Brian Meert's Blog, page 77

How to Create a Fundraiser on Facebook

DEC. 23, 2019

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Facebook has fundraising capabilities built into its interface. The first step to creating a fundraiser for your nonprofit organization is to decide whether you want to create the fundraiser from your personal account or from the nonprofit’s account.

If you already have a Facebook page for your nonprofit, creating the fundraiser from your nonprofit’s account ensures that the fundraiser appears in front of those who already care about the charity. If you do not already have a Facebook page for a nonprofit, it may make more sense to create the fundraiser on your personal Facebook page, since it takes time for new pages to build an audience. 

Creating a Facebook Fundraiser

To create a fundraiser on Facebook, follow these steps. 

Step 1: Click “Fundraisers” from the left column bar. 

The “Fundraisers” tab appears under the “Explore” section of the left column bar. 

Step 2: Click “Select Nonprofit.”

Upon arriving to the Fundraisers page, you will find two options: select nonprofit and select category. Selecting the latter option, you will create a fundraiser for yourself or for a friend. Selecting the former option, you will create a fundraiser for a nonprofit organization that you choose. 

Step 3: Choose a nonprofit. 

Facebook contains a list of nonprofits you can select. Simply type in the name of the organization for whom you want to raise funds. If the nonprofit you seek is not included in the list, you can choose to raise money for a personal cause by clicking the “Switch to Personal Cause” button from the lower-right corner of the dialogue box. 

Step 4: Choose fundraising goals and end date. 

You must choose the amount you want to raise, currency, and date when you want the fundraiser to end. 

Step 5: Share your story. 

This section presents an opportunity to explain why you created the fundraiser. You can also use this space to discuss the purpose of the fundraiser and your goals. 

Facebook Fundraising Tips

Not all fundraisers meet their goals. To increase your fundraiser’s success, follow these helpful tips. 

Catch People’s Attention

If you want to boost donations to your fundraiser, you must first catch your audience’s attention. Spend time creating a great cover photo for your fundraiser with the correct dimensions. Choose images that accurately represent your fundraiser, that compels your audience to take action. Also, make sure your images complement the posts you create about the fundraiser, since images perform better on Facebook than stand-alone text.

If you have the funds or skillset, create videos, which often vastly outperform images. Whether you use videos or images, keep in mind that your competition is not other nonprofits. Your competition comes in the form of adorable cat videos or funny GIFs that people may scroll past your fundraiser to view. To boost funds, your posts have to catch everyone’s eyes.

Get Emotional

People are much more likely to give to charity when they feel good about the cause. On your fundraiser page, clearly outline who or what their money will help support—do not be afraid to get emotional. Explain why you care about your nonprofit and highlight the causes your organization supports. The more you can make your fundraiser speak to your audience, the more likely you will boost donations.

Also, be sure to discuss what your nonprofit will do for the donors. For example, offer them a free shirt or send them a thank-you card. Although charities are meant to be altruistic, people are much more likely to give to a cause that also benefits them or someone they are close to.

Invite People to Share Your Fundraiser

After you post your fundraiser, ask people to share it to their friends. Social sharing can allow your content to reach audiences you otherwise wouldn’t have access to. To ensure your audience follows through with your request, remind or incentivize them. For the latter option, enter participants who shared your content into a raffle for a small prize. If you do this, make sure that the prize you offer is affordable and easy to obtain. Asking for a donation from a local business can help.

Follow Up

Fundraising is not a “set it and forget it” activity. The best-intentioned people may see your Facebook fundraiser and decide to donate later. If they do not see a reminder about the fundraiser, they are unlikely to follow through. Post updates during the fundraiser, revealing details about the amount you have earned, the amount you are hoping to earn, and the charitable acts you can do with the money you have raised so far.

Once the fundraiser has ended, do not forget to thank your donors. Doing this final step shows them your gratitude and increase the likelihood of donations to future fundraisers.

By Anne Felicitas, editor

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Instagram Quiz #1: Test Your Knowledge

DEC. 23, 2019

Since its debut to the public in 2010, Instagram has undergone a slew of changes, so much so that the app released nine years ago is so far from what it is today. In the past several years, Instagram has experienced a logo change, added new features—notably Stories, Direct, and Explore— removed features—recently the Following tab was given the boot—and even changed CEOs.

