To say that content marketing has disproved the critics who initially dubbed it a flash in the pan is an enormous understatement. In fact, it’s estimated that by 2021, the content marketing industry will have a value of more than $412 billion.
When content marketing is done right, it delivers measurable benefits that can include an impressive ROI. But if your brand’s content marketing isn’t performing as well as you’d like, the answer may be that you need to promote it more and/or in different ways.
In addition to having a plan for creating, scheduling and tracking content, brands and marketers also need a strategy to promote it. You can have the most compelling content in the world, but if no one knows about it, you won’t reach your target markets. And if they don’t view the valuable content you’ve created just for them, the benefits of content marketing will elude you.
You might already be cross-promoting your content through your blog or other content channels. But often that’s not enough. It can also be a good idea to use tools like Facebook ads to promote it. When brands use Facebook ads their content marketing can get a much-needed boost.
But your ads don’t have to be sales pitches that carry a risk of being ignored. You can also use Facebook ads as your content. The value that your audience gets from content featured in the ads can drive traffic to your website and boost engagement, leads and conversions.
Types of Facebook Ads
Facebook offers a variety of different types of ads to help you promote your content. They include:
Carousel Ads
With carousel ads you can address a variety of topics that will appeal to a number of different audiences. By doing so, you can grow your brand’s reach in the process.
Video Ads
You can also run video ads on Facebook to promote your content. Some of the most effective video ads answer questions about your product or service and include calls to action. They’re also short and to the point.
Messenger Ads
Facebook Messenger ads allow you to promote content, like your blog posts. The idea is to create an ad that will click to Messenger and prompt a response from a potential customer. The ads are sent to consumers who are more apt to respond in Messenger. You choose options for the ads like budget, audience, schedule and placements as well as the format you want to use.
Stories Ads
Facebook Stories are compelling ads that immerse your audience in new experiences, putting them right in the middle of the action. Stories ads feel real and are also optimized for mobile, as they’re designed for smartphone viewing.
They’re an excellent choice for a number of reasons including the fact that they evoke positive emotions with viewers. Another reason that Stories ads perform well for content marketers is that the mobile video market is bigger than ever and growing quickly.
It’s estimated that by 2021 the mobile video market will generate $25 billion in revenue. And by the close of 2022, 36 percent of mobile device users in the world will use mobile video. So it’s not a market that savvy brands want to ignore.
Who to Target
You’re not limited to using Facebook ads to only target your brand’s own Facebook followers. You can also target your competition’s followers as well as other audiences based on the demographics you select.
