The growth of social media continues to transform the way we communicate and share information. For marketers, this has opened up a new world of opportunities for getting their messages in front of the right people. Defining your ideal customer and target audience is at the foundation of a successful business. But one social media platform has made it easier than ever to get your content in front of the people who are truly interested in your offer.
The Facebook Advertising Revolution
At this point, Facebook can be considered the leader in social media. It’s given users the ability to connect with friends and family, share media, and find others who are interested in any given topic.
As a result of its large number of users, Facebook has access to data around the behaviors of those users. This data has led to powerful ways to track and predict behavior. Nowhere has this been more critical than in the world of content marketing.
Facebook’s advertising functions allow you to target an audience at the most granular level. You can choose who sees your content based on their interest, location, age, gender, occupation, and a number of other variables
How to Set Your Target
Facebook allows you to target your content in a couple of ways. You can create a customized audience based on your network of friends, followers, and contacts.
Using this feature gives you the ability to combine your Facebook contacts with those existing in other platforms. For businesses that have built up a mailing list outside of their Facebook page, this is an effective tool to engage those that are already familiar with your products and services.
This places your message in front of an audience that’s more likely to convert, given that they’ve already expressed some interest in your brand. Facebook can help you place your content and brand message exactly where you want it by using contacts from your Mailchimp database or website.
Create a New Audience
Even more important than targeting your contacts is the ability to create an entirely new audience—one that’s created by Facebook based on an existing group.
This is allows you to “duplicate” your current audience with new users who have never seen your content. However, because they share many of the same characteristics as those who have, you can optimize your chances of getting more engagement.
This “lookalike” audience can be created from your Facebook fans or any other audience you already have. It opens the door to gaining new visitors, while creating leads that you can convert into customers quickly.
There’s no question that Facebook has transformed the way in which content is shared across the web. The data it has collected from its over 500 million users gives them the ability to observe user behavior and interests on an entirely new level.
Content marketers can use this data to minimize their advertising costs by ensuring that their message is placed in front of the right audiences. Users benefit by having content that is specific to their interests and needs, while businesses improve the value they provide and the ways in which it spreads.
What have your experiences been with content marketing? Do you feel your campaign has been successful? Let us know in the comments below.
