Facebook 101For those of you who are new to Facebook ads, we thought it might be helpful to give an overview of how exactly Facebook ads work.Maybe the easiest way to do this is to answer some basic questions.What’s the Difference between FB Ads and Google AdWords?We’ve covered this question in detail before but here is the short answer: Generally speaking, people use Google to solve a problem, and they use Facebook to browse pages and hang out with their friends.This means that instead of researching ‘keywords’ as with AdWords, you’re going to be focusing on descriptive terms that people are using to describe themselves, their interests, and their hobbies.And, because there is less competition for advertisers on Facebook, generally the cost per click is lower than using AdWords.Facebook Ads = Lower CPC + Higher Quality TrafficWhat Types of Ads I Can Run on Facebook?Standard ads or sponsored stories.Standard AdsThese are the regular ads you see in the right sidebar of Facebook. The main components of the standard ad are:Headline
Image
Content
LinkAs an advertiser, you decide exactly what you want the ad to look like and to say.Sponsored StoriesSponsored stories turn users’ actions into paid ads in the right sidebar.When someone interacts with your business on Facebook, you, as an advertiser, can turn this social action into a paid ad. This is a great way to leverage the power of social media and online word or mouth marketing.Who Will See My Facebook Ad?This is perhaps the BEST aspect of Facebook ads. The answer is: Pretty much anyone you want!Facebook allows you to target your ideal client or customer and advertise directly to them. You can target to users based on:Age (and even birthday)
Location
Gender
Workplace
Interests and hobbies
Education leveland much more.Once you select which targeting options you’d like, Facebook will deliver your ads directly to users meeting your criteria.What are My Payment Options for Facebook Advertising?As with many other online advertising options, you can choose between CPC (cost per click) or CPM (cost per thousand impressions).If you are mainly interested in users actually clicking through to your site or page, you’ll probably want to go with CPC. This option allows you to indicate the maximum amount you’ll pay for each click- through you get.However if you’re more interested in getting your brand out there and just having your ad seen by as many eyes as possible, CPM can be a good choice. This option allows you to indicate how much you’re willing to pay for 1000 people viewing your ad.*Note: This is one of the most important decisions you’ll make when it comes to Facebook advertising.I hope this has helped answer a few questions you may have about how Facebook ads work.