If we have worked together on any campaign related project, you would have gathered that I am less keen on Facebook Ads because unlike Google which is considered search marketing, Facebook is display advertising. However we should be prepared to make the exception to the rule: And this is precisely where  I would start when a client wants me to form a partnership with their competitors. Strategic alliances are great, but if your sole motivation for pursuing an alliance is that the competition has a very desireable list of clients – we may need to consider allocating a part of the budget towards Facebook marketing and here is why:

Facebook sells YOUR list to the competition. This is not even a secret anymore!

Any questions?

Question1: You mean even if we spend $200K to build a large Facebook community, that our list will be sold to the competition?

Answer: YES

Further questions?

NO THANK YOU – That’s all we need to know.

Here is what it looks like when a competitors list is sold through ad targeting:

facebook-competitor-targeting

Now if we can get over the shock that Facebook sells our lists – we can probably be smarter about our business in future:

Indeed we will no longer be spending a penny on building Facebook groups and acquiring likes. However we will certainly be spending money on advanced targeting, working away at the most desirable competitor lists with our ads – in order to secure conversions from highly targeted campaigns. Spending $4000 on a Facebook campaign versus an undesireable joint venture could be more healthy for your business in the long run.

Here are the key implications of Facebook advanced targeting:

  1. Consider targeting competitors’ lists – especially where high value deals in excess of $3000 is the target. This will probably not make sense for retailers who sell a $150 item without recurring sales.
  2. Your email list is more private than your Facebook fan base: Invest accordingly. Email marketing is stronger and more secure – best of all, it is semi-invisible.
  3. Buy Facebook likes – or send all your customers to Facebook? Probably not anytime soon!
  4. Facebook, Amazon and Google are the new strategic partners with online marketing – not the competitor we met at the trade show last week.

If you would like my team and I to take care of your Facebook and Google marketing, measure your results and develop a killer strategy for a good ROI, get in touch and we will be happy to assess your case. When contacting us, please state your desired outcomes and required traffic levels – that way we will quickly know if there is a good fit.

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