A Guide To Targeting Posts On Facebook
Being a page administrator on Facebook means having the power to, in multiple ways, target your business' posts and wall activity toward specific users. This power translates directly into advantages when you tap into the features that Facebook's Targeting Specs has to offer.
To increase visibility and motivate response, your business may use any number of targeting combinations, including
- location (city, state, country, zip, region, radius and locale),
- language,
- gender,
- age,
- relationship
- and even certain work and education networks
– however, the 2 most useful specifications are arguably location and language.
Let's take a look at how these Facebook targeting features, in addition to Facebook Offers, are good for brand awareness and useful in maximizing the efficiency and relevancy of your business' Facebook use.
Location, Location, Location
If you're planning any type of event, whether it be a concert, store opening, fundraiser or party, you can use the geographic specific Facebook feature to notify all of your fans within a reasonable (driving) distance. This feature is also handy when promoting a contest or giveaway involving a local product or service – for example, a discounted interior home design consultation.
And again, it seems pointless for your business and annoying to your fans to invite an entire worldwide fan base to local events, such as asking a Texan to a cocktail party in Paris. Keeping posts relevant, meaning the posts will only show in the news feeds of users within your specified region, is the best way to see spikes in interactivity.
Language, Por Favor
Did you know Facebook currently supports over 70 languages? Consider taking advantage of this for your business. Believe it or not, there is a mass of people out there using non-English versions of Facebook – reaching out in more than one language may be just what your business needs to boost fan engagement. Rather than creating more than one Facebook page for your business (one for each language), use Facebook's various language tools to direct messages at the appropriate demographic.
For example, if you have a large Spanish-speaking fan base in addition to an English-speaking fan base, you can target posts specifically by language in order to promote relevancy and achieve the optimal outreach. There's little use in posting in English to an audience of predominantly Spanish viewers, and vice versa. This language targeting feature allows you to display relevant information in the right places – this way, posts are placed on your page\'s wall in the applicable language, and in the news feeds of users who speak and use Facebook in that language. Pretty cool, huh?
Facebook Offers
Facebook Offers can help you spread the word about your business by showcasing new products, services and exclusive offers and discounts for your Facebook fans. You simply create an offer, post it live on the site, and fans click the ad to receive an email with printable coupons – you have the option to offer mobile-friendly coupons too. Currently, the number of businesses capable of using this feature is limited, but Facebook has plans to broaden their Offers service in the future.
Other Ways to Rev Up Your Business' Facebook
Images – plain and simple and visually striking. What better way to attract attention and evoke interest in what you have to say? Using relevant copy in addition to photographs, animations and the like will increase your audience's likelihood of commenting, sharing and coming back for more.
Utilize Insights. What's that you say? I can access Insights from the Admin Panel? Insights are a great way to view information about the kinds of posts people are responding to, who is responding and if your posts are going viral or not – all in one place. You should also make note of the time of day people tend to be more responsive and adjust your post times to accommodate your fans' schedules. Once you tap into Insights you'll wonder what you did without it.
For advanced users, you may want to keep an eye on Facebook's Action Spec Targeting beta. Check out its features here.
To conclude, any type of event, giveaway, contest or competition is great for promoting your brand and business on Facebook. These are also great ways to engage existing fans and reach out to new folks who may in turn "Like" your page and spread your brand even further. But, in order to reap the benefits of such a large audience, it is best to use visuals and specifically cater your Facebook activity to the appropriate subsets of users. Visit the Facebook Targeting Specs page to view additional filters and/or limitations on ad targeting.
Links to check out:
Facebook Targeting Specs page
http://developers.facebook.com/docs/reference/ads-api/targeting-specs/
Facebook Action Specs
https://developers.facebook.com/docs/marketing-api/buying-api/targeting
"Have a Pawsitively Tail Waggin' Good Day!"
P.S. This information was provided by Ruff Haus - Your Loyal Marketing Companion. Established in 1997, we are a special breed of full service graphic design company that works with a premier pack of clients. We bring a fresh outlook and tail-wagging enthusiasm to your marketing program.