With all of the changes that has shaped Instagram, it is often difficult to keep up with what’s new. As an avid Instagrammer, you may claim to know the app like the back of your hand, but do truly know as much as you think? With questions from ads to privacy settings, this quick quiz will measure your Instagram knowledge.

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Instagram Removes Likes with Amber Faust and Dominique Clare (Podcast)

DEC. 18, 2019

In this episode, podcast host and AdvertiseMint CEO Brian Meert is joined by two guests, Amber Faust, parenting influencer and blogger at Faust Island, and Dominique Clare, content director at Midwest Communications. Faust and Claire discuss the biggest change Instagram is currently testing: hidden likes. 

The test was announced earlier last month by Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri during a Wired25 conference. With this update, which has already been applied to several US accounts, like count will no longer appear under users’ posts, although it will still appear to the person who published the post. Mosseri cited mental health as the catalyst for change.

In test, like count disappears from Instagram posts.

When asked if the change will have a positive effect on content creators, Faust says yes. With the social pressure of gaining likes and posting polished content gone, Faust believes creators will have the freedom to post content that better reflects their personalities. More authenticity, she says, will lead to better connection with followers.

When asked if the change will have an impact on influencer marketing, Faust says no. The existence of Instagram Insights, which many sponsors require before offering partnership, makes public like count unnecessary. 

“Sponsors right now ask for all of our insights. I don’t think that it’s really going to matter to them if they can see our likes or not because they can already see them through different technology.”

By “technology,” Faust refers to analytics tools, such as Quintly and Social bakers, which provide information on users’ accounts, including follower count, top-performing posts, and impressions. 

Clare, too, does not see hidden likes affecting influencer marketing. Like Faust, he welcomes the freedom to post authentic and unpolished content on the platform. Authenticity, he believes, will perform better with followers. 

“If it’s good and if it’s real, your audience is going to appreciate it, and I think they’re going to resonate with it. We’re going to see more of that.”

According to Domonique Clare, authenticity, brought on by hidden likes, will perform better on the platform.

Clare also believes hidden likes will even the playing field between small accounts and larger, more established accounts.  

“Let’s say, for example, you see two photos. If you can’t see the likes, and they’re the same type of quality, you might not like the other one [the post with fewer likes] because it didn’t appear as popular. Now [with the change] you’re like, ‘Hey, I like this photo regardless of how many likes it has.’”

When asked if hidden likes will improve mental health, Faust says she’s uncertain but believes it’s a step in the right direction. 

Amber Faust is unsure hidden likes will improve mental health.

Clare, in contrast, does not see the change improving mental health. If it does, it won’t happen for a very long time, especially when Instagrammers can see their like counts even if the public can’t.  

“You can still see likes. People are still going to go to their insights and see how many people liked it, and they might feel bad. It might take a while for that to eventually help.”

With likes hidden from the public, users may feel discouraged to double-tap on posts they enjoy. However, Faust believes users will continue to like posts despite like numbers disappearing from the public. 

When asked if Instagram will also remove follower count in the future, both Faust and Claire respond with a firm no. The reason: too much outrage. 

“People worked very hard to get their followers. That’s something that reflects your business, not individual post. I think that would have a worse effect on people that put a lot of money and resources and time into building that following,” says Clare.

Before concluding the podcast, both guests leave their final words of advice. To hear the tips Faust and Claire have for Instagrammers, listen to the fifth episode of Duke of Digital.

By Anne Felicitas, editor

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How to Run Facebook Ads: A Beginner’s Guide

DEC. 16, 2019

Kaleidico / Unsplash

What other platform can help you reach more than 2.3 billion people around the world? Facebook has become a digital marketing powerhouse, and that’s especially true when it comes to advertising. The multitude of targeting capabilities combined with the ability to run a campaign on even the most limited budget makes Facebook a marketing tool not many businesses can find irrelevant.

To achieve results, of course, you have to understand the platform. Facebook’s internal tool, Ads Manager, is relatively intuitive but still complex given its many capabilities and features. These five steps can help you build your first campaign and run Facebook ads that move your business forward.

Step 1: Log In to Ads Manager and Create Campaign

The first step is the easiest: Navigate to Facebook Ads Manager. You can reach it via direct link or by clicking “Create an Ad” directly on your Facebook page.

You’ll find the green “Create” button clearly marked to start your campaign on Ads Manager. Before you dive in, it’s important to understand the three levels of advertising that dominate the entire Ads Manager setup:

Campaigns is the first level of Ads Manager. It is the overarching structure where you choose your objective.Ad sets, the second level, allows you to target audiences, choose your budget and schedule, and enable your placements. Each ad set can hold multiple ads.Ads, the third and final level, allows you to choose your media and ad format, write your copies, and enable your Facebook pixel, a code that tracks users’ online activity. 

