Social media marketing tools like Facebook Ads Manager and Instagram are some of the best ways to build awareness around your brand. Creating a simple image, writing an enticing caption and pushing “share” seems like a no-brainer for instant growth – right? Think again.
What makes social media marketing so tricky is the ever-changing landscape. It seems as though there are new policies, updates to image specs, and regulations that roll out every month. Here are some of the latest Facebook Ads Manager and Instagram updates that you’ll notice at the close of 2020, and into the new year.
A Total Face(book) Lift
We’re sure you’ve seen it yourself, but Facebook went through an entire redesign recently and the critics’ reviews are here. Whether you’re a fan or not, the new design highlights Groups and Events, rather than a person’s profile. This is because studies show that they are some of the biggest reasons people visit the platform.
Our recommendation? Take advantage of these changes and strategize ways your brand can adapt to popular features, like Groups and Events. Start by incorporating Groups into big campaigns, especially in a time where social distancing is still in practice and people can only connect over the internet. Or plan for a virtual Event where customers can log in at a certain time to experience your campaign first-hand. These unique ways of marketing will not only help gain traction for your campaign but add a new element of community to your brand.
Limited Access to Data with iOS14
The latest iOS 14 update launched in September 2020 which allows Facebook and Instagram users to voluntarily opt-in or opt-out of data collection within these apps. This is part of a bigger effort to do with user data protection when using social media sites. So how does this affect your brand?
By opting out of data collection, some of your audience members will no longer be available for targeted or retargeted ad campaigns based on their actions or certain attributes. Because of this increase in anonymous data, businesses will need to find new, creative ways to launch relevant ads for specific audiences in order to obtain positive ad performance results.
With this update, it will be particularly important to maintain a close eye on your campaigns so you can adjust quickly if necessary.
Ads Limit Per Pages
About a year ago, Facebook announced a new restriction on the number of campaigns a page can run at once. The idea behind this update, set to release sometime in the next year, is that quality should outperform quantity. There is a common misconception that a high ad volume means higher traffic or better performance. However, the goal for your brand should really be to create custom content that has a meaningful impact on an intended audience. Thanks to Facebook’s predictive model only real people who are genuinely interested in your brand will only be shown your ad during its duration.
According to the Facebook Business Help Center, the new advertising guidelines are as follows, depending on your page size:
Overall, these new restrictions can be stressful to marketers trying to use social media to achieve their goals. However, it’s important to remember that this update is actually a way of helping businesses achieve better quality results with a more refined target audience, rather than bombarding a newsfeed with a high volume of ads.
Goodbye 20% Rule
If you’re a Facebook marketing regular, then you know the dreaded phrase “remember the 20% rule!” Well, according to recent reports, Facebook is now removing the 20% restriction of text on an ad image. The social media platform still recommends keeping text below 20%, as those typically tend to perform better, but designers and marketers alike can now create campaigns with a bit more creative freedom if they chose to do so.
The Instagram Revamp
Instagram, the photo-sharing platform now owned by Facebook, has received its own facelift within recent months as well. With the experimental removal of “like” counts on a post, some people are theorizing the total removal of the “liking” feature altogether. Although this has not been confirmed yet, it’s just another addition to the changing landscape of social media.
Instagram also unveiled new tools for brands to utilize, including Reels and Guides. Reels is a way for brands to share one-minute long videos that live in a separate feed than normal. It was created to compete with the booming social media platform TikTok, which gained increasing popularity at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Guides, however, is not a competing addition to the app, but rather a unique feature to Instagram that allows brands to attach extended, exclusive content to their video posts.
With a list that could go on for miles, it’s a clear indicator that Facebook and Instagram are two platforms that not only can make flexible shifts in their environment with ease, but stay on top of the marketing trends. As a marketer for your own brand, it’s important to stay updated and in-the-know about the latest and greatest tools offered, so that you can make the most out of your marketing strategies. Need help or don’t know where to get started? Contact a social media expert at ZAG today and we’ll help you get there.