Facebook Advertising – An Example of How to Target Ads on Social Media
December 8, 2017
What does effective advertising on Facebook look like? Here’s an example of how you can target audiences with relevant, unobtrusive ads that fit seamlessly into the experience of social media.
A little over a year ago, my doctor diagnosed me as pre-hypertensive during my annual physical. He prescribed blood pressure medication that I currently take.
This diagnosis also motivated me to change my diet, research relaxation techniques, lose weight, and discover new ways to exercise. Most of the information I got came from doing Google searches and following relevant social media channels. I also bought a home blood pressure monitor.
As I did each of these things, I created a digital trail connected to my health issue. I was providing demographic and interest-based data that Google, Facebook, and other advertising mediums could access.
Recently, I got confirmation that Facebook knows that blood pressure is a health concern for me.
A sponsored post with a video testimonial appeared in my news feed:
Keep in mind this is not a retargeting ad. I’ve never visited the Resperate website before. They were able to target me using the interest-based criteria on the Facebook advertising platform. I’ve been put into an audience of people likely to be interested in products that lower blood pressure.
This is not a polished video production formatted as a commercial for the product. It appears like a homemade video done by Suzanne herself. This fits in beautifully with the rest of the content on my news feed. It’s almost as if Suzanne is a friend – who cares about me – recommending a product she knows I’d be interested in.
(Note that because of HIPPA and other advertising policies regarding the privacy of medical conditions, Facebook doesn’t know I have high blood pressure. It gleens this based on other content I’ve shown an interest in. You might see similar ads in your news feed if you researched a medical condition for a family member).
Into the Sales Funnel
I’m interested. This content gets my attention. I want to learn more.
So I click on their call to action. It leads me to a website that has all the right conversion elements in place, including:
- Information and videos that explain how the products work and what benefits I can expect.
- Testimonials and verified reviews from customers explaining how the product lowered their blood pressure.
- An informational blog with tips on how to lower blood pressure written by a physician.
- Trust badges showing how the product appears in major news and medical publications.
- A trust badge showing the product is FDA cleared.
- A 60-day money back guarantee policy.
- A timely special offer (in this case, a Cyber Monday deal).
- A low-risk conversion option to sign up for an email newsletter.
Bottom line, this is persuasive content. They’re not missing a beat.
I peruse the website, watch a video to better understand the product, and read a couple of blog articles. My feeling is that this is a legitimate option for mitigating high blood pressure.
However, like most online consumers, I’m not quite ready to commit. I’m going to think about it. As I start to navigate away, I get hit with one last element, this pop-up:
Yes, I figure I’ll take a look at their tips. That’s worth giving my email. They get their conversion; I’m on their email marketing list.
As I continue to read their content and contemplate my options, their brand is top of mind.
I don’t know yet if I’ll purchase this product. But this company did all they could to properly expose it to me and build trust with their content presentation.
Wrap Up
This is an exemplar of how digital marketing works nowadays.
- The ad is targeted with laser precision, hitting a highly interested audience.
- The ad’s style is so native to the platform that it’s barely recognizable as an advertisement.
- The landing page uses informational and trust elements that re-enforce professionalism and viability.
- There are a variety of calls to action that hit both people ready to buy and those who want to take more time to decide.
If I’d seen this as a TV ad, interrupting the football game, I probably would have paid it no mind (in fact, I’d probably have skipped over it since I record sports events). If it appeared as flashing banner getting in the way of reading my favorite blog or news site, I would have been irritated by its presence. A print ad in a magazine? Not a chance.
But this clever placement on my Facebook news feed worked. I actually appreciate them presenting their solution to me.
And that makes all the difference. When your advertising is so precise and useful that people are glad to see it, you’ll win customers.
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