To start your campaign, click the green “Create” button. If you’ve never created one using Ads Manager, you’ll also find that button in the center of your screen.

Step 2: Set Your Objective

The first thing you’ll have to choose as you create your campaign is the objective. You can choose one of three umbrella goals. Each comes with a variety of subgoals:

Awareness includes objectives for both brand awareness and ad reach.Consideration includes website traffic, ad clicks, engagement, app downloads, video views, new leads generated, and new direct messages to your page.Conversionincludes lead and purchase conversion goals, catalog sales, and traffic to your online or Facebook store.

Each objective will help you achieve specific goals:

Brand awareness increases awareness of your brand by showing ads to users most interested in your business. Reach shows your ad to the maximum number of people. Traffic sends users to your chosen landing page, such as a Messenger conversation, a website, or an app. Engagement increases your post or event engagement, including likes, comments, and RSVPsMessages brings users to your Messenger or WhatsApp conversation. Conversions shows ads to users most likely to commit a desired action, such as making a purchase or downloading an app. Catalog sales creates ads that automatically show users products from your catalog. Store traffic drives people to your nearest brick-and-mortar store. 

You can only choose one objective, and that choice is consequential. Facebook will build a number of optimizations, from budget to audience, into the campaign depending on what you choose. Your analytics reports will also be customized based on your choice. The platform will also give you a suggested ad type to build, although you can customize that later.

Step 3: Enable Special Ad Category

In the past, advertisers have used Facebook’s ad targeting tools to create ads that discriminate against a specific group of people. To prevent such unlawful practices form occurring in its platform, Facebook rolled out Special Ad Category, which you must enable if you are running credit, employment, or housing ads. By enabling this tool, Facebook will remove ad targeting options that could be used for discrimination, including age, gender, and race. Turn on Special Ad Category only if you plan to run credit, employment, or housing ads. 

Step 4: Choose Your Target Audience

Perhaps the most exciting but also complex part of building any Facebook ad is the audience you choose. In total, the platform offers more than 200 targeting options, ranging from custom lists to recent purchasing behaviors. It’s easy to get lost, which is why sticking to the basics to start is important.

As you begin to select your audience, pay close attention to the audience-size meter on the right-hand side of Ads Manager. It shows you, based on your selection, how many users you can expect to reach, adding context to what can be difficult decisions. At the very least, it prevents you from getting too specific or too broad.

Start with the geographical area by selecting a state, country, or radius around a specific city or zip code. Then, narrow down your options based on what you know about your audience, which can include (but is not limited to) age, gender, education level, industry of work, interests, income level, relationship status, and recent behaviors.

For more advanced users, Facebook also offers custom audiences that forego the interest and demographic targeting in favor of either a custom list of your existing leads and customers, or retargeting to users who have recently visited your website. Inform yourself thoroughly about Facebook custom audiences before you leverage them for your own purposes.

Step 5: Choose Your Placements

Placements are the areas where your ads can appear. If you choose automatic placements, Facebook will serve your ads to areas that is optimized for your objective and your budget. For example, if News Feed is a cheaper option than Instagram, Facebook will place your ads to News Feeds. If you choose edit placements, you must manually tick off the areas where you want your ads to appear. You have the following options:

Facebook and Instagram FeedsFacebook MarketplaceFacebook video feedsFacebook Right ColumnInstagram ExploreMessengerFacebook, Instagram, and Messenger StoriesFacebook in-stream videosInstant ArticlesAudience Network

To the right of your placement options is a preview tool that shows you what your ad will look like on each placement. 

Step 6: Define Your Budget

On the next screen, you can set your budget based on either a lifetime (total) amount or a desired daily spend. Lifetime makes more sense if you have a defined end date, whereas a daily budget improves pacing if you look to build an ongoing campaign. For beginners, it’s best to stick with the more straightforward lifetime budget.

The rest of the budget screen is set automatically, which most beginners will appreciate. You can tinker with these options, which include defining your bidding strategy and building the schedule of times and dates during which your ads should run.

Step 7: Create Your Ads

Finally, it’s time to get creative. Once the budget is set, you get to create your ad based on a number of predefined types. Facebook’s ad formats range from simple link ads to carousel ads and videos, and Facebook will recommend the best option for you based on the objective for the campaign.

