Facebook for business

Facebook advertising

Guide

Many businesses find that their Facebook posts are seen by less than five per cent of their followers. Facebook offers a range of advertising options that may help you to reach a wider audience and achieve your business goals - increase sales, sign-ups or awareness.   

Types of Facebook advertising

Facebook offers the following types of ad format:

  • promoted posts - pay for your post to reach a wider audience
  • Stories - vertical full-screen ads
  • page like - encourage users to like your Facebook page
  • clicks to website - push traffic to your website
  • click to website videos - use video content to push traffic to your website
  • website conversion - encourage users to take an action on your site such as sign-up for your newsletter
  • app installs - link directly to the app store
  • app engagement - link to a specific part of your app such as a purchase page
  • playable - interactive app previews
  • local awareness - focus targeting users near your business location
  • video views and slideshows - a visually engaging way to communicate your message
  • carousel ads - advertise multiple products or promotions at once or highlight multiple aspects of a single product
  • collection ads - showcase a range of different products in a single ad that users can browse and purchase
  • dynamic ads - use remarketing to make your adverts more relevant
  • lead adverts - encourage registrations and sign ups
  • messenger - advertise through the Facebook messenger app

Facebook advertising targeting

Facebook generates detailed information about its users. This means that advertisers can reach specific target audiences in line with their marketing strategy. Some of the targeting options include:

  • location - target users based on geographic location, such as those who live near your business
  • demographics - reach an audience based on their gender, age, language, recent life events, education, job and industry 
  • interests - find potential customers who are likely to be interested in your offering based on their current interests such as films, sports, books, fashion and more
  • behaviours - target users who are more likely to make a purchase based on their previous online behaviour
  • connections - reach the friends of your current audience
  • existing customers - upload your marketing list to target your existing customers through Facebook