Marketing by Targeting
Kelly Cooper, Marketing Manager at ShopIgniter, explains that Facebook allows companies to advertise in three different ways: Precise Interest, Facebook Categories and Partner Categories. Precise Interest allows companies to target groups of audiences by specific terms on their timeline. Facebook Categories display ads to people who have shared specific terms on their timeline that relate to a more general interest. For example, targeting a group using precise interest marketing could reach people looking for insurance in St. Louis, whereas Facebook categories could target all people looking for life insurance. Partner Categories use third party data taken from Facebook activity to figure out purchase behaviors and display the ads on a person's timeline. No matter which method you choose, the main goal is to reach those who wouldn't normally find your business.
Don't Forget to #Hashtag
Although most people think hashtags are only for Twitter and Tumblr, Facebook actually started using the system this summer. This means that your company can always be in the conversation by properly using hashtags on certain posts. Hashtags work by grouping terms under the same umbrella into a single stream dashboard post. Follow the trends to see what people are talking about and confidently insert yourself into the conversation if the hashtag fits within your company's framework.