The most popular ad types are link (with a single image and large headline) and carousel (with multiple rotating images, each with its own headline). Each comes with its own specifications for the space you have:

Link ads require an image with a 1.91:1 width to height ratio, up to 125 characters of body copy, and a 25-character headline. Carousel ads require a square image for each carousel panel, up to 125 characters of body copy across the carousel, and up to 40 characters for each panel headline.

Design on the images should be minimal. Facebook will flag any ad that has more than 20% text included in the image. Ads Manager will show you how the ads will look on both desktop and mobile devices in real time, so you can make adjustments as needed to get them just right.

Don’t start with a single ad. Instead, create a set of three to four ads to rotate for each audience you build, increasing both variety and your ability to provide unique messaging. Over time, Facebook will automatically shift more money toward your top-performing ads.

Ready to Optimize Your Facebook Ads?

It might be complex, but it’s far from impossible. Facebook’s Ads Manager is built to be easy to learn but difficult to master. Jump in to get started, but know that the nuances can cause you to spend quite some time in the dashboard.

By Simon Stuchlik

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Facebook Ads Quiz #2: How Well Do You Know Facebook?

DEC. 13, 2019

Because Facebook advertising changes in almost a monthly basis, refreshing your knowledge of the ad platform is of the utmost importance; otherwise, your skills remain stagnant. The second installment of the Facebook Ads Quiz has finally arrived. Do you know Facebook advertising as well as you think? Take the quiz to find out.

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The first Facebook ads quiz was published back in October. Take the Facebook Ads Quiz #1 below.

Facebook Ads Quiz #1: Test Your Knowledge

Facebook advertising changes frequently. It seems as though Facebook adds or removes features on a monthly basis, and with a change in the system comes a change in your marketing strategy. For this reason, it is important to regularly test your knowledge on Facebook advertising. Take the quiz and see where your expertise lie.

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Recommended Resources

If you’re completely new to Facebook advertising or if you didn’t perform as well as you hoped, there are a few resources you can use to build your knowledge.

Facebook Blueprint

Complete Guide to Facebook Advertising 

Facebook Advertising Fundamentals

Facebook Ads Help Center

By Anne Felicitas, editor

The post Facebook Ads Quiz #2: How Well Do You Know Facebook? appeared first on AdvertiseMint.

What Is Tik Tok? (Podcast)

DEC. 11, 2019

In the fourth episode of Duke of Digital, Roberto Quinn, founder of Quinn Social, joins podcast host and AdvertiseMint CEO Brian Meert. A 12-year social-media cognoscente and 5-year business owner who has worked on numerous high-profile celebrity accounts, Quinn discusses the burgeoning teen app, Tik Tok.

Housing short-form videos, Tik Tok contains a vast variety of content, with 15-second clips about trends and lip synching as the most popular. The format of these videos—brief and vertical—are reminiscent of Instagram Stories, but unlike the latter social media app, Tik Tok’s curated yet unplolished posts permanently remain on users’ feeds. 

Tik Tok’s User Demographic

Tik Tok may be known as a teen-centric app, but it has also attracted older users as of late.

“I think now it’s safe to say that all age groups are on there, but it’s primarily been seen as a platform for 9-to 15-year-olds. But again, that’s changed within the past six months,” says Quinn.

Quinn also notes the presence of celebrities and well-known publishers. 

“In the past four months, we’ve seen astronomical growth because they’ve [Tik Tok] been onboarding different celebrities and garnering a lot of press. So I think a lot of different people are exploring it. One of the most popular pages, surprisingly, is the Washington Post.”

Quinn made his own conclusions about the presence of older users on Tik Tok. 

“I think a lot of older celebrities and creators are starting to find their voice on the platform and starting to find the space for themselves. It doesn’t quite feel like when all the adults started taking over Facebook, but it’s reminiscent of that, you know, older demographic coming in and trying new things and attempting it.”

The rentention of older users on the platform may be credited to Tik Tok’s algorithm. When users register for an account, they must disclose their age. It is possible—although purely speculative—that the algorithm considers users’ age when placing content to their Discover feeds. Thus, 30-year-old users may see content from older creators. The more relevant content those users see, the longer they stay on the platform. 

Tik Tok vs Vine

Tik Tok and Vine have been met by frequent comparisions. Both support short video content. Both provide a space for creators to produce trendy and entertaining videos. Yet, the two share a striking difference. 

