ads, then replace the underperforming versions with those who find themselves driving Facebook users using their page. Recently Facebook announced a redesign of these ad buying and reporting tools. To start the ad buying process, advertisers must answer, "What's your advertising objective?" The company is given a set of choices and Facebook will recommend an ad type on the basis of the choice made. Additionally, Facebook now allows businesses to choose whether their ad will soon be shown in the mobile News Feed, desktop News Feed and/or on the right-hand column. Based on Facebook, "a marketer looking to use a car traffic using their website may now place a desktop ad with an url to their full desktop site, and another mobile ad that links using their mobile site. This implies businesses can better tailor ad experiences predicated on where people may find their message."
Many companies can see success with Facebook ads when they're helpful for list-building. By offering an entry to a contest or giveaway, a "freemium" such as for example a preview of something or even a low-cost download as a swap for an current email, many companies can see success in growing their email list for a low cost. One executive also noted that Facebook ads proved effective in bringing customers back using their website who'd not given a purchase on their first visit, saying that "with retargeting on Facebook exchange, we're seeing a 200 percent ROI."
Facebook's recent updates to the ad buying and reporting tools may improve advertisers results, but when you aren't sure if it is the appropriate area for your company to market, watch to see what changes Twitter makes using their advertising program given that the company went public. Or, your company may benefit from placement on more visual sites such as Instagram (which only recently introduced ads into their feeds) and Pinterest. Pinterest doesn't currently sell advertising space but is needs to discover how it can do so. As more and more individuals take more time on social media marketing, these sites are ones to keep your eyes on.
If you'd like assistance in determining if Facebook ads certainly are a good investment for your company, please contact us at detail.
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