Alternative Options As Facebook’s Sponsored Stories Exits

Sponsored Stories is checking out; will there be other advertising options for Facebook advertisers?

As users and advertisers, you will not be seeing the familiar Sponsored Stories in Facebook by April 9, 2014. This notice was announced last June 2013. The move may be a result of class action complaint filed in a court by Facebook users who felt that it violated their privacy rights. This was because they did not know who would be seeing those ads or activities. Facebook settled the class suit for about $20M. It also announced that the users would be able to have control of what other users see of their social media activities.

The event brought changes in the ad forms which were beneficial to advertisers. Content shows in a user’s newsfeeds. They appear like status updates from friends. The ads are seen in the sidebar and in the newsfeed.

But as the saying goes, “when one door closes, another door opens.” Facebook provides advertisers alternatives of reaching out to their customers and prospects. Facebook will still gather and utilise data and information about clients and customers. The change will be on the way your ads will be delivered and published.

• Custom Audiences and LookALike

This feature allows businesses utilise their mailing list to access the target Facebook group of users that have chances to react to the ads. A business may motivate their existing customers to like their page. This will also give them  chances of exposing their business to the friends and followers of that existing customer.

Advertisers can access to Lookalike Audience where Facebook may recommend prospects which is based on the business’ present customer base.

These two features will provide businesses a faster way of determining and aim particular clusters on the site. These can also be used for mobile app businesses that allow advertisers target prospects and current users with the use of mobile app ads.

However, this process will need the consent of your customer database to use their data for advertising purposes. This in stipulated in the terms of service of Facebook. Read the terms carefully to avoid disappointed customers. If this is your first time to use Custom audience, you can do this through the Ads Manager where Facebook provides directions to assist you through the process.

• By writing interesting and meaningful content, it can generate leads to your website. With the huge database of Facebook, you can get thousands of leads from other sources including sponsored stories. Conversion rates may be low but take note that content is a powerful tool because it can generate interaction with your customers and provide solution to their problems and answer their needs. Consider the following aspects as you develop a good content that generate leads and improve conversion rates:
  • Listen and interact with your audience so that you will be able to determine what they are actually need;
  • Developing unique and new way of telling stories to your audience that will attract their attention;
  • Get your audience involved by creating content that will encourage interacting such as sharing their opinion and suggestions.

For Creating New Ads

If the advertiser has never used or its first time to create an ad with Facebook, the process is simplified. One can find a “Create Ad” link on each page of Facebook. The site will ask some questions that leads to the objectives of the ad before starting the set-up procedure. Businesses can utilise Facebook to:

• Post comment or to increase “likes”
• Generate “clicks” to a particular website
• Make or improve conversion rates
• Develop ads to be shown in Facebook apps

Generally, the ads aim at increasing the interaction and participation in events or introducing an offer to prospects.

Assessing the Results

Facebook has upgraded its marketing metrics. It provides advertisers consistency in ads and reporting on these ads. The report will be based on the objectives given when the ad campaign was created. Facebook Ads Manager was also upgraded where links match the chosen objectives of the advertisers. Dashboard of these companies will show the frequency of the objectives were met, the cost for every objective to get better ROI. This means that Facebook is placing your campaign efforts and costs where activities work best.

Good news is that advertisers can choose where to place their ads such as page-like ads, between page posts, and more. They can also choose whether or not their ads should be shown in mobile gadgets. If so, advertisers can also choose to display their ads for mobile gadgets with wi-fi, which is a discreet way of using the user’s data allowance every month.

Since like SEO, social media is not static, and therefore, dynamic. It is consistently keeping with the technology advances by improving its medium. It teaches businesses how to extend every dollar. As the top social media channel, somehow, Facebook remains as the best channel to reach wider market audience.

Do you have some beautiful memories with the Sponsored Stories? Why not share with us and let the world know!