As the pace of emerging technology and digital practices increases, it becomes more and more of a challenge to keep up. If you’re a Facebook advertiser or Facebook advertising agency, this is of particular concern because falling behind on the latest approaches could mean failed marketing campaigns.
To prevent your campaign from falling to the bottom of the Facebook food chain, letting all your competitors use your shortcomings to boost themselves up, here are some of the latest approaches for Facebook advertising that you should know about.
Use Facebook Live
Social media is most enjoyable when it feels spontaneous, in the moment. A great way to connect with your audience these days is to broadcast using Facebook Live, streaming an event or behind-the-scenes footage related to your business. Facebook Live allows you to get real with your audience, because you can show them your authenticity. You can’t edit a live stream, so your audience knows that what they see is real and happening right then and there. It’s also more interesting to see this side of your business, as opposed to professionally polished ads all the time.
Make Them Laugh
Many brands today are breaking the fourth wall with their advertising to shock and entertain their audiences. Specifically, we see a lot more intentional humor in ads than ever before. If it aligns with the consistent tone you want associated with your brand, try incorporating some humor in your Facebook ads. Tell a funny, relatable story with video, create a clever gif, or live stream behind-the-scenes footage of someone in your business pulling some hilarious stunt.
If you play your cards right and tickle your audience’s funny bone just so, your ad or post even has the potential to go viral. Viral content means more exposure for your business. Do not underestimate the power of humor!
Reference Current Events or Topics
Social platforms like Facebook make trending news topics spread like wildfire. As a result, more people know about current events and topics that are being discussed at both national and international levels. Since your audience is already learning about these things on Facebook, why not make a reference to a trending topic in your Facebook ads? Doing so will increase the value of your ad because it contains something Facebook users are talking a lot about. As a result, more users will likely engage with your ad, which in turn tells Facebook that you ad is relevant to your audience.
Optimize for Mobile
Most of your audience will see your Facebook ads on their mobile devices. To keep them from scrolling past them, make sure your ads are optimized for mobile screens. This means formatting videos vertically (as opposed to horizontally) so users don’t have to rotate their devices to watch them. It also means making sure your ad’s creative looks good on mobile screens. A static photo does you no good if your audience has to squint to see what’s in the image. Additionally, call-to-action buttons should be clear and posts should contain succinct copy that users don’t have to scroll down to read in its entirety.
Be Transparent and Honest
It’s no secret that Facebook has been in the hot seat over the last few years due to misuse of the platform. As a result, the network has been cracking down on its policies and expectations for businesses and organizations. For example, Facebook recently introduced a “Why am I seeing this post?” feature that explains to users why certain content is appearing in their News Feeds. The result: users have more control, and businesses and organizations are held to a higher standard of transparency.
Gone are the days when businesses were expected to be polished and somewhat “fake.” Now, however, audiences are drawn to more transparent and honest approaches, given the world’s current state of events. In addition to adhering to Facebook’s new expectations, be transparent and honest in your ads. Are you promoting a specific product? Tell your audience exactly what it’s made of. Does your business donate to a well-known organization? Share it with your audience.
Just as technology and social media are always changing, so are approaches to Facebook advertising. Staying on top of the latest methods will keep you connected with your audience and on top of the Facebook food chain.
