Do Facebook ads really work? It have been one of several first questions the media began asking after the business 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 effectiveness of those ads continue to offer conflicting results.
Plenty of the uncertainty arises from the sheer proven fact that using Facebook as an offer platform is really a new selection for businesses. But as more data exists to be collected it seems that the results 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 much 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 frequently in 2013 and that investors'returns on those ads increased nearly 60%.
With numbers that way, it's not surprising that Facebook continues to be the social medium that brands turn to nearly all often. The Technorati Media's 2013 Digital Influence Report discovered that 57% of top brand's social networking 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 kind of online advertising they find most effective. They often expressed skepticism about social networking websites generally, ranking Facebook at the end 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 those doubts could stem from the proven fact that many of the analysis of Facebook ads is founded on a "last click model." Meaning that when users see an offer for something they're thinking about on Facebook but continue to buy it later, without clicking through the ad course, the Facebook ad likely drove the purchase, but wouldn't have the credit.
All told, there are a few tactics that a lot of companies have found quite effective to make use of with Facebook ads. Due to the vast reach of the Facebook platform, and the specificity with which brands can target, there is chance 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 the ad buying and reporting tools. To begin the ad buying process, advertisers must answer, "What's your advertising objective?" The company is given a couple of choices and Facebook will recommend an offer type on the foundation of the decision made. Additionally, Facebook now allows businesses to choose whether their ad will undoubtedly be shown in the mobile News Feed, desktop News Feed and/or on the right-hand column. Based on Facebook, "a marketer looking to work a vehicle traffic using their website may now place a desktop ad with an url to their full desktop site, and a separate mobile ad that links using their mobile site. This implies businesses can better tailor ad experiences predicated on where people will dsicover their message."
Many companies have found success with Facebook ads when they're useful for list-building. By offering an access to a contest or giveaway, a "freemium" such as for instance for example a preview of something or perhaps a low-cost download as a swap for an current email, many companies have found 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 the 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 once you aren't sure if it is the appropriate place for your company to promote, watch to see what changes Twitter makes using their advertising program since the business moved public. Or, your company may benefit from placement on more visual sites such as for instance Instagram (which only recently introduced ads within their feeds) and Pinterest. Pinterest doesn't currently sell advertising space but is starting to discover how it can perform so. As more and more individuals spend more time on social networking, these sites are ones to help keep your eyes on.
