When a client wants to increase their Facebook community size I start by asking the ever-important question, “why?” The answer to this question helps [...]]]> When a marketing client comes to me wanting to increase the number of people who “like” their Facebook page, I buy them a bunch of likes from someone off Fiverr. JUST KIDDING!

When a client wants to increase their Facebook community size I start by asking the ever-important question, “why?” The answer to this question helps me gauge how much educating I’ll need to do early on.

For example, the way I approach a client who answers “because my son/daughter/cousin/Uncle Bob says I need to do this Facebook thing” is vastly different than the way I approach a client who says, “I want to generate more sales for my online shop. My target audience is made up of career women between the ages of 25 and 39 so this seems like a good fit.”

After I know why a client wants to grow their Facebook community, I can begin pulling together a strategy. Most of the time this strategy includes (but is not limited to) running a Facebook Ad campaign that will help generate more “likes.”

Using Facebook Ads to Increase ‘Likes’

Facebook ad campaigns that have the goal of increasing your number of “likes” or community size are charged on a CPM basis. CPM stands for Cost per Thousand views. That means your account will be charged a certain fee every time a thousand people see it.

The amount you are charged per thousand views is based on a bidding process (you bid against other companies and the highest bid wins the ability to have their ad shown at any given time). You can set your max bid to whatever you want it to be.

When it comes to setting your targeting parameters you have a variety of really helpful options to ensure you’re reaching the right people for your business.

Here are just some of the ways that you can target your Facebook ads:

• Location
• Age
• Gender
• Interests
• Relationship status
• Language
• Education
• Workplace

This type of targeting not only gives you the ability to reach a much more precise group of people than Google Ads, but also the ability to grow your community and extend the value of the ad by re-marketing to the people who “like” your page over the months and years ahead.

A Real World Example:

One particular client of mine is in the health & wellness industry. Their product and services can be described as intended for an audience that can afford luxury goods.

On a daily basis the company posts healthy food tips and recipes from their award-winning executive chef. These recipes can be made with ingredients you can find in your local grocery store – nothing fancy needed. This means the average person, even if he or she isn’t yet a customer, can benefit from the recipes.

Additionally, the tips they post about are ones that anyone can benefit from as well. For example, one of their recent posts said:

DID YOU KNOW: For the same number of calories that are in a handful of peanuts you can eat 2 and ½ pounds of strawberries!

As such, this is what one of their Facebook ads looks like:

The ads are only targeted at the top 25 richest zip codes in the United States (since their ideal customer is affluent) who have indicated they are interested in health and wellness related topics. Other targeting parameters are also put into place on these ads such as age restrictions and so on.

These type of ads have helped my client grow their Facebook community from around 3,000 likes to almost 10,000 likes in a matter of months.

Additionally, engagement with their Facebook posts has skyrocketed along with community growth (over 170% increase) and they are seeing a steady stream of new leads from Facebook.

You could grow your Facebook community faster or slower using Facebook ads depending on your budget, size of your target audience and responsiveness to the ads.

How is This Different Than Buying Likes on Fiverr?

Some people ask me, “isn’t this the same as buying likes from Fiverr?” and my answer is a resounding: heck no!

When you buy likes from companies that sell on platforms like Fiverr you’re often buying fake accounts. Not only that, but even if the person selling tells you that your likes will be targeted to your industry, don’t expect that to be true.

You are getting what you pay for. You are spending $5 and will be getting a bunch of junk likes that Facebook will probably strip away the next time they do a mass purging of fake accounts.

When you run a Facebook ad campaign targeted at generating more likes, you are able to target your ideal audience.  You will reach real people with real Facebook accounts who are really expressing an interest in your industry.

Of course, all of this is as much a waste of money as buying your likes on Fiverr if you don’t have a strategy in place to nurture and convert those people over time. That’s a whole different beast though, which I will cover in my next post!

This post was written by Kristina Allen, head of social marketing at an ad agency in Miami, FL. You can follow her on Twitter  @allenkristina. 

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This deck is from an infographic produced by ExactTarget, Marketing Tech Blog, and Compendium. It features the leading stats for mobile connectivity and usage in the [...]]]> Communication is changing and changing rapidly. Consumers are awash in technology (desktops, laptops, smartphones, and tablets) that facilitates unprecedented mobility and social connectivity. And mobility is leading the charge.

This deck is from an infographic produced by ExactTarget, Marketing Tech Blog, and Compendium. It features the leading stats for mobile connectivity and usage in the United States and abroad.

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In Marketers From Mars, you’ll learn how to:

[...]]]> You’re not the average consumer—you’re a marketer. Learn how marketers’ digital behaviors and preferences differ from the average consumer in ExactTarget’s latest SUBSCRIBERS, FANS, & FOLLOWERS report, Marketers From Mars.

In Marketers From Mars, you’ll learn how to:

• Differentiate marketer and consumer digital behaviors.
• Evaluate digital channels based on consumer preference.
• Avoid personal bias to better reach consumers.

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In this year’s [...]]]> While it may not be possible to accurately predict the future, examining marketing’s past and present helps us shape and inspire what’s yet to come. That’s why we’ve collected the predictions of the industry’s top interactive marketing experts—bringing you exclusive insight into marketing trends that will be relevant to your brand in 2013.

In this year’s annual guide, Inspired Marketing Predictions for 2013, you’ll encounter predictions about the future of email, mobile, social media, marketing automation, and cross-channel marketing from industry thought leaders, including:

• Matt Fleckenstein, Microsoft
• Jay Baer, Convince and Convert
• Jeff Eden, DEG Digital
• Brent Hieggelke, Urban Airship
• Marcus Nelson, Addvocate
• Joe Pulizzi, Content Marketing Institute
• David Berkowitz, 360i

Originally Posted on KyleLacy.com.