When Facebook introduced partner categories, advertisers jumped at the chance to use them. The ability to use third-party purchasing behavior opened up a new world of targeting options, and gave advertisers the opportunity to more effectively reach their desired audience. Although they can be incredibly useful, they aren’t 100% accurate. Before jumping into Facebook ads and blindly embracing these partner targeting options, consider the following.
Know where your information is coming from
By hovering over a category or behavior, you’ll be able to see what third-party partner is providing the data. This will give you (and your clients) an extra layer of transparency, and may help you determine whether or not it’s accurate enough for your needs.
Pay attention to the details
Facebook’s features seems to change on a daily basis, and Ads Manager is no exception. Earlier this year, the targeting feature that focused on people who’ve recently moved only focused on individuals who’ve done so in the last three months. A glance at the feature today, however, says it covers those who’ve moved in the last six months. It’s important to keep track of these small changes, as it could have a major impact on the effectiveness of your campaign.
Manage expectations
The research performed by Facebook’s partners may be trustworthy, but it’s not 100% accurate. There are bound to be some discrepancies, and your campaign, despite your best efforts, will undoubtedly be served to Facebook users who aren’t part of your desired audience. Although it’s pretty accurate, make sure that your colleagues (and your clients) are aware that it’s not a perfect targeting system. Speaking of which…
Be prepared to deal with and respond to negativity
Trolls and disgruntled customers are very easy to find in the social space, and they’re very quick to respond. If someone thinks that they’re being wrongly targeted by a brand, there’s a good chance that they’ll react negatively to the ad. Be aware of this possibility and try to establish a workflow that details how the team will deal with negative feedback if and when it arises.
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