Facebook is one of the fastest growing ad networks – in fact, the number of advertisers (2 Million+) using Facebook has more than doubled in the last 18 months. (Source: Quora.com) Facebook has nearly countless ad targeting options (because of all the data they have collected about us).  All that being said, the average click-through rate is .90% less than 1% . That means advertising fails 99% of the time…

With all the targeting options, why isn’t that number better? .90% is equivalent to mass mailings to residents via snail mail that is MUCH less targeted. In the past, I’ve actually been a big proponent of FB advertising for my B2C clients, because it just seems like it should work! And, in some cases we’ve defied the odds, the most successful being a restaurant client, e.g., “food porn” photo, great discount, snow storm, advertising to residents within a few blocks of the restaurant – party! Full bar within an hour of the post/ad. But, it is not often all the stars align, especially for professional services, which falls in line with the less than 1% click through.

On the other hand, there is something to be said for staying in front of a very targeted (most profitable) audience on a consistent basis, so your product or services are top of mind. If you aren’t too concerned about click-through rate, views/impressions to a very targeted audience can be very high, and if the ad is super creative, it can go viral, and views are off the charts. For high ticket items (whether a high-end jeweler, cosmetic dentist or IT services), it’s a matter of ongoing advertising so that when the time is right for your audience, they visit or pick up the phone and start the conversation. However, it’s expensive to continually advertise.

So, what’s the right marketing approach to reach your target audience and get results? How do you select a restaurant, a dentist, an attorney or an IT consulting firm? By an ad? Most likely not. Most likely search. Whether from your phone, asking a trusted colleague, neighbor or friend. A key emphasis on trust. Your audience doesn’t want to be told, they want to discover, and once they discover your offering, they must trust it.

Enter marketing strategy… What is your most profitable target audiences’ biggest need or pain point as it relates to your product or service? This is where many organizations fail. They don’t take the time to find out real needs, and they don’t develop their offering and messaging to a point that truly differentiates them from the competition. Instead, they think spending more money on advertising will bring in more people. And, they don’t understand why it doesn’t work. We see it over and over.

Communicate the benefit of your offering, how it solves their problem and how truly unique it is from competitors. For your audience to believe your claims, it must be supported with customer testimonials and / or case studies. This is where Facebook is golden for B2C. Non-promotional, daily posts on your business page, to current customers who already love and trust you is the first prong in continued success. If they have a good experience, they are going to share with a colleague, friend or neighbor. It’s the perfect platform for sharing the love!

Organic Search. Content is still king and so is Google. Content that is fun, informative and build’s trust. Content that uses words/terms that people are using to search for your product or services (do the research, don’t assume or guess what those terms are). For B2C, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, Google+ Business page and blogs. For B2B, LinkedIn, Blogs, Google+ and articles in trade publications – online. Google likes activity, these platforms are active. And, Google likes when you play in their sand box (Google+ is imperative to your organic search optimization). If you are using the right terms, and posting often, you will be found. Just make sure when your prospect gets there, they like what they find!