Facebook Advertising Isn't Just for Multinationals
Online advertising may be big business itself, but that doesn't mean it's only for multinationals and large companies with clout – small local business can make use of Facebook advertising, as well as other more closely targeted online channels.Although many of the adverts we see on our own social media feeds might be from global companies, albeit with a level of targeting that suggests you are interested in the product or service being promoted, there is still room for small businesses to reach potential customers, and many businesses do so with great results.
Facebook offers a high degree of targeting on their advertising platform so you can specify the time of day your campaign appears, geographic location of the users and preferences based on their stated likes and group affiliations.In order to make the most of these targeting tools some market research should be conducted, or a set of customer personas developed so you can really get to the roots of the type of person you want to reach.We have looked at developing these customer profiles on previous blogs, so have a look through our past posts for more detailed information on the value of understanding your customers' behaviour.
Once you know who you want to reach the next step is deciding whether to run continuous adverts, or one off campaigns to promote special offers or to take advantage of seasonal spikes in consumer activity.Some companies use both methods to raise general awareness of their products as well as capture the attention of people looking for a specific item at a specific time, such as barbecues and garden furniture in the summer, or handmade knitwear in the winter.Trial and error can be a useful way of determining which approach works best for you, and in the same vein it is worthwhile running two versions of the same basic advert using different wording or images to see which has the most impact.Facebook even has a split testing tool to make this as easy as possible.
Paid adverts are not the only way to use Facebook (and other social media channels) to promote your business.If you attend local events as a trader it is a good idea to be active on the event pages and to cross-promote the event itself and your participation in order to reach a wider audience.Having attendees that are aware of your presence at an event means you will already have potential customers interested in seeing your stall before you even arrive; you may even encourage people to attend the event that would have missed it otherwise.You might be wondering why you should spend time promoting an event rather than focusing on your business, but attracting attendees means the event is more likely to be successful in future years, offering you a regular opportunity to sell your products to local customers.
Collaborating with other local business that are relevant to your own or charities that you have a particular affinity with is also a good strategy for social media marketing.These joint efforts mean both parties reach people they could not do otherwise and help to create a positive brand image – consumers nowadays are just as interested in your ethical and environmental credentials as your core business, so by demonstrating a social conscience you can improve your reputation and gain customers who are specifically looking to support business that care.Charity fundraising events, sponsored staff activities and outreach programmes are all excellent ways of promoting your business and helping your local community at the same time, a win-win for everyone.
At Parua we are experts in local online advertising, so if you're unsure about how to go about maximising the value of your social media and search marketing activities we are the people to speak to.Call us on 01242 697692 or drop us an email and let's get started on your local digital advertising.
