Despite many social media apps popping up around us, Facebook still reigns supreme. This social media platform has 2.989 billion active users as of April 2023, which is an increase of 26 million people in only three months (Kemp, 2023). In that time Facebook has also grown what type of marketing can be seen by users and utilized by businesses of all sizes. On Facebook you’ll see image ads, video ads, poll ads, carousel ads, collection ads, instant experience ads, lead ads, dynamic ads, messenger ads, stories ads, and most recently, you might find yourself stumbling upon augmented reality ads (How to Use Facebook Advertising, n.d.).
Myself, personally, I mostly see video ads and image ads, likely because I interact with them the most. And they still seem to be the most popular form of advertisement strategies across social media, not just Facebook. Image ads are the most common ads found on Facebook. They consist of a single image that captures the attention of the company’s intended audience (How to Use Facebook Advertising, n.d.). Video ads are also common on Facebook and are often implemented by companies due to their versatility. These ads can be used in Facebook news feeds, stories, and within longer videos (“How to Use Facebook Advertising, n.d.). If these ads catch my eye, I’m more likely to buy the product, or at the very least, head on over to their website and browse or bookmark the page. Video ads that are long and drawn out are usually ignored and passed, but video ads that are short and to the point, will also generally capture my attention. Any ad will get bonus points if they’re clever or funny. Out of the variety of ads that can be found on Facebook, my least favorite is messenger ads. If I see messenger ads, not only do they get deleted, but I’m more than likely going to block the company that sent the ad. I find marketing a product or service by sending the ad through direct or personal messaging as pushy and invasive—a terrible way to connect with people. As an indie author, this is one of the biggest “no-no’s” when it comes to marketing yourself and your work. The type of marketing that Facebook uses, that seems the most interesting, is augmented reality ads. And to be honest, I’m slightly upset I haven’t seen any show up on my feed. I would like to know how they work.
Facebook has a healthy plethora of marketing types for us to consume and use, and whether we like it or not, they do affect us in one way or another.
References
How to Use Facebook Advertising to Transform Your Business. (n.d.). Big Commerce. Retrieved May 2023 from https://www.bigcommerce.com/articles/omnichannel-retail/facebook-advertising-guide/.
Kemp, S. (2023). Facebook Users, Stats, Data, and Trends. Data Reportal. Retrieved May 2023 from https://datareportal.com/essential-facebook-stats#:~:text=Facebook%20had%202.989%20billion%20monthly,’active’%20social%20media%20platforms.
Nikki Haase: Author 