Facebook executives who attended last month's Advertising Week conference in New York City went with a plan. The execs had two new messages for those in attendance - first, that friend and family testimonials are the best way to sell products, and second, that Facebook is the perfect vehicle for these testimonials.
As part of their new ad infrastructure, Facebook has, in its characteristically stealthy way, begun a new targeting practice. In addition to targeting users based on their previously indicated interests, the company has implemented something they've dubbed the "Expanded Premium Ad." Now, instead of merely seeing user-targeted ads in the right-hand sidebar, users will also see the businesses, products and services their friends "like" - right alongside a picture of the friend who liked it. According to the Nielsen Co., an online user is twice as likely to remember an ad that his friends have previously endorsed.
With this deceptively simple leveraging of the social platform, Facebook has provided marketers and advertisers with pipeline for promotion that potentially doubles the impact and possible click through rate of their advertisements. However, in order to initiate the process by being ”liked,” companies first have to get noticed by the right audiences. Advertisers need a way to ensure that they engage the right Facebook users in the first place. By targeting the best qualified audiences at the times when they are most likely to be online, marketers can make the most of this new feature by generating as many initial "likes" as possible. Once a connection is made through this targeting a sample base of consumer fans is established and, the results potentially increase exponentially.
Semcasting provides a unique solution to this challenge with facebook microTargeting. Facebook microTargetingis a platform that helps marketers extend their digital advertising reach on the social media site by targeting the most highly qualified audience at the times they're most likely to be using Facebook. Once a business builds their brand recognition with the right audience, friends will see their support of a particular company, product or service and will be twice as likely to remember it later on as they make their purchasing decisions.
Ray Kingman