Expert Resource: Logan Trautman, Inspire PR Group
Logan Trautman is an account manager at Inspire PR Group, a public relations agency located in Columbus, Ohio. She specializes in digital marketing, social media strategy, influencer relations, content development, and project management. With more than five years of professional communications experience, Logan works with clients in a variety of industries, including agriculture, health care, restaurant and hospitality, and nonprofit.
Does your brand’s digital marketing strategy include Facebook advertising?
Some marketers are under the impression that Facebook is becoming a platform of the past, with new social media options gaining traction, especially with younger audiences. Logan Trautman tells us, “Don’t dismiss it so fast.”
“The truth is that Facebook advertisements remain one of the most efficient and cost-effective ways to advertise online,” says Trautman. According to the Pew Research Center, 7 in 10 American adults use Facebook, and of those users, 74 percent visit Facebook daily. “Though some age groups are more active on Facebook than others, it continues to be one of the most popular social media platforms across all demographics,” she adds.
To reach target audiences effectively, advertisers must meet them where they already are—on mobile devices. Facebook ads, and digital ads in general, are largely consumed through mobile devices. In fact, 94 percent of Facebook advertising revenue is from mobile. This isn’t surprising, considering Americans spend 20 percent of their mobile time on Facebook.
What type of ad is best for you?
If you’ve decided you’d like to invest in Facebook ads as part of your marketing strategy, the next question is, What type of ad is best for you? “Facebook is continually upgrading its advertising options, giving marketers different and better ways to reach target audiences,” says Trautman. She adds, “They offer marketers different advertising campaign objectives, such as to increase traffic, create brand awareness, or drive conversions, as well as different creative options, including photo, video, and carousel.”
Trautman shared the following five ad types and objectives you should know and understand before you begin your Facebook ad campaigns.
Traffic Ads
If your goal is to drive traffic externally to a website, a landing page, or lead-generation content, consider choosing link click ads (traffic ads). Marketers can use photos, graphics, or videos when creating an ad, and traffic ads are supported by various placements on Facebook, including within both mobile and desktop newsfeeds, right-column displays, Facebook Messenger, and audience network as well as on Instagram.
Page Like Ads
If a brand is interested in growing its overall following on Facebook and expanding organic reach, ads designed to increase Page likes are worth the investment. These targeted ads include a visible call to action for users to immediately like your Page and prompt audiences to follow along and be served the Page’s organic posts. For those who are launching a new Facebook Page, this strategy will help build a base following. Page like ads can be displayed in any placement on Facebook desktop or mobile and can incorporate a still image or video.
Facebook Lead Ads
Is your advertising goal to attract new customers? Facebook’s lead-generation ads allow advertisers to collect valuable information without making audiences leave Facebook to fill out any forms. Leads collected through a Facebook advertisement are stored within a Facebook ad account, and Facebook does sync with most CRM systems to make transferring leads seamless.
Event Promotion Ads
If virtual or in-person event attendance is a priority, use Facebook to promote upcoming events. Through Facebook event ads, organizers can raise awareness for an upcoming event and target potential attendees based on location, interests, and geography. Event ads might appear on both mobile and desktop and offer advertisers the option to use still images or videos.
Mobile App Install Ads
If you’re launching a new mobile app or trying to drive more downloads of a current offering, Facebook’s mobile app ads are a great tool. Mobile app ads demonstrate an app’s main purpose and value and allow for easy installation. These ads are only served to users on a mobile device, and advertisers have additional targeting options to define an audience. Once Facebook users click Install, the application store for the device will immediately pop up, which helps these ads deliver a great conversion rate.
Bonus Tip
Promoting your posts is a great way to ensure that all your fans see your message. Each time you post, Facebook will offer you the opportunity to amplify the post’s reach with a boosted post. You can set up the target audience and bidding methods to promote your post to reach a larger audience.
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