Facebook users can usually decide whether they want to Like and become a fan of a Page or not just by seeing a single post. Along with that, Liking a Page is usually a split second decision for users, and they often do not see a post from a Page and then return later in the day to like that Page. It is sort of a now or never kind of thing when it comes to Page post advertising, and there are certain aspects that are required in making these posts successful as an advertising solution. One such aspect has returned recently, and will bring these Page posts back to their former glory, according to Inside Facebook.
Page posts used to be more of a fan acquisition tool, as they used to include a Like Page button, which made grabbing fans simple. Now, Page post ads can be promoted to existing fans, friends of fans, or even people that are in no way connected to the page. In the past, the posts that were promoted to users that were not connected to the page usually included a Like Page button, increasing the chances of acquiring fans. In November of 2012, Facebook ridded Page posts of their Like Page button, and performance on these posts went way down.
According to Inside Facebook, Spruce Media came up with some numbers regarding the disappearance of the Like Page button option in Page post ads. The clickthrough rate of Page post ads when the Like Page button option was removed dropped severely from 2.52 percent all the way down to 0.62 percent. Not only that, but conversions decreased as well. The conversion rate before the Like Page button was removed was at 12.8 percent, and then it nearly got cut in half when the button was removed to 6.5 percent. Finally, the average cost per fan went down farther than Facebook could have expected, dropping about 270 percent. So, needless to say, Facebook made a mistake removing this option for marketers.
But, there’s no need to worry because sometime last week, we have begun seeing the option reappear, and it seems it is available for any Page post advertiser who wants to use it. Hopefully we will see things return to the way they were before. However, Inside Facebook lends a bit of advice to those marketers considering the option for their marketing use.
“Now, starting some point in the past week, the “Like Page” button is back for desktop News Feed page post ads, though not for the mobile equivalent. Advertisers should be aware of these differences as they plan their campaigns. Page post ads are generally good for content marketers and pages looking to increase engagement, but they are not optimized for fan acquisition. If getting new fans is an important secondary goal, advertisers may not want to buy mobile page post ads since they do not currently have the Like Page button.”
The Like Page button will appear in the same place that it used to appear within ads; in the upper right hand corner. Check out some Facebook Page Post ads to see it back in action.