“You’re allowed to have sound effects and transitions within the [Tik Tok] app whereas Vine never really had that. And I think that’s what’s changed in the game for a lot of creators, to be able to have that access because not everyone has an editing program.”

It is this accessibility that may allow Tik Tok to live longer than Vine.  

Roberto Quinn appears on Blizz Con.



Tik Tok vs Instagram

Instagram, too, shares similarities with Tik Tok. Both have a page where popular content appears. Both have a Discover tab. Both require a profile from which users upload content. The difference bewteen the two may be the reason Tik Tok is more popular among younger users. While Instagram is highly curated, with users following a set theme for their feeds, Tik Tok is unpolished, giving young creators more freedom to express themselves. 

Despite Tik Tok’s popularity among younger users, Quinn does not see the social media app overataking Instagram. The secret to remaining on top? Accessibility while on the go. 

“I don’t think it [Tik Tok] will overtake Instagram in terms of daily active users simply because Instagram has made it very simple for people to get in and out of the app very quickly. So if you’re on the train or if you’re somewhere commuting, you can go through Instagram very quickly.”

This quick consumption is an experience Tik Tok does not offer users. Each video must be viewed from beginning to end. The app’s content must also be consumed with caution while in public, since all videos are better watched with sound on.

Although Tik Tok is nowhere near squashing out Instagram, Quinn does see major growth in the former app. 

Tik Tok: Who Should Use It?

Should brands expand their marketing strategies to Tik Tok? Quinn says yes—only if appropriate. 

“The advice I always give clients is to make sure that a platform makes sense to them. If your demographic is 60-year-old women, you probably don’t need to be on Tik Tok.

Advertisers are also welcome on the app, although only those with big budgets can join. Currently, the advertising fees range to the thousands.

Quinn also goes on to discuss the ways users can grow their Tik Tok followers. To find out more about the strategies Quinn outlines, read the fourth episode of Duke of Digital. 

By Anne Felicitas, editor

The post What Is Tik Tok? (Podcast) appeared first on AdvertiseMint.

How to Get Facebook Blueprint Certification

DEC. 9, 2019

Brett Andrei Martin / Unsplash

Facebook holds the distinction of being one of the oldest and most widely used social media platforms. In fact, as of third quarter 2019, Facebook boasts 2.45 billion users worldwide. That vast number of monthly active users has driven Facebook’s growth, not just as a social media network but also as one of the most effective platforms for businesses marketing.

Even the most tech-savvy advertisers admit that navigating the world of Facebook advertising can be tricky. Fortunately, Facebook Blueprint offers more than 90 courses, many of which are specifically designed to help advertisers master the ins-and-outs of Facebook ads. To demonstrate your knowledge, you may also elect to earn a Facebook Blueprint certification.

If you don’t quite understand what Blueprint certification entails, don’t worry. This article takes a closer look at what Blueprint certification is, what it can do for you, what various certifications you can get, and what steps you need to take once you decide to move forward in the examination process. 

Facebook Blueprint Certification

A Blueprint certification proves that you have demonstrated an advanced level of knowledge in Facebook advertising. Although possessing that knowledge will always be the most important, taking the next step to get a Blueprint certification offers a number of crucial benefits, including a marked edge over your competitors. Because businesses are far more likely to partner with an advertiser who can offer real proof of Facebook advertising expertise, Blueprint certification will ultimate work to improve brand trust.

Facebook offers several different types of Blueprint certification, which cover different skill sets and levels of expertise within certain categories.

Facebook Certified Digital Marketing Associate

This certificate covers what Facebook refers to as “foundational competency” — in other words, an individual’s understanding of advertising fundamentals, as well as what it takes to create and manage Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger ads. This certificate is ideally intended for students, job seekers, and entry-level marketers.

Facebook Certified Media Planning Professional

This professional-level certificate conveys a marketer’s competency in designing and structuring a complete Facebook marketing strategy. Core skills include needs assessment, media recommendations, and campaign-performance monitoring. This certificate is best suited for marketing planners of all types, including digital, media, programmatic, and comms planners.

Facebook Certified Media Buying Professional

This certificate is specifically suited for those with advanced competency in the purchasing of ads across the Facebook family of apps. The core skills center around campaign planning, setup, and optimization; and measurements and reporting. This certificate is best for sales staff, account managers, digital media buyers, and marketing and social media managers, among others.

