It’s encouraging to see so many tire dealers now using Facebook, many of them quite effectively! But how many of you have advertised on Facebook? If not, you are missing an excellent opportunity for extremely targeted online advertising and a great way to build your fan base.
Facebook display ads show up on the right side of your wall. You’ve seen them. The targeting is based on the user’s profile. For instance, if you list “gardening” in your profile, you will likely see gardening related ads on your wall.
If you are familiar with search engine (i.e., Google) pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, Facebook advertising generates an average 0.051% click-through-rate (CTR) and average cost-per-click is 49 cents. You do not pay for consumer impressions, so if your ad reaches 5,000 local people who like cars you only pay for those who click on your link, whether that’s to your Facebook page or website.
While this CTR might be a little less than what you have been getting through Google PPC, Facebook advertising has the advantage of friend recommendations. If a friend “likes” an ad, the person is twice as likely to click on it.
Click on the advertising tab on your business’s Facebook Fan Page (you must be a page administrator to see this tab) and begin exploring some options. For instance, how many adults are on Facebook in your market area? How many of those “like” cars? How many people are expecting a baby? Perhaps you could send them an ad for a free auto check-up to make sure their baby is safe. Yes, you can get that targeted!
Here are some keys to successful Facebook advertising:
• Choose the right image – This is probably the most important element. Your message has to be delivered in such a little space, the image often separates the good from the bad. The image needs to grab attention. Facebook users are inundated with content. They quickly scan text ad images to find what interests them.
• Image Size – Facebook requires that ad images are no greater than 110×80 pixels, and less than 5MB. The height and width is important because images that do not match the 110×80 dimensions will be resized automatically to fit. This often results in an image losing quality.
• Test Images – A/B testing is a great practice for all online marketing techniques. Running multiple image ads with the same message can provide wonderful data on what attracts your users.
• Action – Each ad needs a call-to-action. The call-to-action can be established with one question: What do you want to the user to do?
• Offer – In a competitive industry, many products need to have an offer to get the user’s attention. The link in your ad should take people to the offer details, whether they are on your Facebook page or website. The advantage of using a Facebook link is that you are also likely to pick them up as a fan.
• User Benefit – You probably already know the user benefits, but the trick is working that into clever, short copy. You have 135 characters to work with.
So despite the somewhat lower click-throughs for Facebook display ads, the power of the word of mouth through friends’ recommendations gives your Facebook ad a viral component and leverages the power of peer recommendations.
Give it a try. You can run a Facebook ad for as little as $50, and you can place a daily spend limit as with any PPC advertising.
I would love to hear any of your stories on Facebook advertising, and don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
Christine Taylor is vice president of social media marketing for JTMarCom,a Nashville-based marketing agency that helps companies with online reputation management and integration of social media into their traditional marketing programs. With a combined 35 years of experience in the tire industry, the agency places a special emphasis on working with tire and automotive aftermarket companies. Follow Christine on Facebook and Twitter (@chrisgtaylor). She can also be reached at 615-714-5469.
