Get the Inside Scoop on Facebook Ad Creation
Does just the thought of launching an online advertising campaign make you break out into a cold sweat? Even worse, does a false sense of security about the ease of implementing the entire undertaking make you more vulnerable a less than impressive outcome? With the recent launch of the new Facebook ad creation tool, social media management firms are confronted with more client questions…and more discouraged DIY types…than ever before. We believe the best client is an informed client so today’s article is designed to elucidate business owners on the good, bad and even downright ugly facts surrounding Facebook advertising. Keep reading to get the inside scoop on Facebook ad creation best practices direct from one of the nation’s leading social media management firms.
Introducing…Yet Another Facebook Ad Creation Tool
If it seems like Facebook has had a series of various ad creation tool launches…well, it’s not your imagination. They have. The company has been tweaking the tools for what seems like forever with variable degrees of success and acceptance. This time it appears they got it right…at least for the time being. The newest rendition makes it easier to align marketing campaigns with goals and outcomes while streamlining the entire ad creation process. So, let’s say a small business owner wants to promote more page posts while another would prefer to drive more traffic to their business page; each isn’t just possible but will soon be easier than ever to track performance against desired outcomes. In the newest ad creation version, Facebook allows advertisers to select from several predefined goals including “Get more page likes”, “Promote Page Posts” or advanced options. After selecting the desired goal, Facebook will then make suggestions for a combination of Sponsored Stories or advertising options.
Sounds Good Except…
Initially this sounds pretty good with one glaring exception; small business owners aren’t always sure what type of outcome they really want. Now, don’t get us wrong…this isn’t some misguided paternalistic attitude toward clients. In reality, most small business owners are simply too busy handling the core of their business and really need the experience and expertise like that gained from outsourcing their social media management strategy in order to get best results. For instance, it might sound like a great idea to build traffic but more than one business owner has been disappointed in the overall lack of sales derived from a plan that exclusively focused on visitors rather than the slower process of gaining the right type of clients. The same applies to the new ad creation tool. While it makes it easier for some social media marketing types to select a “blended” approach to campaign management, the reality is most experts already know how to do this blindfolded.
In addition to simply creating an advertisement, social media marketing professionals must have a strong understanding of audience segmentation, bidding, the actual platform paramters and even proprietary metrics used to measure input and output factions. In short, providing a few template based options may do more harm than good by creating a false sense of security among small business owners seeking to go it alone.
The Real Reason
So, if social media marketing pros already know how to accomplish these results without an added step and small business owners may not have sufficient insight to derive the best benefit, who is the new tool truly intended to interest? Well, would you be underwhelmed if we proposed it was for the benefit of Facebook’s bottom line? Ever since the company went public it has been under constant pressure to establish a higher profit margin and attract increased sales; by prompting the addition of Sponsored Stories or advertisements to users, Facebook is more likely to increase the number of advertisements at least initially. Consider this, if only 10% of self-service clients add an additional product to their promotion, the bottom line for a company the size of Facebook could be astronomical. Now, don’t get us wrong. The new ad creation tools do have value especially for small business owners or independent social media marketing firms which have a strong understanding of ad creation goals and objectives. It will also provide additional methods of measuring outcomes against stated goals making it easier to provide realistic results.
Silver Lining
There is an silver lining to the new ad creation tool; it will make many social media marketing managers more accountable. As managers and business owners increasingly expect to see outcomes correlated against actual advertising methods, accountability will become a critical component to each and every campaign.
Facebook’s $4 Billion Dollar Deal
As Facebook approaches the $4 Billion dollar advertising mark for this year’s advertising revenue, even the most vocal critics must agree there is something to be said for social media marketing but time constraints coupled with an ever growing sophistication and competition for top exposure has made social media marketing extremely competitive. While the new Facebook ad creation tool is a step in the right direction, business owners should be aware that it is not a proxy for proper planning, preparation and implementation of a well designed plan. On the other hand, increased accountability is certainly something every small business owner and social media management firm alike will appreciate. So, what is the bottom line on the new Facebook ad creation tool? It’s yet another step in the right direction but undoubtedly, just one more in a long list of things to come. As for the final question of when will it become available to everyone…well, there is a lot of speculation but for the time being, only a limited number of users have access in the current Beta version. Keep your eyes and ears tuned for more information!
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