Seemingly overnight, location-based advertising has become a huge trend in digital marketing.
Sure, location – usually in the form of “local search” – has been on digital marketers’ radar for a while. Now, however, things are reaching critical mass: In a matter of only a few days, Pinterest, Facebook, and Google all announced expanded local search initiatives.
Local businesses will benefit from new opportunities to be highlighted on the popular platforms. For many business owners, however, the updates to local Facebook ads are the most exciting: Expanded Local Awareness ads will finally allow proprietors to drive “brick and mortar” ROI.
Facebook Will Plot Business Locations on Your Favorite Map App
Ads showing up in Facebook’s mobile app will now be intimately intertwined with the actual location of the sponsoring business. The Facebook app will work with existing mapping apps, such as Google Maps, to plot locations and direct users to the businesses that meet their needs.
When people click on in-ad maps, they’ll seamlessly receive directions and hours.
The new program gives Facebook the opportunity to entice more advertisers by demonstrating a much clearer connection between digital ads and “real world” buys. As users share their location on the app, Facebook will be able to generate a new store visits metric. It’ll also use background signals such as Wi-Fi to compensate for users who have disabled its native location services.
Three Easy Steps to Effective Local Targeting
Local awareness ads are already live on Facebook, so you can start right away:
Step 1: Create Your Local Awareness Campaign
Local Awareness campaigns can be launched from the Ad Manager or Power Editor, with the latter offering deeper customization. From Power Editor, use the “Create New” button and select Local Awareness. Then, enter the first location you want to promote. For the best results, use one business location per campaign. Later, you can duplicate your campaign to promote additional locations.
Step 2: Define Your Ad Targeting
Local Awareness targeting consists of two variables: The geographic location that you want to target and the custom audience. You’ll find a complete range of behavior targeting options, so explore before settling on your strategy. To create a split test or use multiple targeting methods for one physical location, just define multiple ad groups.
Step 3: Design Your Advertisement
Early in your Local Awareness ad, focus users’ attention by providing an incentive to drop in. An enticing, time-limited promotion and call-to-action will help motivate potential visitors. Then, choose a relevant image – delicious food, happy shoppers, or whatever fits your brand. You can fit another CTA in the description line and even use Facebook’s custom CTA buttons.
Local Facebook ads are easy to implement, so try it today!