Tag - Facebook

Are You Reaching Road Warriors This Summer?

When looking at the days of the week, my favorite day isn’t Saturday or Sunday, or even Friday; it’s Thursday. Thursday is when you’re close to the weekend and you have the whole weekend to look forward to, including a Friday night. May is my version of Thursday when it comes to months because we are getting so close...

What Were the Most Popular Verticals in 2022?

December is always the month where we reflect on the last 12 months and see how we grew and what we can do to move forward. Personally, I like to see what technology thinks of how I lived my last 12 months with things like Spotify’s “Wrapped”, and Instagram’s “Top 9”. According to Spotify, I don’t branch out much...

Are You Investing in Digital this Political Season?

The “ber” months are approaching quickly and that means cooler weather, reasons to eat a lot of pie, and everyone’s favorite- political season. That’s right, political season is already ramping up and we are seeing and hearing ads for all sorts of political races from local ballots to nationwide races. This year, political ad spending is set to smash...

Are You Following the Proper Steps to Close Digital Sales?

ABC is an acronym for a lot of things. If you’re learning CPR, they teach you ABC to look for Airway, Breathing, and Circulation. If you’re a parent, ABC could mean “Another Blowout Coming”. In the broadcasting world, ABC stands for American Broadcasting Company. In sales, ABC is most commonly known as “Always Be Closing”, and in this case,...

How can I use Social Media Stories to promote my business?

Storytelling, one of society’s greatest tools in sharing the narrative that you want people to understand, has changed a lot since the days of fireside chats and Shakespearean stages.    If fact, stories in general have, in my opinion, been lost unless they are written in the pages of books. While the art of storytelling has reemerged over the last 6...

Are You Reaching Consumers While they are Using Apps?

How many times have you been trying to hang a picture on a wall and you want to see if it’s level, but you’re too lazy to go out to the garage or basement and get a level? Well, now you don’t have to because there’s an app for that! There is also an app that you can use...

How Can Auto Dealers Use Advanced Digital Advertising?

Before we go full throttle into all the different ways in which auto dealers can utilize digital ads to drive traffic into their dealerships and increase sales, I couldn’t resist throwing in some fun puns to start us off. There is no denying that the automotive vertical is one that is fueling the advertising industry. It seems like no...

What Are Facebook Offer Ads?

Updated 1-6-22: Facebook Offer Ads were deprecated in October of 2021 My mom is the person that gives the best gifts. Every year she nails it and gets the most creative, most comfortable, practical gifts and every time I ask where she got it, she replies with “it was a QVC special!” I have been gifted the most amazing bed...

What are Social Mirror Ads?

It can be difficult to decide which social media channels to advertise on. Are you good on Facebook and Instagram or do you need to be on TikTok and Snapchat as well? What about LinkedIn and Pinterest or is that spreading the budget and audience too thin? How do you do all the things? Enter Social Mirror Ads! (Click on...

How Are You Reaching Consumers Impacted by the Pandemic?

I was at the grocery store the other day and as I was waiting to check out (six feet behind the person in front of me of course) I caught myself staring at the cashier. I was thinking that he looked familiar, but I could not put my finger on who it was or how I knew him. The...

Are your digital political ads ready to go?

If you are talking to any clients or prospects about running digital ads for political, especially on Facebook or Instagram, it is time to close the sale and start executing. Facebook has released some new information about political advertising, and the restrictions are tighter than ever.  I’m highlighting Facebook as a product because political ads on the platform are so...

What Are Your Competitors Doing for Digital Advertising?

When I was selling radio advertising, one of the very first things I did when I would get a new business on the air is to tell them they were about to get a lot of phone calls from other media groups. Different radio stations were going to call and ask for a meeting, along with other TV stations,...

What is a Lookalike Audience?

Have you ever been out with friends or met someone new, and right off the bat they tell you that you look like someone or have a doppelgänger? It’s always interesting to hear what they say next because it can completely change the mood of the night. Maybe it is someone that you will take as a compliment, or...

