We briefly discussed targeting last week, so today we’ll do a bit of a deeper dive into using the data you know to get the results you need.  We’ll also talk about creating Facebook video ads, which are fast becoming a big part of the social media platform (with video views having quadrupled over the past year).

Facebook Targeting: Advanced Mode

There are so many photos, so many status updates, and so much information flowing across the social media platform, that some business ads can get lost in the vast Facebook sea if they aren’t being properly targeted. Not only will targeting help you find the right audience for your products or services, but it will also help you keep a handle on your advertising costs, spending less for more conversions, or whatever your specific goals are for your campaign.

1. Target by Location

Local Awareness Ads were launched by Facebook late last year, and were specifically designed to help small local business owners connect with their Facebook audience near their location.  As Facebook explains, “Local awareness ads are built to be more cost-effective than traditional advertising channels like newspaper while offering more precise targeting and greater reach.”

In addition to using ads for special offers, or discounts, Local Awareness Ads can be used to specifically target people physically close to a business location with a “Get Directions” button directly on the ad, to direct more foot traffic to local stores or restaurants and drive in-store sales.

2. Use Competitors as Interests to Target

When you go through the Ad Creation menu of your Facebook ad campaign, you can select specific interests to target…and surprisingly, this is a good place to add your competitors’ names or brands.  A user may be loyal to a specific brand, but if they can find the same or similar product for a better deal through a Facebook ad, they’ll take it.

Facebook Video Ads: Go Pro!

It’s become no surprise that marketers are reallocating their budgets from TV advertising to mobile advertising, based on results that online video, and Facebook video in particular, can deliver: “Video on Facebook combines the power of sight, sound and motion with unparalleled reach, mobile engagement and fine-grained targeting capabilities.”

3. Premium Video Ads

Facebook began testing Premium Video Ads late last year, and released them in March to a select group of advertisers.  These 15-second video ads are designed to be very high-quality; they will begin playing as users scroll past them in their newsfeed, and will expand to full-screen once tapped. The coolest part is that Facebook has hired a third-party, Ace Metrix, to help review and assess how engaging the creative of the ad is, even before it appears on Facebook.

Ace Metrix will allow us to objectively measure the creative quality of the video in the Facebook environment, and highlight performance indicators for advertisers such as watchability, meaningfulness and emotional resonance. We’re taking this step in order to maintain high-quality ads on Facebook and help advertisers understand what’s working to maximize their return on investment.

4. Video Views Objective

Facebook’s “video views objective” allows ads created using that objective to be optimized towards Facebook users who are most likely to view videos.  Here’s how it works: businesses and advertisers will work with their Facebook account representatives to create audiences of people who have already watched their videos.  Ads will then be created, targeted to those specific users, moving them from awareness to the consideration stage of the buying process.

In addition, advertisers can also add a Call-to-Action to the end of their video, encouraging viewers to visit a specific webpage and learn more about what the ad is offering.

Summary

There you have it: four valuable targeting and video ad tactics to help advance your Facebook advertising reach and results.  As the social media platform continues to grow and expand it’s audience base, it’s more important than ever to make sure your businesses’ ads are standing out and and attracting the right viewers.

For more information on Facebook advertising, and how you can take your ad game to the next level, check out our free guide – just click on the image below!