Is Facebook An Effective Marketing Tool?
Effective marketing with Facebook. Just five short years ago, Facebook was a social platform, where friends could update their statuses, share pictures and events, and ‘Poke’ one another all day long. But times have changed, and now Facebook has been taken over by businesses competing for the custom of millions of active users.
Facebook has morphed from social tool to marketer’s dream. But how effective is this platform when it comes to getting measurable marketing results? Let’s take a look…
Facebook allows for better targeting
Effective marketing is all about finding the right audience. You could have the best product or the most amazing service in the world, but if you’re aiming it at the wrong demographic, it’s likely to fail.
Facebook excels in the world of targeting. The built-in advertising tool allows you to curate very specific demographics and audiences based on everything from age, gender and location, to their job role, the pages they’ve liked and the interests listed on their profile. What other platform in the world would allow you to single out everyone with ‘Theatre’ in their interests and target them with a campaign? What other social network would allow you to target women aged 25-35 within a ten-mile radius, all of whom have liked or engaged with a charity page before?
Facebook’s actual demographics are also far more varied than most social platforms, meaning you’ll get a broader cross-section of people to target. Platforms like Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram all attract fairly niche demographics, but Facebook appeals to almost everyone.
It allows you to engage with users and potential customers
Marketing has changed dramatically in the last ten years. It’s no longer enough to simply come up with slick and stylish advertising campaigns or promotional spiels that will attract your audience’s eye. Businesses now have to engage directly with their users and potential customers – and Facebook is a prime tool to help with this type of marketing.
Facebook allows you to deal with everything from customer service complaints to positive reviews all on one platform. You can also chat with customers, answering their questions about products or services, letting them know your opening hours and informing them of special, limited offers or promotions. This more personal style of marketing is popular in this world dominated by social media, and Facebook remains the most versatile and powerful way to connect with consumers.
Content is king for effective marketing
The marketing adage that ‘content is king’ is still completely true, and Facebook offers a perfect platform for you to host that content, as well as driving traffic to your website. Content marketing will remain essential in the coming years, and with the ability to share everything from basic images to live streaming video, Facebook will continue to be a great host for all of your stellar content.
Of course, Facebook does have its limitations and its flaws. It’s an incredibly competitive environment, so you’ll need to work hard to stand out and create your unique business persona in this online realm. But Facebook is, and will continue to be, a highly effective marketing tool, especially for smaller businesses that lack the budgets of big brand names.
