Ever since paid search was adopted in marketing, it has not been a reserve for the search engines. Although it predominantly is used by search engines, other platforms such as Facebook and Amazon have adopted the model of advertising to good effect.
We get asked a lot of questions here at Runrex about Facebook PPC and we thought it wise to address the same in this blog post. A lot of buying and selling takes place on Facebook and advertising is therefore a key player in the Facebook economy. It is therefore important for businesses and brands to understand the dynamics of Facebook advertising for them to successful use the platform to better their businesses.
Guide to Facebook PPC
Just like Google Adwords and Bing Ads, Facebook PPC works on the basis of auctions. This means that ads are purchased on auction basis and the advertisers are charged based on the number of impressions, clicks or a number of actions.
Unlike Adwords and Bing Ads where only clicks are charged, Facebook offers a wider range of actions which are charged and this makes Facebook ads a popular choice among businesses. The fact that there is diversity in the number of actions that are charged gives more control to the advertisers hence the popularity.
Creating Facebook Ads
There are two ways through which you can create Facebook Ads. The most common way is through the Facebook self-service interface which lets all Facebook users to create ads or alternatively through certified ads API developers. The latter involves using third party APIs to create ads which will be displayed on Facebook.
Types of Facebook Ads
There are two main categories of ads on Facebook: Ads or Sponsored Stories. Here is a quick look at what each ad in the two categories entails;
Ads
In the ads category, the advertiser is in full control of all the elements of the advert. From the imagery to the text that describes the ad, the creators has all the control over the ad. Under the ads category there are very many different types of ad types and these include;
App ad
These are ads for applications. When clicked, these ads take people to the specific advertised application.
Domain ad
Domain ads are ads with domains which will lead you offsite when you click on them. They are used to promote campaigns and products which are not necessary on Facebook and lead whoever that clicks on them offsite.
Event Ads
These are ads that promote Facebook events. Users can join the event directly from the ad and see some of his/her friends that are attending the event.
Mobile app ad
These are ads which are only shown in the News Feed only on mobile devices. If someone clicks on such an ad, then the user is taken directly to the Apple App Store or the Google Play depending on the operating system of the mobile device that they are using.
Page Like ad
These are ads that promote facebook pages. From the ad, one can like the page that is being advertised.
Page post ads
These are ads which promote status updates and their aim is to increase the reach of the post and promote whoever made the post or some product along the way.
Offer ads
These promote redeemable offers in both physical stores and online stores.
2. Sponsored stories
These are different from ads in that they are not created by the advertiser. They are based on organic content on Facebook and the content is created by Facebook users and not the advertisers themselves.
Every time someone interacts with your content on Facebook, a story is created and if you want these stories to be spread far and wide, you can sponsor them. If someone likes your photo, then the story will be distributed far and wide to your friends hence increasing your visibility and reach.
There you have it, a guide on advertising on Facebook and the various types of ads which you can use to promote your business and brand. Facebook is one of the best places to create ads and market them because a lot of people use Facebook to look for services and products.
Talk to the experts
If you are relatively new in the world of social media marketing and are looking for professional help getting started, then talk to us here at Runrex. Runrex is a full-fledged marketing agency serving both Multinational companies and small start-ups in the Houston area at very affordable rates all year round. Facebook Advertising is one of our areas of expertise and we can help you get started and even run your social media marketing campaigns.
Give us a call about your PPC campaigns and we will give you a free quote today. Choose Runrex for the best marketing solutions in Houston.