Do Social Ads Make Sense for Your Brand? Don't Get Carried Away by the Hype

I can foresee the future.

Unfortunately my ability doesn't extend to anything that could make me rich, like knowing which stocks to pick or what lottery numbers will win. Nor does it help with anything useful, like knowing that I will break the heel off my shoe just before an important meeting, or that my little niece will throw up in my car.

However, I can predict that marketers will flock to the latest, new marketing opportunity, as if it were the latest fashion accessory. It's happening right now with Facebook, just like it did with MySpace.

Marketers are busily adding Facebook pages, because, well, social advertising is the latest marketing fad. After all, Facebook has 52 million active users; why not throw something at the wall and see if it sticks?

But the wrong tactics lead to an erosion of focus and a waste of resources. Here are some questions that will help determine if Facebook Social Ads make sense for your brand:

• How will Facebook Ads help achieve my marketing objectives?
• Is the Facebook target audience consistent with my brand target audience?
• Do current customers regard the brand as a way to identify themselves? (There are brands that are badges, such as some fashion and music brands, and there are brands that aren't. If it's not, setting up a Facebook page won't change things.)
• How will I attract fans? What's in it for them? And what will I do to keep them once I get them?
• How is my Facebook page different from any other web page?
• How will I measure the results?

If you decide that social advertising makes sense as part of your marketing mix keep in mind that there are lots of social networks out there besides Facebook et al., and more are popping up every day. Smaller networks may be more eager to provide customized opportunities to build relationships rather than one-size-fits-all solutions and it may be easier for your brand to stand out.