Businesses are asking whether Facebook advertising is still relevant. Using social media for advertising can be complicated – and in this constantly changing environment, you need to be on the right platforms in order to be successful. As a result of the dramatic news headlines and changes Facebook has experienced in recent years, it may appear that the ship has sailed and users are jumping overboard in droves.
The situation is not as described. The use of Facebook advertising is still prevalent in many businesses’ social media strategies. There are many reasons why Facebook has remained on top, and we’re here to explain why. Learn how you can leverage Facebook ads for your business and why Facebook advertising is still relevant.
Facebook Paid Advertising
Can you recall a time when Facebook was ad-free? If you are not an early adopter, the answer is probably no. Since its founding, Facebook has offered some form of advertising. The advertising platform we know today is much more sophisticated than the rudimentary system that was used to launch its advertising in the early 2000s. The introduction of Facebook Business Manager in 2014 changed the landscape of social advertising. Within this tool, brands are able to create pages and manage their marketing strategies within the Facebook platform. It contains everything ad-related, from creative, to budget, to campaign performance data, making it a valuable resource for businesses and marketers.
Facebook Crushes Their Competition
Every year or so, a new social platform creates a buzz. In addition, there is TikTok. The clubhouse. Spaces on Twitter. While these new and exciting apps create buzz, old favorites such as Facebook remain steadfast. The reason for this is that they are able to crush their competitors. There is more to Facebook than just Facebook, and it is important to remember that. Instagram, WhatsApp, and Oculus are owned by them. It is possible to run Facebook ads on both Facebook and Instagram. You can also run ads on Instagram alone if that is what you wish to do. Facebook Business Manager provides access to all of this information.
Keeping Facebook’s technology up to date and keeping things interesting is the responsibility of a large team. What did video platforms do when they were on the rise? Facebook and Instagram now feature reels and live videos. A number of formats that drive engagement and sharing have been identified by Facebook and these features have been added for brands and marketers. Chances are that Facebook will add this technology to its ecosystem wherever consumer behavior changes in the future.
Organic Reach Declines
Previously, organic reach, or content that is not promoted, was an important component of Facebook marketing. Fans engaged with brand posts on Facebook pages as brands grew their followings. This was an excellent method of getting in front of people without having to pay a subscription fee. Unfortunately, those days have passed. Facebook’s algorithm at the time made organic reach possible.
Users’ feeds are arranged according to the Facebook algorithm, which determines which posts appear first. Brands that create posts that receive high engagement are served in the algorithm more frequently and reach a larger audience. The algorithm was, however, adjusted, resulting in a decline in the reach of organic posts. Other media types, such as paid content and videos, have taken precedence over organic posts. A brand’s Facebook post reaches approximately 2.2% of its followers on average, according to studies. It is a very small percentage.
In light of the fact that organic posts reach only a small fraction of followers, brands wonder why they should invest in a Facebook presence if nobody is seeing them. Does quality content have a better chance of being seen if your energy and money are directed somewhere else? In some cases, yes. In terms of social media marketing, Facebook still offers a number of advantages over other social media sites. A successful social media strategy combines both paid and unpaid content. Consistently posting organic content in conjunction with advertising the appropriate products can yield positive results. The most important thing is to be where your audience is.
Facebook Ads Offer Powerful Targeting
The key to a successful advertising campaign is to be where your target audience is. There are 2.7 billion people on Facebook, but you must find the right people in order to reach them. There is no doubt that Facebook’s targeting options can help you find the target audience you are seeking.
Advertisers can target their ads based on demographics, customer lists, website visitors, app usage, post engagement, and other factors. It is possible to layer these targeting options on top of one another in order to reach a hyper-specific group of consumers. With its technology and extensive user data, Facebook has an advantage over its competitors when it comes to targeting social media advertising.
As we speak of user data, let us take a closer look at it. This is a hot topic that you have probably heard about at least once or twice. How does Facebook know so much about its users and their habits? By tracking. It is Facebook’s policy to track users on the platform as well as off-Facebook across the Internet. Across websites, apps, and physical locations, pixels, and cookies collect consumer data and send it to Facebook.
Marketers benefit greatly from this information. A better understanding of consumers leads to a more relevant and effective advertising campaign. In spite of the fact that tracking can be a bit creepy, it is quite common for companies and services to integrate their services with one another. The majority of websites collect data in order to better understand consumers – including Facebook.
Facebook Has a Massive Hold on Market Share
Facebook has the largest market share in the world. They are the third most visited website in the US, right after Google and YouTube. In 2021, they were the most visited social media site, a position they have held since 2010. Facebook isn’t just the most popular social media site – it also has the most users. Globally, Facebook has an estimated 2.7 billion monthly active users. The US population is roughly two-thirds of that. Compared to TikTok, which is used by one billion people worldwide, this is a tiny number.
Businesses are currently advertising on Facebook due to its huge user base, and they will continue to do so in the future. We don’t expect that to change anytime soon. Over half (51%) of ad spending in recent years is expected to be spent on digital media, primarily on Google and Facebook, according to BIA Advisory Services. Facebook is massive, that’s our point. Facebook ads are worth it if you want to reach a wide audience, convert more customers, and generate new leads.
Conclusion
There is still a need for Facebook advertising. Leaving Facebook out of a paid social media strategy means losing out on its large user base, market share, and technological capabilities. As new ad formats emerge, privacy and data regulations loosen or tighten, Facebook’s user base fluctuates, and social media trends come and go, advertising on Facebook will continue to adapt. It has been the brands that share high-quality, engaging content and advertisements that have thrived. Facebook advertisements can be effective if they are implemented with the right expertise and strategy.
