There are two cases where it really makes sense to run a Facebook Ad. But it cannot be a standalone strategy. Let’s look at what needs to be set up before you start running ads or boosting posts, so that you don’t spend your money on useless “eyeballs.”
Facebook Is Not a Social Media Platform
Facebook is an ad platform. We may think of it as a social network, using it to connect with people. But its primary goal is to keep you on the platform so that it can serve ads to you.
For businesses that rely on a Facebook Page, they’ve seen the effects of this first-hand over the past few years. Organic reach has now dipped to below 4%, meaning that if you have 1,000 followers, only 40 of those people (on average) will see any given post of yours. Unless you pay Facebook to "boost" your post or run an ad.
So what do we do about this? Are there still ways to make use of Facebook for business, or should we give up on it? Here are my thoughts on Facebook, as they've evolved over the years.
Small Groups vs. Large Followings: Social Strategy 201
In Episode 168, I question the concept of getting a large social media following. Large numbers of “eyeballs” often don’t do us much good compared to the tight connections of smaller groups to cultivate an ardent community of supporters.
Your Facebook Page Has Been Hacked
Your business is at risk if you don’t have ownership of one of your most important assets: Your audience. While a Facebook Page is convenient for connecting with customers, what happens when your account gets hacked, deactivated, or deleted? This happened to a client of mine.
Fixing Facebook: Why the Current Plan Will Fail
Mark Zuckerberg has vowed to fix the ills that have plagued Facebook over the past 18 months. There are 5 reasons why his plan won’t work.
Facebook Zero: What It Means for Small Businesses
In the season premiere of Marketing Without the Marketing, we jump right into how the upcoming Facebook algorithm change is going to affect YOU as a small business owner. There are 3 big ramifications, and 3 things you can do to prepare yourself.
More Speculation About Facebook’s Future
There are some big changes coming to Facebook. Continuing the thread from last week’s episode, here is some speculation on how this might affect the Facebook Ad platform and a major change to the News Feed that Facebook is currently testing outside of the U.S.
Facebook Is Headed for Trouble: The Coming Storm
As the harsh spotlight illuminates dark posts, Russian ads and who-know-what-else, expect a backlash against Facebook. It may come in the form of regulations or user revolt, but it’s going to change Facebook a lot. It’s not a matter of if, but when. So if you use Facebook to promote your business or connect with customers, what can you do to prepare yourself?
Facebook Groups for Business: A New Approach to Marketing
With organic reach down to 9% or lower, Facebook has become purely a pay-to-play platform for businesses. Facebook Groups are the exception, and may be one of the most powerful marketing tools available. Here’s my strategy for how to build and nurture an audience of super-fans.
Facebook Ads for Business: Taking Your Social Strategy to the Next Level
A lot of businesses are using Facebook – but not a lot of them are using Facebook Ads. With the right strategy, you can get a huge awareness boost for your product or service, targeted to the right audience. Listen to the episode for some starter strategies and other considerations.
Facebook for Business: Optimizing for Organic Reach
Just because today’s Facebook is an advertising platform doesn’t mean that it’s the only method to get success out of the platform. Let’s look at how Facebook’s algorithm works and how to optimize for as much “organic reach” as you can get – without paying for ads.