Facebook Advertising is a hot topic and a tactic that is on the radar of many businesses, large and small. With 750 million members, and 225 million in the U.S. alone, it is undeniable that there is a large audience to reach. It may be true that there are plenty of fish in the figurative Facebook “Sea”, but the question is, are Facebook Ads right for you?

For those of you who may be unfamiliar, let us give you the lay-of-the-land. Facebook Ads appear in the middle-to-lower portion of the right-hand column of user-pages throughout Facebook’s network. Ads are eligible to appear on several types of pages including Apps, Photos, Groups, Walls, Profiles, Friends and the Homepage (News Feed). Static in nature, uniform in structure and centrally located, Facebook Ads are relatively neat and boast an organized layout. The Facebook Ad template contains up to six components, which are specified by the advertiser, including ad headline, text, image, page “likes” and destination link.

There is a high level of attraction to the Facebook Ad model, and for good reason. With its straight-forward and user-friendly set-up, a campaign could be created in seconds (make sure you have your Facebook business page established first). Besides the easy setup, the real attention-grabber is the ability to target ads by location, age, interest, etc., ensuring you are reaching your target demographic and captivating your audiences in a unique online environment. Your next question, is it expensive? Ads can either be based on a PPC (pay-per-click) model, meaning that you only pay when your ad is clicked by a user OR on a CPM (cost-per-thousand) model, meaning that you pay for per thousand impressions. Regardless, you set your budget at the onset of the campaign and you have the ability to modify or shut off the campaign whenever you’d like. Lastly, Facebook ads offer comprehensive analytics to assist in tracking and measuring the effectives of your campaign through data on the number of clicks and connections, frequency, reach, bid price and total spend.      

Common campaign objectives can include the following:

-  Build Brand Awareness: Reach an extensive audience and target your key demographic

-  Drive Sales: Offer discounts, deals or giveaways to stimulate sales activity

-  Expand Fan Base: Encourage users to “like” your page by offering benefits for engaging

If you are looking to increase your exposure through a targeted, measureable and cost-effective strategy, we encourage you to consider a Facebook Ad campaign for your business. From our experience, we have seen the response to be well worth the investment…

1. With a campaign goal of increasing its Facebook fan base, Orange Label client Greenwell Farms nearly doubled their new “Likes” in the first two weeks of running their campaign with a modest daily budget.
2. Orange Label client, Recovery Now TV had an objective of increasing their website traffic through their Facebook Ad campaign. After running a brief Facebook ad campaign, the client decided to pause the campaign and found that their normally consistent website traffic dropped off by 18%. This was largely due to the decrease in traffic from Facebook.

The kids may be starting to go back to school, but summer isn’t over quite yet!  And when thinking about summer, fun activities such as picnics, parties, beach bonfires and BBQs come to mind. Imagine if you could bring the sizzle of summer to your events, while conducting engaging and productive interactions that produce real results… Whether you are looking to host an internal meeting, presentation, conference, seminar or sales event, we have some ideas for events, big or small, that will make a splash!

 Be Creative With  a Theme

Depending on your audience and event objectives, there is an opportunity to generate excitement, while providing meaningful content, through use of a creative theme. For your next event consider a theme that will excite your guests and in turn command a positive turnout. For example, if hosting an open house event consider a “Treasure Hunt” theme and offer exciting “booty” (prizes).  

 Location, Location, Location!

 This rule doesn’t only apply to real estate. When planning an out-of-office event, be creative in choosing the location and/or venue. It doesn’t have to be too far outside the box to be unexpected. For example, instead of taking your most valuable customers to dinner, consider treating them to an “Appreciation Event” that consists of a day at the horse races, or organize a sunset harbor cruise.

 What’s In It For Me?

 When hosting an event of any kind,  it is important to consider what we call the “what’s in it for me?” factor. Most individuals will hesitate to attend or participate in an event unless they perceive that they will gain something from the interaction, whether it is tangible or intangible such as knowledge gained, skills acquired or prizes and gifts that will be offered. We recommend identifying the benefits and incentives that your event will provide and communicate this in your messaging.

  Spreading the Word

 There are several ways to promote your event and depending on the size, some are more effective than others. One traditional method of informing potential guests is through invitations and flyers, which are cost-effective and targeted. If your event is scalable and you are looking to extend a broad reach, consider a radio, print or digital campaign. Regardless of event size, social media is a way to reach those who are interested in hearing what you have to say. For large events, consider creating your own event Facebook page. For smaller events, use social media as a way to connect with those you wish to target. Remember, when promoting your next event, it is critical to be compelling and to highlight the benefits of participating.