Facebook Ads: Do You Click Through?

It’s what marketers are banking on: the click-through rate. A new study conducted by independent digital marketing agency, Greenlight, found, though, that users of the social media network are a tough audience indeed.  While hundreds of millions log on each day, how many are really looking at the ads?

Let’s take a look at some of the findings of the Search and Social Survey: 2011/2012:

• 30 percent of people said they “strongly distrust” Facebook’s use of their personal data.
• 44 percent say they would “never” click on ads sponsored by the social network.
• Ten percent of respondents say they “often” click on ads.
• Three percent say they click on them “regularly.”

It is important to remember, however, that click-through rates are never going to be “high.” It’s relative. An average ad with a CTR of 0.5 – 0.8 percent is considered successful.  Facebook ads in the retail sector typically see a CTR of 0.8 – 1.0 percent, which certainly indicates they can be worth a retail business’s time or money.  Further, Sponsored Stories can increase the efficacy of ads by as much as 30 percent, according to Greenlight’s director of paid media, Hannah Kimuyu.

To create a more fertile environment for your ad:

• Make sure to utilize Facebook’s target categories so you can focus on your specific audience. Choose the best fit for your company, whether it is by location, age, education, connections, or interests. Here, smaller, carefully chosen audiences help increase CTR.
• Define your goals. Are you hoping for greater awareness, conversion, or engagement? This will inform how you structure and place your ads.
• Use images that are relevant and engaging. Make sure they are not cluttered, and that they are scaled properly.
• Give users a reason to click-through. Are you offering deals, specials, discounts, coupons, or contests? Why should they do this?
• Be clear in your call to action. “Like” to get a 10% discount, for instance, tells the user just what he needs to know to make the decision to click-through.
• Test your ads. You can use simple A/B testing: which image is more effective? Which font or color scheme is more appealing? Does this call to action pull more clicks in or does this one?

Facebook can be a great place to increase awareness and engagement with your target audience. But just because you’re on there doesn’t mean you’ll see a high CTR. You’ve got to work at it a little!