How Effective Is Facebook Advertising?
Facebook has come a long way since Mark Zuckerberg coded its predecessor in his Harvard dorm room in 2004. Of course, that growth includes ways brands can harness the power of Facebook ads to grow their audiences and businesses. Facebook advertising doesn’t just opportunities to sell goods and services. It also helps brands reach new potential fans, grow their social reach and more. As of this year, Facebook has more than 2.74 billion monthly active users, and that number keeps growing. The site reaches 59% of the world’s social media users and is the third-most visited website on the internet (after Google and YouTube). Simply put: Facebook is a great way to reach the broadest number of potential customers and donors.
Here are seven benefits of Facebook ads that explain why the platform is one of the best places to find customers, raise brand awareness and more.
7 Benefits of Facebook Ads
1. Facebook ads can target your ideal audience
Targeted advertising campaigns make sure your ads reach consumers who are the best fit for your brand. With Facebook, you can narrow in on people most likely to engage with your business by gearing your ads toward individuals fitting a specific profile. You can build this profile based on factors like age, location, gender, interests, demographics, connections and behavior. For example, in the early pandemic, more and more people made a point to #SupportLocal. Facebook searches for local businesses increased by 23% and targeting people in a brand’s locale paid off.
Additionally, advanced tools like Facebook’s Lookalike Audience can help you reach people with characteristics in common with your current audience. You can even eliminate users who are not your target audience—focusing on quality over quantity when it comes to your reach. The average Facebook user spends 34 minutes per day on the platform and ads can help make sure your content hits the feeds of the people most likely to engage with it.
The bottom line: The right audience is more likely to buy your products; Facebook ads can help you find them.
2. Facebook ads can reach a larger audience than organic posts
Are your business’s organic posts getting less engagement as time goes on? As the Facebook algorithm shifts to feature people over businesses, organic posts by businesses reach an increasingly smaller audience. Plus, with the massive amount of new content posted every day, it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle. But statistics show that purchasing a Facebook ad gets your content seen: More than 18% of American adults made a purchase through Facebook in the last year and the average user clicks on 12 ads per month. You can also promote high-performing organic social posts to reach a wider audience who is likely to be interested in the content. While there’s a difference between traditional paid social media and promoting organic social posts, both can help your brand extend its reach on Facebook.
The bottom line: Facebook ads prioritize and promote your business and help you stand out in a sea of content.
3. Facebook ads can be tailored for your specific needs
A smart Facebook ad campaign connects users to businesses that fit into their lives and to nonprofits with causes they care about. When setting up Facebook ads, you can choose advertising objectives and parameters that line up with your brand’s goals, whatever they may be. Some ad campaign goals include driving traffic to your site, increasing social followers or newsletter subscribers, boosting views of a specific video or post, increasing donations or another objective. Starting with a strategic approach and building your ad content around that strategy can help meet those specific goals. Paid ads can also help build brand awareness, and promote products, services and even brick-and-mortar storefronts. Discover how to create your first Facebook ad, along with tips from paid ad experts on how to build a strategy around your goals, on our blog.
The bottom line: Facebook ads are versatile and can be developed or modified to fit the needs and goals of your brand.
4. Facebook ads can harness other social media platforms
You can’t ignore Facebook’s massive reach as the second-most downloaded app in the world after TikTok. And because Facebook is connected to other platforms owned by the company (like Instagram), you can easily share advertising content and analytics in multiple places. You can add Instagram ads to your Facebook ad campaigns to better track campaign performance. Work smarter by integrating ads into Instagram, Audience Network and Messenger, ensuring your ads reach the widest possible audience without putting in a ton of extra work.
The bottom line: Facebook ads let you integrate across their other digital properties including Instagram and Messenger.
5. Facebook ad analytics help you understand and grow your business
With Facebook’s ad performance reports and analytics, you’ll be able to see exactly what is and isn’t working in your campaigns. Facebook’s analytics will determine your conversion rate and other metrics within the free Ads Manager. Plus, you’ll receive metrics on weekly reach, post engagement, page likes and best performing posts. You’ll also get data on clicks and sales. This plethora of info will empower you to make informed decisions when it comes to future advertising campaigns.
The bottom line: Facebook’s analytics provides the information you need to refine and grow your ad strategy.
6. Facebook ads let you set a budget and stick to it
No matter your brand’s size, advertising on Facebook is an affordable way to advertise. Facebook has a low cost-per-click rate (CPC) which ranges from a few cents to a couple of dollars per click. (Their average CPC rate is $0.43). Users can set their budget and cater their ad strategy to their financial needs. If your financial situation changes, pausing or stopping an ad campaign is simple. Plus, the Ad Manager tool is free! And the metrics you gain will help you evolve your advertising choices—leading to more income in the long run.
The bottom line: Facebook ads can work within your set ad budget.
7. Facebook ads can deliver fast results
Facebook ads can begin generating revenue as soon as they go live and typically receive approval to share within 24 hours. That means that once you have all of your assets, launching an ad campaign is quick and once your ads are up and running, you can view the analytics in real-time. With fast results, you’ll see what’s working—and what’s not working as well. The internet moves fast, and with Facebook ads you’ll be able to keep up with your advertising needs as they shift and grow.
The bottom line: You can launch a Facebook ads campaign quickly, which allows for timely adjustments and pivots when needed.
Ready to dive into Facebook advertising, but not sure where to start? There’s no one right formula for the perfect ad. Wherever you’re at in your Facebook advertising journey, we’re here to help. We specialize in developing strategic paid and organic content to grow brands. Check out our digital marketing and advertising services to learn more.