Facebook Certified Ads Product Developer

This class of certificate breaks down into three subsidiary categories: Certified Ads Product Developer I, II, and III. All three have a far more technical basis than the certificates discussed above, and each certificate requires the completion of both a multiple choice exam and a coding exercise. This certification is suited for all of the following:

IT consultantsSoftware developersTechnical account managersTechnology integratorsTechnology consultantsWeb developers and engineers

The Facebook Certified Ads Product Developer I and II certificates both focus on the technical skills necessary to implement various marketing solutions, with the second certificate dealing with more advanced solutions. Facebook Certified Ads Product Developer III, by contrast, deals specifically with marking API integrations, specifically configuration and troubleshooting. 

The Facebook Blueprint Exam

All of the Blueprint Certification exams are administered by Pearson and may be taken either online through Pearson VUE or at a physical test center. Those who choose to take the test online should understand that they will have to download a special program. Likewise, your webcam must remain on for the duration of the test so that online proctors can visually monitor you.

The exams use a scale-scoring system, which assigns a point value of 300 to 1,000. Testers must receive a minimum score of 700 to pass. Exam times vary depending on the particular test you are taking. In the United States, each exam costs $150. In other countries, prices may vary slightly.

Passing the Exam

Facebook’s Blueprint certification tests will prove highly challenging for anyone who is not intimately acquainted with the covered materials. For that reason, the most important thing you can do to ensure your success is to study thoroughly before the exam. Review Facebook’s instructional materials and take the sample tests to learn more about the types of questions you will face.

During the exam, be sure to read each question as carefully as you can. The certification tests measure more than how well you can memorize and regurgitate the appropriate information. Instead, the questions are also designed to test your skills of analysis. Although there may not be trick questions per se, the most obvious answer will not always be the correct one.

Finally, prepare yourself for the testing experience. Even those who take the exams online will not be permitted bathroom breaks. Likewise, you may not have any snacks or water bottles present. Be sure to tell any family members or roommates not to disturb you during the test—the sight of somebody walking across the room behind you may be enough to disqualify you. 

Failing the Exam

Don’t be too discouraged if you fail the exam the first time. After five days, you will be eligible to try again. There is no hard limit on the number of times you can attempt to pass a given test. Just be aware that you will have to pay the full $150 testing fee each time you try.

Getting Your Badge

The next step is to wait to receive an email with instructions on claiming your digital badge. Most people receive this email within 48 hours, although some test takers report having waited for up to a week. The email will contain a link to Facebook’s Digital Badge Usage Guidelines, which will outline how you can promote your new badge across various platforms. Finally, give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done!

By Evan Miller

The post How to Get Facebook Blueprint Certification appeared first on AdvertiseMint.

How to Advertise on Pinterest

DEC. 5, 2019

Javier Penas / Unsplash

Pinterest has been a silent contender for social media marketing since it launched in March 2010. As of 2019, Pinterest comes in fourth to ad giants Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, and by 2020, Pinterest’s ad revenue is projected to surpass $1 billion, pushing for its place in third. 

Pinterest’s rise to the top should come as no surprise, since it’s become a hub for loyal shoppers. Here are the stats to prove it: 

Forty-seven percent of millennials on Pinterest have purchased something they’ve pinned. That’s 9% more than millennials on Facebook and 14% more than millennials on Twitter.Sixty-one percent of pinners have purchased after seeing branded content on Pinterest.Nineteen percent of active pinners make a Pinterest-inspired purchase at least once a month.

As the above numbers show, Pinterest affect users’ purchase decision. 

Why You Should Advertise on Pinterest

Pinterest ads provide brand awareness and consideration for marketers whose audience is early in the customer journey. Marketers can seamlessly display mobile and desktop ads to users creating boards, finding pins, and clicking on URLs.

Although a great platform, Pinterest’s disadvantage is this: It’s playing for the long term. When it comes to capturing leads and sales, most marketers have a small window where they need to see instant results to meet their KPIs. Pins and Pinterest ads do not always show results within this small window. 

If you’re a performance marketer, you look at e-commerce sales through a 24-hour and seven-day look-back window. Because of this, Pinterest rarely gets credit for the purchase that’s achieved in the short run.

The leads are slow, but they’re worth the investment in time. Pinners are known to spend 29% more than non-pinners (other social media platform users), delivering an average of $2 in profit for every advertiser dollars.

