Fanatically Digital

Category: facebook News and Information

  • 5 Alternatives to Google Ads

    5 Alternatives to Google Ads

    Best Alternatives to Google Ads

    Google Ads has ruled the roost for years when it comes to paid advertising, and for good reason. They have a wide breadth of ad types, such as search ads, display ads, and shopping ads. Their expansive targeting and audience options also allows advertisers to successfully reach their desired consumer. Let’s not forget that Google Ads also has relatively reliable measuring tools and solid user experience. That being said, like all platforms, Google isn’t without its flaws. 

    Some advertisers prefer more control over where their ads are showing, who their ads are showing to, how the copy is displayed and even how assets are paired. As Google is growing and branching into more AI driven features, sometimes this control is getting more limited to the advertiser. 

    But don’t be afraid, because there is a wide range of platforms that advertisers have at their disposal. Some might even be more suited for your business than Google. I always say that every company is different and thus each company’s advertising needs are going to be different. It’s important to assess what is best for your business in order to have the most successful campaign growth. 

    Today we are going to dive into five other platforms that can boost your reach!

    1. Facebook/ instagram
    2. Geofencing
    3. Bing
    4. Yelp
    5. Linkedin

    1. Facebook and Instagram Ads

    Alright, I’m sure it comes as no surprise that this is on the list. If you are in the advertising game at all or even just on social media you know that Facebook and Instagram ads are extremely popular among advertisers and for good reason. Google and Facebook have a lot of similar features. For instance, Facebook allows for remarketing, targeting based on audiences and similar geographical targeting to Google, but what makes it stand out.

    For one, pretty obviously, the ads aren’t showing up on the side of a blog article or in a random app, they are showing up alongside organic content in social media feeds. What does this mean for advertisers? Well it’s an entirely different kind of engagement. Users are able to not only click on your site but they can like, comment and share creating opportunities for meaningful interactions with potential customers. Advertisers are granted useful insight into how consumers are feeling about the product or promotion in real time.

    We would argue that no platform is better than Meta for the visual appeal of ads. Instagram, in particular, is a highly visual platform, making it ideal for showcasing products and services through eye-catching images and videos. Facebook also supports visual content, ensuring your ads stand out. Luckily with Facebook and instagram you have almost complete control over what your ads look like and how they will appear to consumers.

    Facebook and Instagram are an ideal platform for businesses who value community engagement and greater artistic control over their ads.

    2. Geofencing

    Geofencing ads appear similar to how Google’s Display ads appear, as banner ads and as in app ads. So why would someone look for a geofencing platform over Google Ads? 

    Choosing a geofencing advertising platform over Google Ads can be a strategic decision for businesses looking to target their audience with precision and relevance. Geofencing has  hyper-local targeting by allowing  you to draw virtual boundaries around specific physical locations, such as stores, events, or competitors’ locations. This level of granularity ensures your ads are seen by the right people in the right place at the right time.

    These Geofencing platforms are also able to easily track foot traffic to your store. For instance if you are a restaurant targeting the office building next door to come in for happy hour, geofencing platforms can see who came from the office to your restaurant’s location. Instead of targeting a whole town or zip code, you can target a singular relevant location and track the success of the foot traffic along with the online metrics. This kind of precision may be key for your business.

    3. Bing

    The concept of bing ads is not that far off from Google Ads. The two are similar, so why might bing ads be better suited for you. Well it’s pretty common knowledge that google is more widely used then bing. In fact, according to impression digital “Google retains an 83.84% share of the global market” with bing only at 8.88%, but that 8.88% is still 1.1 billion users every month. Those bing users aren’t any less valuable than the google users, and surprise surprise, just like there are more people on google, there are more advertisers on google driving the competition up!

    Due to its smaller market share, Bing often has lower competition for keywords and ad placements. This can result in lower advertising costs and a better return on investment (ROI) for some businesses.

    Bing also attracts a different user demographic compared to Google. It tends to have a slightly older and more affluent user base, making it a valuable platform for reaching specific customer segments. Now if you are trying to target Gen Z this probably isn’t the platform for you, but if you are selling orthopedic shoes geared towards +55 community bing is worth considering!

    4. Yelp

    If you are a B2C company, Yelp can be a strong contender for you. There are thousands of businesses on yelp, but remember claiming your business on yelp and having a business page is different from running ads on yelp. When advertising on yelp ads can show in a few places. One of which is pretty standard, at the top of  someone’s search results. On Google sometimes the intention of a search is unclear. A consumer could be searching for a product or just simply asking a question. However when people are searching on yelp they are more likely than not looking for a relevant business, thus more active engagement.

    Another ad placement is on competitors’ pages! Yes that’s right, you can have your ad appear on a competitor’s profile while a consumer is researching your industry. Having your ad featured on a competitor’s Yelp profile can offer a strategic advantage in the competitive landscape. It provides an opportunity for targeted exposure to an audience actively exploring products or services within your industry. By positioning your ad alongside a competitor’s listing, you engage with potential customers who are already in the decision-making process. 

    5. LinkedIn

    Advertising on a LinkedIn profile can offer distinct advantages over Google Ads, particularly when targeting a professional and business-oriented audience. LinkedIn provides a platform where users showcase their career profiles and interests, making it an ideal space for B2B and professional services marketing. Unlike Google Ads, which primarily relies on keyword targeting, LinkedIn allows precise targeting based on job title, company size, industry, and more. This specificity ensures your ads reach decision-makers and professionals with a genuine interest in your products or services. 

    Moreover, LinkedIn’s context is professional, making it suitable for industries where trust, credibility, and networking are paramount. In contrast, Google Ads may cast a wider net and include unrelated or less qualified traffic. For businesses looking to connect with a niche B2B audience or establish themselves as industry leaders, LinkedIn advertising often offers a more focused and effective approach.

