But then, Facebook ads changed. And so did my opinion of them. Tons of new features make Facebook ads a good choice for a lot of companies and I think they can be a good option for many of our clients for several reasons: flexibility, accuracy and value.

Facebook ads hit their targets

According to Nielson Online Campaign ratings, Facebook ads hit their targets. Nielson’s studies found that Facebook ads are 84 percent accurate in hitting a narrow demographic; regular advertising has a 24 percent accuracy rate.

Facebook finds future customers

I’ll give you a couple of examples of how Facebook can be used. A company with a product aimed at do-it-yourselfers wanted to find those DIYers and turn them into customers. Using a couple of keywords like home improvement and do it yourself, Facebook found the target audience this company sought. One of FB’s strengths is the depth of information it has about its users—age, gender, income, education, hobbies…you name it. The company then targeted a series of Facebook ads about its product to that group.

Ask them to “like” you, then market to them

Another company knows exactly who its target is—men, age 45-60 with an interest in aviation. Its first step was to send Facebook ads to these men, asking them to “like” the company. A good percentage of them did so. Now, the company has a captive audience for anything they post to their Facebook page.