Facebook Event: AI in Action

On Halloween Eve I stepped into the Los Angeles Facebook offices for an agency event called “AI in Action” a training focused on how using Artificial Intelligence (AI) within the Facebook platform can help enhance the overall performance of campaigns.  Their office was highly secure (three checkpoints with a government ID to get in) but once inside I was...

Social Media: When should you DIY and when should you enlist a digital expert?

There are absolutely times in life it is more cost effective to “Do it yourself.”  Before I take on a DIY project, I try to consider if I have three T’s, meaning do I have the tools, the training and the time. If all signs point to yes, I go for it! All three must be in place...

How-To-Guide On Understanding Your Facebook Insights And Analytics

Most small businesses have a business Facebook Page but are you understanding the wealth of information you can get from Facebook about people who interact with your Page? This is our step-by-step guide to walk you through some of the most valuable information you might be interested in learning. Facebook calls their analytics “Insights” and you can access...

How do I target a specific audience on Facebook? (Example)

When developing your marketing strategy, it is important to make sure to identify your core audience. Targeting too broad, yields a lot of waste, narrowing in too thin, may exclude some ideal prospects. A happy medium of targeting is usually the best place to start. Targeting is critical. Ads relevant to your audience mean they are more likely to become your customers. Facebook...

What Are Top Digital Advertising Industries For 2019? (Example)

As 2019 approaches, it’s imperative that we understand what’s working and continue to add fuel to the fire. Following up to our last blog about preparing for next year, we wanted to share with you some of the top industries spending money in Digital Marketng. Breweries. Breweries are popping up all over the country. Their individual spin on some classic...

Do Video Ads Work For Small Businesses?

Video.  Is it worth the investment to have a video created and include it in your digital marketing?  The answer is yes. In almost every aspect of Digital Marketing, we have seen not only an increase in using video, but an increase in the interaction with digital ads created by businesses. (photo credit: Ad Week) According to SingleGrain: 70% of consumers say...

Are teenagers leaving Facebook? Should that impact your Ad Spend?

My 14-year-old son refers to Facebook as “Snapchat for Old People” yet he still knows every time I post something on Facebook. Teenagers would like us to believe that Snapchat is life, but is that actually true, and more importantly does it matter for your advertising dollars? According to a 2018 Pew Research Center survey, today, roughly half (51%) of...

Digital Ad Spend Surpasses 50% of Total Ad Spending in the U.S.

Earlier this year, eMarketer, Marketing-Interactive, and CNBC  all predicted that digital ad spend would surpass 50% of advertising dollars in the U.S.  Turns out they were right. Currently, according to MAGNA, digital ad spend in the U.S. will surpass 51%, 51.5% to be exact.  That equates to about $160 billion dollars!  That’s a lot of money! Leading the digital ad spend...

IRS Contributes 3rd Party Income Data to Facebook (Example)

As we know, Facebook has been under scrutiny when it comes to their targeting capabilities and what they can/cannot do. Earlier this year, we learned that Facebook was removing many 3rd party categories from their targeting offerings and that they would take effect October 1st, 2018 (link here: https://vicimediainc.com/why-i-love-facebook-collection-ads/). This impacted many categories, including automotive, charitable donations, financial, job role,...

How Does Back to School Impact Automotive Advertising?

They’re making a list and checking it twice. But, it’s not to see who’s naughty or nice. Parents are checking to make sure that a car is now on their Back-to-School list. According to Nielsen Scarborough 22% of households with a child in college are also planning on buying a new or used car during the upcoming year. What does...

Facebook Changes the Rules for the Advertising of Addiction Treatment Centers

On Thursday, August 9, 2018, Facebook made a move to increase transparency of where ads are coming from, cracking down in the medical category of addiction treatment centers.  This comes after the announcement earlier this year that all digital media buyers managing political campaigns go through an authorization process providing a US driver’s license or US passport, a...

Why I Love Facebook Collection Ads

Facebook has been in the news lately, for some not so popular things, mainly the Facebook data breach impacting over 50 million user’s data. They reacted quickly to the news, publicly declaring that starting October 1, they will no longer be offering 3rd party targeting categories to advertisers.  Moving forward, they will only be allowing advertisers to buy categories...

