Brands/businesses often use social media advertising, Facebook in particular, with the goal of growing sales. Many want results overnight. But that’s not exactly how it works. Social advertising is a journey rather than a destination.
On this journey, however, it’s not mile markers that point the way; it’s KPIs. Sure, key performance indicators such as reach, ad impressions and CTRs are great indicators for optimizing campaigns and keeping track of what is/isn’t working. But, setting unrealistic KPIs and then judging performance solely on them can ruin a healthy marketing flow for your business. Specially, when it comes to social.
The millennia old debate of which half of your advertising investing gets you returns is ruining this social marketing environment. What many businesses fail to understand is that while all other marketing channels can run all guns blazing, each blasting your unique selling propositions and trying to convince potential customers to buy your products, social media should be the one sane place to connect organically with your audience, in a way that is real and not patronizing.
Facebook ads were built as a way for businesses to get in front of their audiences, to add value to their social environment. But it is increasingly being used to manipulate audiences into taking an action. One such mistake is to use Facebook ad campaigns as a way to promote a broad call to action like shopping or booking an appointment right away. A general cattle call will only turn off your followers.
Remember, social media is not a sales channel. It’s a marketing channel. We help clients grow their social presence every day, with funnel strategies and social listening practices that not only shape but steer their reputation on social media. When communicating through a social filter, true success is measured in fan engagements and meaningful connections, not KPIs.