Facebook’s advertising seems to be all we hear about these days, probably because people are expecting so much potential to come of it. The thing is, according to a recent survey, Facebook may have more to offer in the line of advertising than many people think, just in a different way. Since many peoples’ opinions toward the new advertising network that Facebook planned have been tarnished by an unsuccessful start, these new statistics could mean good news for Facebook. Those interested in creating an online awareness rather than obtaining leads could see significantly sufficient results when putting their advertising needs in the hands of Facebook.
A recently published survey performed by Ad Age, it is apparent that more advertisers are buying Facebook not to generate leads, but rather to create an awareness of their product or brand with a wide range of demographics. They write that 45.9% of advertisers included in the survey, when asked about why they purchased advertising space on Facebook, responded by saying their number one use for it is, “building awareness and sentiment for their brands.” Next was driving traffic to brand websites, at 17.6%. In the small percentages were things like keeping in touch with customers, building fans, and, at a lower percentage, generating leads.
Now, the results may seem weird, since the Like button has created many of the marketing strategies in action right now, but it isn’t that hard to believe that Facebook is mostly used to raise awareness. Facebook is a place where people go to be social, not so much to shop around. However, if there is an advertisement on Facebook, people will notice it even if they have absolutely no intention on clicking it. Therefore, the goal of those using Facebook for awareness is always satisfied, where it is a guessing game for those looking for leads or increased website traffic.
In an article on Ad Age, Cotton Delo writes, “Facebook’s pitch to the world’s biggest consumer marketers is that it’s a branding platform like TV, and it’s been urging them to focus less on metrics such as click-through rates and more on reach and ‘resonance.’” Facebook knows that they have one of the biggest numbers of users on the web, but they also know what their network is used for. Facebook users are less interested in clicking on the advertisements that appear beside their News Feeds than they are simply browsing. With a simple goal of raising awareness, achieving it is possible even if a Facebook user is just browsing.
So, maybe it is a good idea to stop focusing on getting things from Facebook that it just isn’t made for. It seems the most successful Facebook advertisers are those looking for nothing more than a glance at their advertisements, possible peaking interest in those who view it. It may be true that the Like button isn’t the best thing Facebook has to offer for brand marketing, especially those with the goals outlined by AdAge’s survey.
