Facebook advertising is still a relatively new medium for casino affiliate that many in the industry just don’t have a handle on yet.
From the outside, advertising on the world’s largest social network seems like a pretty attractive option. After all, Facebook has over a billion users worldwide and tracks some pretty detailed demographic information on all of them.
On the flip side, the Facebook advertising platform has remained something of mystery to many affiliates.
Besides frequent changes that can make submitting bids a challenge, Facebook’s proprietary metrics can be pretty confusing to anyone who is used to traditional advertising systems. (Or, as is the case with many casino affiliates, people who haven’t had access to advertising platforms at all.)
If you’ve been thinking about dabbling in Facebook advertising, here are a few things you might want to consider.
Know Your Metrics
Facebook’s favorite internal metric is reach. The social giant uses this number number to push for more advertising dollars by asking advertisers if they want to boost their posts.
While reach isn’t an entirely useless metric, it’s important that would-be advertisers and corporate content creators realize exactly what it is, and is not.
Reach is simply a measurement of how many people have potentially seen your ads, based on how many people are in the networks of the people who like your post.
While this is great for anyone interested in branding, it definitely shouldn’t be confused with actual traffic to your sites.
Know Your Audience
One thing Facebook does better than just about any other medium is breaking down demographics. If you want to target Latvian men between 25-30 who like Texas Hold ‘Em, Phil Ivey, and pancakes – Facebook can deliver.
For that reason, it’s important that you understand your own target markets before stepping into the Facebook arena. The more you focus your Facebook advertising efforts on narrow demographic segments, the better off you’ll be.
Spell it Out
Have you ever heard the expression, “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink?” Well, that horse definitely won’t be drinking if he never makes it to the water in the first place.
Customers have to be led to the action you want them take. Sometimes this goal can be achieved with a tag line that’s as simple as, “Start Here.” If you can do some of the work for them, your customers will be able to focus on what you really want them to do in the first place.
A very clear, credible call-to-action is a major advantage in any advertising medium, but is doubly beneficial in the Facebook eco-system. The fact of the matter is that Facebook audiences can be less-than-receptive to poorly conceived campaigns. So this is definitely the place to bring your A-game CTA skills.
Don’t Be Afraid to Farm it Out
Facebook advertising isn’t all that simple to figure out and sometimes simply outsourcing it to someone who does understand it is the best strategy.
Sure, this approach involves some additional expenses, but you know your time has a monetary value. If you’re spending hours and hours simply trying to figure out why the heck your Facebook ads aren’t working the way you want them to, that’s costing you money.
Credible social media advertising advisers are out there, but there are plenty of Charlatans, too. Check out your potential advertising partners carefully in advance (or just use the CAP Network).
Finally
Facebook advertising definitely comes with a learning curve, but it also offers some pretty significant advantages for operators and affiliates alike. As long as you know what you’re getting into, and have done your homework, this is an advertising platform that’s worth your time.