What does Facebook’s latest announcement mean for businesses?

Facebook announced on January 11th that they are doing some further “tinkering” with their algorithm which has implications for businesses that post organically to their Facebook Business Page. While this has made big news in the last week – it really isn’t anything new, it’s a continuation of changes that started two years ago as we talked about in...

Digital Advertising continues to grow year over year!

  2017 saw record growth in Digital Advertising dollars throughout the United States.  According to the Interactive Advertising Bureau, those dollars are actually $40.1 BILLION.  And, that’s just for the first half of 2017. $40.1 billion represents a 23% increase over the same time period in 2016.  What can we take from that?  Businesses are spending money on digital advertising, and...

What are small business marketing resolutions for 2018?

As this year closes and a new one begins, small business owners are seeking strategies that can help them remain competitive and relevant.  They are analyzing past tactics and campaigns and determining where and how to spend their marketing dollars. Digital is absolutely a significant part of marketing budgets and in a multifaceted landscape, Small Business Owners are looking for...

What Are The Best Digital Advertising Products For Local Political Campaigns?

According to Ad Age, there is a broad trend being played out across the advertising landscape. Using data to target audience segments and make smarter media buys in digital. Political numbers absolutely reflect that as digital is replacing traditional ad spend in this vertical. Politicians are assigning ad budgets for digital. And, online digital advertising is not covered by the...

Digital Ad Reports Are Great But What About The Big Picture?

I receive a lot of digital ads. I’m targeted as much as the next consumer, and the most intriguing digital messages and offers absolutely shine through the clutter enough for me to open my wallet and become a customer. In fact, I made a purchase because of a digital ad just this morning. In this case, I was served...

Warmer Weather = Digital Opportunity

Now is the time to market to consumers thinking about home repairs! The IAB’s Digital Influence on Home Improvement Plans analysis showed that 22% of consumers who were working on home improvement projects were influenced by ads on mobile, social media and desktop. That is a huge opportunity for advertisers looking to showcase how they might meet all the home improvement...

To Boost Or Not To Boost?

By now you’ve probably heard or realized that spending a lot of time posting organically to your Facebook page and trying to generate “likes” is no longer going to help spread your organic reach onto customers’ Facebook pages. Facebook defines organic reach as "how many people you can reach for free on Facebook by posting to your Business Page." It...

How to Improve Local Marketing? Use Facebook Local Awareness Ads

In an effort to help local businesses connect with people in their area, Facebook launched Local Awareness mobile ads. Local Awareness ads are a great way to find new customers by showing ads to people who are around your business location. These ads are great for bringing customers through your door because of their call to action features. You...

Top 5 Reasons You Should Be Using Facebook For Advertising

For small businesses, posting on Facebook just isn’t enough anymore. On average, only 2% of your fans will see one of your posts on their Facebook page (socialbakers.com).  Many businesses have heard about the importance of using Facebook to grow their business – but they are not sure where to start.  Do your clients still need convincing? Here are...

Facebook Still King Of All Media

What’s the #1 social network among people 18-29 years old? Instagram? Twitter? Nope, Facebook. The common misconception is that millennials – especially young millennials and Gen Z, no longer use Facebook. Actually, 88% of online users aged 18-29 use Facebook, making that demographic Facebook’s largest. And while Facebook’s percentage of older adults is growing, interestingly it is not coming...

How Does Facebook Know What Ads to Show You? (Example)

The way Facebook determines what ads to show you is based a lot around the information you provide by your online activity. By using things such as your age, location, page likes, app use, and even data from the mobile websites you browse, Facebook profiles you into categories that advertisers can then use to target ads to you on...

Top Questions Answered about Facebook’s New ‘Off Facebook’ Network

Facebook is once again going head to head with Google to win the biggest piece of the $59.6 billion pie that is the digital advertising market.  Collectively, Google and Facebook own 64% of that total online revenue, with Google leading the way with $30 billion with Facebook taking $8 billion.  One huge advantage Google has over Facebook is Google’s...

