Our roads and bridges may be crumbling, but our information infrastructure is growing like kudzu. One of the most interesting new developments is the expansion of advertising opportunities on Facebook.
THE FIRST STEP
The first thing to do if you want to advertise on Facebook is get yourself a profile. It's free. Ads are used to promote Facebook Pages. Pages are associated with your profile. You can build an unlimited number of pages on Facebook. But you can only have ONE profile. The rules and regs are very specific. You cannot create a second identity for your business.
MAKING AN AD
Once you have a profile and have created a page for your business, you're ready to advertise. Select Ads & Pages from the menu of the right side of your Home.
On the top right, select Create an Ad
.
The process involves four simple steps (and is a wonder of user-friendly design):
- Select a target (where do you want the ad to link)
- Create the ad (text and picture)
- Choose a target demographic
- Set a budget (how much per day, how much per click)
STEP 1 - TARGET
When viewers click on your ad, they are taken somewhere on the web. In step one, you selected where you want to send your traffic.
You can send your audience to an external web page, a Facebook Page (as we've selected) or you can copy an existing ad.
STEP 2 - CREATE AN AD
Creating an ad is as easy as writing a headline and a little body copy, then uploading a picture.
Help is always available on the right side of the page.
STEP 3 - DEMOGRAPHIC
Here's where it gets interesting. Choose the region or city you want to reach. Add keywords that target your audience. Watch the audience size change as you alter the variables.
STEP 4 - BUDGET
Advertising is a relatively new thing on Facebook. Rates are pretty cheap and the site is not yet over-run with competing promotional messages. $25 gets you started.
Once you create a campaign, you can edit the budget and schedule. It's a little counter-intuitive, but works ok in practice.
REVIEW YOUR CAMPAIGN
You get one last chance to review the campaign.
Change the ad or place the order.
WHY FACEBOOK IS A GOOD PLACE TO ADVERTISE
Lots of people want you to advertise with them online. What's different about Facebook is that it's like being invited to advertise in someone's home.
The process is easy. The rates are cheap. The channel is relatively uncluttered. Why not give it a try?
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I have heard that face book is for kids....why does it have that repuation?