In this day and age, where social media options are overabundant, Tammy Martin, marketing expert, says the key to being successful in social media advertising, specifically on Facebook, is by remembering to keep the posts, well, social.
Martin, owner of Martin Marketing, became a Facebook marketing expert four years ago and, since then, has consulted with large businesses on ways to increase the return they receive from marketing on Facebook.
Social media advertising revenue is forecasted to grow 10.5 percent annually, according to Hootsuite. For 2018, social media ad revenue was roughly $51.3 billion.
Those social media users continue to grow each day, Hootsuite reports. As of 2018, there are 3.196 billion people using social media on the planet, which increased by 13 percent from 2017.
Posting on social media, specifically with advertisements, varies wildly depending on how much time and effort you’d like to put in, Martin says. Knowing the ins and outs of the platform can help make the process easier and more beneficial.
With all the new additions to the social media platform of Facebook, knowing when, how and where to post advertisements can become tricky. Martin shares tips for making the most out of advertising on Facebook.
As told to Melissa Steinken
No. 1: Helpful, Interesting Content
It’s important for the company to stop sounding like a used car salesman. The business should post advertisements and even general Facebook posts with content that is helpful to the consumer. For example, include a post about how to get a car ready for the winter. Then, sell the practices of bringing the car in for service checks or storing extra bottles of fuel and windshield washer removal in the trunk.
Actually aim to help people with their daily lives because it creates goodwill with the brand. Stop thinking about making a dollar off of every post but instead, offer advice. Then, after the post has been in front of the targeted audience, the business can create an advertisement on Facebook that relates to the previous post.
No. 2: Writing Post Content
Focus posts on information about the latest car features. Car advertisements usually don’t take advantage of the new and advanced features that cars have today. For example, I bought a car last year that had dynamic cruise control, so every time I drive back home on a long and boring highway, the car accelerates and brakes for me.
Be more focused on stepping into the customer’s shoes and improving their experiences with a car.
No. 3: Boosting the Post
There is an easy way to post a Facebook advertisement. Often, the easiest way is to post a regular post or sponsored content post on the business page and then boost it.
The investment on each advertisement is up to you. You can put as little as $5 into a post to boost it and get it in front of more people. That is the lowest amount you can go. Or, you can invest roughly $1,000 per month or more. Boosting posts is the best and most efficient way to get an advertisement to more people.
No. 4: Scheduling Posts Frequently
How often a dealership posts ultimately depends on the dealership’s manpower. You could start off by doing one advertising post per week so it isn’t overwhelming. For smaller markets, it’s better to first track how many times ads are viewed by the audience. You don’t want one person seeing an advertisement more than five times. That’s way too many.
When a customer sees an ad more than five times, it can potentially damage the brand—especially if the ad is one that is selling only to the customer and not helping in any way. Instead, play the long game in the business and make the advertisements stretched out and more personal.
The Power of Advertising
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Hootsuite compiled some data on social media advertising statistics and below are a few numbers that help sell the importance of advertising on Facebook.
Videos: One statistic that Hootsuite reports says that due to social platforms—like Facebook— mobile video viewing increased in 2018 and in 2017, an average Facebook video post reached 12 percent of the total page audience.
Purchases: A Curalate consumer survey found that 76 percent of U.S. consumers have purchased a product they’ve seen in a brand’s media post, according to data compiled by Hootsuite.
Products: The average user clicks on 10 ads on Facebook every month and 52 percent of American consumers say they’ve seen a product they’re interested in on Facebook in the last three months.