Facebook Video Ads – How To Do It Right

Video ad consumption is absolutely on the rise!  A recent study aimed at learning more about consumers’ sentiments regarding video advertising found some interesting tidbits. 26% of people surveyed responded that they are watching at least one video per day.  55% of the frequent video viewers prefer watching them on their smartphone. As for the most popular social platform to watch...

Using Video on Facebook and Instagram

Facebook is consistently looking for better ways for advertisers to reach more of their users. Recently, this has led to substantial targeting changes and improvements to both Facebook and their image based counterpart, Instagram. One of the biggest changes, aside from the redesign of the iconic Instagram logo, has been the increase in features available with video advertising on...

Understanding Facebook’s News Feed Ads

In the last year Facebook has rolled out an amazing number of new products!  They now have several options to utilize to target potential customers with display or video ads based on demographics, interests, behaviors, or even a list of email addresses or phone numbers. While Right Hand Column ads have long been in place, we recommend using Right Column...

Have A Customer or Lead List? How Can You Maximize It Beyond Sending Emails?

73.5% of small to medium sized retail businesses maintain a customer or lead list, according to BIA/Kelsey.  Great news, right? You have the names, addresses, or emails, the question now becomes HOW do I reach this gold mine of existing customers and prospects? Reaching out to your current customer base, subscribers and/or social media followers may be the easiest way...

Helpful Hints for Making Successful Carousel Ads

A carousel is no longer only found at carnivals and parks. Now, you see carousels all the time on your Facebook or Instagram News Feed (and may not even notice). Carousel ads are a rotating group of up to five images that allow you to show your consumers more of what you offer. They are shown as native ads...

Facebook Reactions: What You Need To Know

As people, we are able to react to our environment with an array of emotions. Why is it then, that Facebook only allows us to Like content in our News Feed? Well Facebook has finally done something about it. This past week, Facebook has released a new feature which has changed the way we can now react to individual...

Instagram Continues to Grow

If you want to target customers under the age of 35 in your next digital campaign, Instagram is the platform for you. Instagram is continuously growing, and with that growth, is becoming a major player in the mobile social media game. According to an article by eMarketer, this year 89.4 million people in the United States will be scrolling...

How To Create Successful Ads For Facebook News Feed

An ad campaign with good copy can still fail if it is partnered with bad ad creative. In order to avoid such failure, it is important to understand the key aspects of a good, successful ad. One aspect that I always suggest is to try to tailor the ad to the medium or platform on which it is running. For...

Facebook’s Lead Generation Ads Get Even Better

Facebook recently rolled out a new product called “Lead Ads.” Lead Ads were designed to give people a fast, easy and privacy-safe way to sign up to receive information from businesses right from their mobile phone and without leaving Facebook. Consumers expect to be able to do everything from their phones and Lead Ads make it easy for consumers...

How Are Auto Buyers Using Mobile In Their Path To Purchase?

The average American consumer considers 2 or more types of vehicles and 5 brands before making their car-purchasing decision. 60% of people are “in market” for a car for at least 6 months, gathering research and seeking advice to help guide their decision making. This is according to a research study  commissioned by Facebook and done by Ipsos Media...

Facebook Adding “Holiday Shopping” Ad Targeting Category

Facebook has announced that starting on Thanksgiving and running through New Year's Day they will let advertisers target ads on Facebook and Instagram to people who publish posts related to the holidays. How will they do this? Facebook looks for holiday-related keywords in people’s posts, what they like, comment on and share. This means advertisers can zero in on people who are...

How To Use Facebook & Instagram Ads For Automotive Dealers

With all the new Facebook and Instagram ad targeting options for automotive dealers, you need a “cheat sheet” to remember all the available options!  We’ve been testing this platform for automotive dealerships with stellar results.  Here are the basics you should know if this is an important vertical for you, and you can print it out and use for...

Facebook Advertising… in a Nutshell!

If you haven’t already noticed, Facebook is everywhere and it’s not going away anytime soon. But that’s OK. With over 72% of online adults using the platform, the highest of any of its social counterparts, Facebook has become an advertising goldmine. It’s not every day that you find an advertising platform that can let you target individuals down to...