The other day I was scrolling down my Facebook news feed, when I came across a “Suggested Post” for the ‘Village Sounds’ over 28s night at the Village Green Hotel. So how the hell did it get there?
That advertisement has zero relevance to me – my Facebook profile says I’m not over 28, not single, and that I live nowhere near the Village Green Hotel, which is located in the outer eastern suburb of Mulgrave!
So what is a “Suggested Post” and why did the advert show up? The “Marketing Land” blog has the following to say:
Facebook’s popular Sponsored Stories ad type shows posts from pages but must come from one of the user’s connection. This new “Suggested Post” ad type would allow brands to advertise a specific post to users who have no interactions or connections with a brand.
One issue that could arise from an ad of this type is the opportunity to be abused. If ad targeting is done properly, ads match user interests and intent. However if this intrusive ad type lacks in relevancy and targeting, it could degrade the Facebook experience.
So how can one target these “Suggested Posts”? Facebook has a help page to explain it:
Add targeting to your Page posts so only the most relevant people will see them in their News Feeds. Unlike when you limit your Page’s audience, adding News Feed targeting does not affect who can see the post on your Page.
Add Targeting and choose one or more filters:
- Gender
- Relationship Status
- Education
- Interested In
- Age
- Location
- Language
As for the answer to my initial question – I’m guessing whoever runs the Facebook page for the ‘Village Sounds’ over 28s night was seduced by Facebooks’s promises of social media success through targeting advertising, but without understanding exactly how it works.
You should go anyway, and take 4023 photos.
That is exactly what some of my mates suggested I do.