    Wrapping up

    In conclusion, Google Ads undoubtedly holds a prominent position in the digital advertising landscape, offering an expansive reach and diverse opportunities for businesses. However, it’s crucial to recognize that no single advertising platform is a one-size-fits-all solution. 

    Different businesses have unique goals, target audiences, and marketing needs. Facebook, LinkedIn, Yelp, geofencing, and Bing each bring their own strengths to the table, whether it’s precise audience targeting, local focus, professional networking, or competitive edge. Therefore, it is imperative for businesses to assess their specific requirements and objectives carefully. By evaluating the nature of their products or services, their audience’s preferences, and their budget constraints, businesses can strategically choose the advertising platforms that align most closely with their goals, ultimately maximizing their marketing efforts and ROI. 

    In today’s dynamic digital landscape, flexibility and adaptability in choosing the right platform can make all the difference in achieving advertising success.

  • Hyper targeting ads on facebook

    This past week I conducted a workshop at SCORE Chicago, which is a business mentoring organization for small – to mid sized companies associated with the SBA. The content was marketing on Facebook. We covered the basics of setting up a social media presence, engaging on Facebook (and others) as well as Facebook Advertising. While most were aware of advertising on Facebook, they generally did not know about the level of targeting available. If you are not familiar with the level of targeting on Facebook (and other platforms), you may be surprised by what you can do.

    Here are just some of the (more popular) options…

    • Geographic targeting from national down to zip codes and radii around locations.
    • By demographics of age, gender, income, household, relationships
    • By interest. This is where it gets exciting. Almost anything from music to outdoor activities to knitting if you like. Chances are there FB has interest targets associated to your product or service.
    • By profession and levels or titles (depending on the area).
    • By custom audiences. Upload your email list, previous site visitors, “look-a-like” based on your list or site visitors. Have a bunch of leads, that did not close? Target them with a conversion offer. Want more repeat business? Load your customers’ emails. You can segment lists in almost any fashion.

    With the ability to carve out different segments, you can develop hyper focused ad copy and images rather than just a static ad to all. Take some time and consider some of the ways you might want to target prospects and then look at Facebook’s targeting options, and line it up.

  • Ad Blockers Put On Notice by Facebook

    Facebook announced that it will implement ad serving in such a way that ad blockers can’t prevent the advertisements from showing.

    [ad blocking]…reduces the funding needed to support the journalism and other free services that we enjoy on the web. Facebook is one of those free services, and ads support our mission of giving people the power to share and making the world more open and connected. Rather than paying ad blocking companies to unblock the ads we show — as some of these companies have invited us to do in the past — we’re putting control in people’s hands with our updated ad preferences and our other advertising controls.

    -Andrew Bosworth, VP of ads and business platform at Facebook

    There are things that the ad blocking software companies do that people either want to ignore (don’t care), or just don’t know about, that are not in the best interest of a free internet.

    First, “free” is a misnomer. It cost money to run Facebook, or any other website / application. The ads pay for the operation and a profit for the company. Seeing the ads is our price of admission. By blocking the ads, revenue is taken from the companies that invested in the websites we use everyday. Taken to the extreme, either the sites degrade their service or stop operating. If we want the service, we should pay for it. The ad blocking companies are trying to disrupt a model that is at the very heart of our ability to use the internet. Like them or hate them, without ads, there is no financial support for the internet.

    Second, some of the less reputable ad blocking companies allow publishers / advertisers to circumvent ad blocking by paying them a fee. However you cut it, the ethics of this model are dubious at best. The motive is not a “better user experience”, it’s extorting the publisher.

    There is a choice. When publishers implement advertising in such a way that the “cost” to view the content is too high, leave. It is a difficult equation for publishers, engaged users vs per page-view ad revenue. If they don’t get the balance right, content consumption dries up, as does ad revenue. Consumers can vote with their attention and publishers will listen or fade away.

  • Facebook Emoji Rollout – Finally Some Nuance

    Providing Nuance to Sentiment Analysis

    For years companies have been doing sentiment analysis to try to figure out if they are loved, liked or despised. To do this well we would combine algorithms from tools with manual evaluations and adjustments. The truth is, the vast majority of comments and input are neutral.

    The emoji roll-out will provide a second line of sentiment measurement. However tempting it may be to start using Facebook emoji metrics as guides immediately, companies should lay the groundwork.

    1. Ignore emojis for a while. Use the first month or two to simply gather data. This will provide a baseline for your organization upon which to base decisions.

    2. Don’t write to elicit specific emoji reaction. Stay true to who you are. After you’ve gathered enough data, then evaluate the sentiment from emoji buttons to see if there are any surprises. If your brand is warm and fuzzy, but your facebook emoji metrics lean toward sad or angry, then evaluate the content. As an example, a brand that wants to be known for a positive / feel good attitude and social responsibility may post content related to issues in urban areas. These types of stories and elicit feelings ranging from motivating and uplift to very upsetting, often simply based on how it is presented. The emoji evaluation can help a company understand if the style of writing aligns to their image.

    3. Use the first month or two of “do nothing” data collection on facebook emoji response and compare this to the sentiment analysis that you’ve been doing for years. One of the challenges on the sentiment analysis is that it lacks nuance, an understanding of the dynamics in the middle where the majority of customers reside. The emoji analysis should provide you with the nuance that traditional sentiment analysis lacks.

    I’ve been in digital for a lot of years and a constant reaction to change is to jump in and start messing with it. I admit that doing so is a lot of fun. But it also hinders our true understanding of what the new tools or feature really mean. Take the time to let the data educate you, then start acting.