Pinterest Ad Formats

Here are the four Pinterest ads you can choose from. 

Promoted Pins

Promoted Pins appear seamlessly in home-feed search results and blend in with other Pins. The only difference: It has a “promoted” label on the Pin.

Promoted Carousels

To keep up with Facebook ads, Pinterest introduced its own version of the Carousel Ad called the Promoted Carousel launched in November 2018. Promoted Carousel ads feature two to five images that pinners can swipe through and click.

Promoted Video Pins

Promoted Video Pins appear in home feeds and search results, inside the “more like this” section under a Pin close-up. The videos autoplay as soon as they’re 50 percent in view, with sound off. Viewers can watch the entire video right in their feeds.

Buyable Pins

Buyable Pins allow you to instantly shop for a product or look without leaving Pinterest. These Pins, which work across mobile and desktop devices, appear in the same places as Promoted Pins. 

Buyable Pins have been proven to work. Modern Citizen, a fashion e-commerce brand, saw a 73% increase in retail orders when the company started promoting the Pins. 

A Quick Guide to Pinterest Ads 

The first thing to do: create a Pinterest business account or convert your existing account to a business account. Be sure to install your Pinterest tag. A Pinterest tag acts like a UTM tracking code that tracks the conversions and engagement of your Promoted Pins and measures your campaign performance, including return on ad spend. 

To create a Pinterest ad, follow the steps below. 

Step 1: Head to the ads site for Pinterest. 

Head to ads.pinterest.com. Click “Ads” then select “Create ad.” 

Step 2: Select your campaign goals. 

Much like Facebook Ads Manager, Pinterest campaigns begin with an objective. Your objective will help you determine the best ad type you’ll use and how you’ll bid in the ad auction.

Step 3: Create an ad group.

Ad groups work like containers for your Promoted Pins, allowing you to manage multiple goals within a single campaign. Ad groups give you more control over your campaign budget, running date, location, and targeting.

Step 4: Choose your target audience.

You can target based on gender, location, language, and device. If your Pinterest ad campaign objective is traffic or awareness, use a broad targeting strategy to avoid low-click volume. 

Step 5: Enter a budget and schedule.

Enter the duration of your Pinterest ad campaign then set your daily or lifetime budget. Your daily budget sets your daily spending limit for your ad group (similar to Facebook). 

Minimum bids, also known as your target CPM rate, must be above $2. Be sure to set a maximum bid for your budget so that you don’t overspend on your ad group at the end of its campaign. 

Step 6: Pick your Promoted Pins.

Choose and edit your selected Pin for promotion. Make sure that the destination URL for your Pin directs people to the correct platform. You can use UTM tracking parameters, Pinterest tag, or your tracking parameters to monitor your Pin’s performance.

For Pins to be eligible for promotion, they must

Be saved to your profileNot be saved to secret boardsHave destination URLs (no shortened links)Not feature third-party videos or GIF

Review your Pin before publishing. 

Afterward, you’ll be asked to set up your billing information. Once payment is successful, your ads will be reviewed to make sure they follow Pinterest’s ad policies, which usually takes up to 24 hours. From there, you should monitor your Pinterest ads analytics to adjust, edit, or pause your ad when needed. 

Facebook and Instagram are still essential ad tools for short-term gain, and this might never change. For long-term gain, Pinterest ads may be the better option. Short-term returns may be tempting, but long-term returns still hold a place for any marketer looking for continual growth.A

By Victoria Taylor, Marketing Generalist at Wishpond

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November Facebook and Instagram Updates: What You Missed

DEC. 5, 2019

Maddi Bazzocco / Unsplash

Facebook and Instagram may be two of the world’s most popular social media platforms, but that is no guarantee of future success. Instead, the companies must regularly update those apps to stay current with industry trends and consumer preferences. This article takes a closer look at some of the most noteworthy updates that Facebook and Instagram rolled out in November.

Facebook Unveils New Company Branding



Facebook changes company logo. Image courtesy of Facebook.

Aside from their flagship app, Facebook has introduced and purchased a number of other products in recent years, including Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, Oculus, Workplace, Portal, and Calibra.

To help distinguish between the company and the namesake app, Facebook recently unveiled a new company logo. This new company logo features all capitalized letters and custom typography. The Facebook app, meanwhile, will continue to use the traditional Facebook branding.

