Facebook Advertising

Social networking giant Facebook is relying more and more on advertising, which despite the company’s Wall Street woes, remains highly profitable and a major part of the platform’s appeal. But questions raised over the effectiveness of that advertising are a constant thorn in the company’s side, too. Here are some ways Facebook is tackling that challenge:

Facing Facts

When “likes” just aren’t enough. While originally Facebook ads were only helpful for getting more “likes” on your brand’s page, advertisers wanted something more. Now Facebook may be considering sharing data on how many people are talking about a company’s brand, what they’re saying, and some basic demographics. The Atlantic Wire Adding up the value. The latest flap over the value of Facebook advertising began last month with a story suggesting that many businesses were simply wasting their money on the service, only to get “likes” from people with no interest in their product, from fake accounts run by robots, or from accounts that misrepresent personal information.BBC News

Advertising Innovation

Reaching beyond your Facebook page. Facebook is also testing a new advertising product that reaches beyond a company’s Facebook page to deliver marketing messages that might otherwise not reach certain users. The new ads will appear within Facebook’s desktop and mobile news feeds and function as sponsored links. PC Mag
Don’t annoy your customers. Though Facebook execs seem convinced their new “sponsored stories” ad will be hugely effective both for themselves and for users, company leaders say they are proceeding slowly. The reason why is simple–to find out whether Facebook’s most valuable resource, its users, will buy in.Business Insider.

Socializing Specialties

Other Facebook business complaints. There are other complaints about Facebook besides the doubts concerning the effectiveness of the site’s advertising services. Businesses use Facebook for marketing, customer service, and much more. Here are some problems with which you may be familiar if you’ve ever tried to use the platform for your company. Small Business Bliss Proving your worth. Despite these complaints, however, Facebook “likes” and activity on your page remain key “social proof” of your blog or site’s popularity, so their importance cannot be ignored. Here’s how to use this integral aspect of Facebook to your best advantage. Keep Up With the Web Tumbling down. Facebook stock dropped by 6.3% Thursday as early investors were allowed to unload their disappointing shares. The drop in stock is another all-time low for Facebook, falling below $20 a share for the first time since the company went public. But the site’s services remain valuable to some marketers and businesses.