GOOGLE REVIEWS
PLEASE BE AWARE: This is an old article, and while we think there are still nuggets of good advice included here, it may be out of date. Things move very quickly in the world of Digital Marketing, Lead Generation and Conversion Rate Optimisation - so please see our latest news for the most recent advice on how to get more out of your website and online marketing.
Facebook is trying to turn itself into the online interface of your entire existence – it may already be the main way you communicate with your friends, share content, read the news… Facebook even tells you who you should be friends with and what bands you should like!
Now, it appears Facebook is trying to develop a way of becoming the place where you spend money and, just as importantly, DECIDE where to spend money.
First, the basics of the update:
Privacy basics:
Facebook is to provide interactive tutorials, showing users how to use the site’s privacy options, including targeting customised audiences with posts.
Ads:
When the updates come into force in January, if you choose to opt out of receiving certain adverts, Facebook will apply this preference to all of your devices. Previously, if you opted out of an ad on your computer, it could still target you on your phone or tablet.
So, what are Facebook planning that could significantly affect your business and how should your online marketing efforts adapt?
In some locations, the social networking powerhouse are testing ways for people to make transactions quickly and simply, without leaving Facebook. A ‘Buy’ button has been mentioned in their outline of the updates. Although they are introducing these changes in the name of ‘convenience’ and ‘ease’, the fact is that Facebook want you to stay on their site because this is where you are seeing the adverts they get paid to display.
The ads themselves already target your characteristics, your interests and your activity and soon location will become just as important. This is where local businesses should pay extra attention. Facebook have announced that they are testing a method of showing specific content to users depending on their current location.
In their own words:
In the future, if you decide to share where you are, you might see menus from restaurants nearby or updates from friends in the area.
Imagine if your business provides portable toilets and a large construction site opens up in your area. The site manager, a job title which he has on his Facebook profile, may be alerted to your presence.
Of course, people can find your business’ location on the internet through popular services like Google Maps, but this is chiefly for people who already know what products and even brands they’re looking for. Facebook are trying to reach audiences before they have made a decision. This is also one of the main difference between Google Adwords and Facebook Ads.
In our previous post, we talked about additional updates that are likely to affect any social media marketing campaign, suggesting possibly that Facebook will try to squeeze businesses into paying for ads by limiting promotional posts.
As totalitarian as these updates sometimes sound; for advertisers and companies, Facebook is a great way of sharing your product with your specific audience. This can drastically cut down on the amount your business has to spend on advertising, as you don’t have to cast your net into the middle of a vast ocean of people in the hope that a few customers are caught.
It has been suggested by some tech gurus that social media could spell the death of corporate websites, but before you cancel your website domains and quit all other marketing efforts, there are a few things you should know:
Currently, at least 40% of the world’s online traffic flows through Google’s servers and that figure shows no sign of decreasing. If somebody searches for a product or service on Google, it is highly unlikely that a Facebook page will be displayed in the top results. Therefore, it is vital that your business has a professionally designed, well-optimised website so that people don’t just go straight to your competitors.
It is generally a lot easier for potential clients to find a company’s information on their website, so if you want to carry on generating those enquiries and conversions, make sure you’re bringing people to your site and not just to a Facebook page. Social media can, however, be one way of attracting your audience to your site.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that the amount of money spent online went up 13.4% from June 2013 to June this year, so it would be foolish to ignore the growing online market. With social networks continuously talking of making aspects of our life more ‘social’ or ‘connected’ and these recent revelations, is it that hard to imagine online malls and commercial centres in the near future?
As yet, Facebook doesn’t have much in the way of an online market place, so make sure your website is as good as it can be but keep an eye out for updates to social media that could change the game entirely.
