Early this year, Facebook announced improved ways for direct response marketers to reach customers on their mobile devices and desktop computers. Facebook promised businesses easier ways to deliver targeted messages to people who have visited their websites or mobile apps, and explained how certain News Feed ads will feature enhanced call-to-action buttons. To make users happy though, Facebook recently announced a way to opt out of seeing the targeted ads or the ability to choose which ads they want to see in their News Feeds.
Although Facebook is attempting to take some of Google’s market share of direct response advertising away, most companies with a Facebook presence see Facebook as a platform for brand engagement. The move to direct response will boost Facebook’s revenues, but marketers must also figure out the new direction so they can increase their own businesses’ revenues.
Like Google, Facebook is gathering more and more data about its users, but marketers need to switch from targeting a massive amount of people to targeting different groups with different messages. Facebook calls their groups Customer Audiences and gathers data based on what moves customers made (or didn’t make) on their mobile devices and computers.
In its direct response ads, Facebook offers marketers the option to add a call-to-action button. Marketers have five buttons to choose from: Shop Now, Learn More, Sign Up, Book Now or Download. With more options than ever to use Facebook’s data to target your audience, it may be worth your time and money to test direct response.