Stephanie Winans

Business & Marketing Strategy Consulting

Artists

13 Steps to Your First Facebook Advertising Campaign

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If you haven’t asked me how to run a Facebook advertising campaign, we probably don’t know each other. The truth is, whether this question is asked directly or it’s the answer to another question, I often find myself explaining the basics of Facebook Ads to many of my radio brethren.

If you’ve wondered about how to set up a Facebook Ads campaign, check out my tips in this post at Social Media Today.

 

How to set up a facebook advertising campaign

What’s To Love About Facebook Hashtags?

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You’ve seen (and used, I hope!) hashtags on other social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr. The hashtag, a word or multiple words preceding the ‘#’ without spacing, is a method of categorizing online content and giving it context.

While using hashtags on Facebook used to be a faux pas, that is no longer true now that Facebook introduced hashtags in June. Facebook users have been able to make public status updates for some time, but what was missing was a way to find public posts on a specific topic. The hashtag is that missing piece for Facebook. Now you can click a hashtag to read all public posts (and posts from your friends).

Take “I love #KDWB,” for example. Clicking #KDWB within this post would return all posts with that hashtag, Bulldogs-Hashtag-Exampleconnecting fans of KDWB with one another. (Hint: it works just like Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr.) See my bulldog image at right for a general example.

So what’s to love about Facebook hashtags?

  • Using them will extend the reach of your posts to non-fans. That’s right- people who haven’t liked your page can now find your posts and engage with them. Think of hashtags as a free alternative to page post ads. You can increase your reach on a post to non-fans without purchasing Facebook ads. (Hashtags likely won’t be as effective as ads on increasing page likes, but you should see an increase in reach as Facebook hashtags become more popular.)

 

  • You can now create a cross-platform hashtag promotion, accepting entries from fans on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

 

  • In addition to promotions and contests, radio can use Facebook hashtags as well as Twitter’s for on-air interaction, increasing the interaction and number of responses from listeners on show topics.

 

  • Hashtags will supercharge Facebook ad campaigns. In addition to demographic data and interests (based on pages they like), you can now target people who are talking about a certain topic using hashtags. So, you might select females 18-49 who have been talking about #music #radio or #Kesha for a Top 40 ad campaign.

 

  • When crafting social media posts, there is one less thing to change between your Facebook and Twitter copy.

 

  • They will make Facebook a player for event marketing. Twitter has owned social media promotion for events, but now Facebook is in the game. You can create a hashtag for a conference, promotion or concert and use it on both platforms.

What are your thoughts on Facebook hashtags? Have you started using them yet?

The Art of Social Media

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We talk a lot about the science of social media — the strategy and the measurement of our efforts.

What we don’t talk about enough is the art — the philosophy of social media that drives our presence.

Strategy is important. The functions of social media within your company or show… how often and when to post on each platform…which types of content receive the highest reach and engagement… those are all key pieces to an effective strategy.

But without a philosophy of social media, none of that matters.

So what’s a philosophy? Find out in my blog for The Randy Lane Company here.

 

Photo credit: George M. Groutas/Flickr via Creative Commons

In The Music Business? Join Me in Houston!

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I spoke last year at this conference, and am honored to accept the invitation to speak again. If you are an artist (or aspiring artist), songwriter, producer, or manager, I recommend that you join me in Houston January 30. Register here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And I can’t forget to thank Lori Lewis for the referral last year. Thanks, Lori!