Facebook Introduces Facebook Pay

As consumers continue to make more and more of their purchases online, tech companies have responded by trying to increase the security and simplicity of the payment process. Now Facebook is joining Apple, Samsung, and others by rolling out its own proprietary payment experience by the name of Facebook Pay.

Facebook Pay allows users to securely store their preferred payment method on Facebook, thus enabling easy one-click shopping across the Facebook family of apps. Facebook Pay also provides payment history, allows users to manage payments and settings online, and offer live chat support.

Facebook Is Moving Toward Encrypted Messenger Calls

According to a recent report, Facebook is actively developing an encryption feature for both video and audio calls made through its Messenger app. This feature will be tied into the already existing Secret Conversations feature released in 2016, which encrypts text messages so that only the sender and receiver may see them.

There is currently no anticipated release date for the video and audio encryption feature. Tech experts anticipate that Facebook will face opposition from the governments of various countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Those governments are concerned that criminal investigators cannot access potentially incriminating evidence.

Instagram Rolls Out TikTok-Like Feature in Brazil

One of Instagram’s biggest rivals of late has been the Chinese-developed app known as TikTok, a wildly popular app which allows users to create, edit, and share 15-second videos set to music. TikTok has quickly been gaining popularity in the United States, where it has quickly accrued 122 million users.

Now Instagram is striking back with a new feature called Reels. Reels allows users to create 15-second videos, set them to music, and share them as part of their Stories. For now, Reels is only available in Brazil, a country where TikTok is not yet popular. If Reels proves successful, Instagram may end up rolling it out in other markets as well. 

Instagram Hides Likes from Many U.S. Users

Instagram made headlines earlier this year when they introduced an experiment in the Canadian market: hiding users’ public like counts on both photos and videos. Now Instagram has expanded that test to the U.S. market, as confirmed by CEO Adam Mosseri at the recent Wired25 conference.

So far, only certain users’ accounts will be affected. When viewing those accounts, users will no longer be able to see the total number of people that liked a post, nor can they access the list of accounts that liked it. The test is motivated by concerns about the negative mental-health effects of Instagram’s unintentionally competitive atmosphere.

In test, like count disappears from Instagram posts.

To date, Instagram has chosen not to disclose how long the test will last. Whether it becomes a permanent change depends on the overall user response. So far, the greatest amount of protest has come from marketers concerned that hiding likes will make it more difficult to quantify the value of Instagram influencers.

Facebook Releases 4th Edition of Community Standards Enforcement Report

Facebook’s Community Standards provides an explicit definition of the type of content that is and is not allowed on both Facebook and Instagram. Needless to say, not all users remain within the confines of those standards. Thus, it falls on Facebook to enforce its Community Standards.

Facebook makes clear its efforts in this regard by periodically releasing a Community Standards Enforcement Report. The latest report covers Facebook’s efforts in the second and third quarters of 2019. This report now includes new enforcement metrics for ten Facebook policies, as well as four Instagram policies.

Facebook Business Improves Personalized Ad Experience

While Facebook’s user-facing product is all about the social media experience, the company has also grown into a highly profitable vehicle for business marketing. The most successful marketing campaigns use personalized ads capable of scaling—in other words, ads that are tailored to individual users’ particular preferences and engagement habits.

Historically, only the largest companies could afford to invest in such personalized ads. Now, however, Facebook is offering a new ad personalization service that uses machine learning to deliver tailored ads for a far wider swath of businesses. This service leverages Facebook’s wealth of user data to improve the returns on both organic and paid ad content.

Instagram Allows Story Exporting to Facebook Dating



Facebook rolls out Stories in Facebook Dating. Photo courtesy of Facebook

Stories began as an Instagram feature, allowing users to share a slide show of images that automatically disappeared after 24 hours. Once the popularity of Stories became clear, Facebook adopted the feature on its own app. Now Stories is taking another step forward, with Facebook Dating users having the option to import Stories from Instagram or Facebook.

The key distinction: Facebook Dating users cannot create new stories, only re-share those that they have created on the other platforms. The idea behind the move is to help Dating users provide more evidence of their overall interests and personality traits.

Facebook Updates Automatic Advanced Matching Feature

Facebook’s Automatic Advanced Matching is a business tool intended to optimize Facebook ads for better results. It works by recognizing selected customer identifiers — for instance, phone numbers or emails. Formerly, this tool used a website’s pixel to look for customer identifiers in form fields.

The updated version of Automatic Advanced Matching now looks for a business’s chosen customer identifiers in other places on a website besides just the form fields. Ultimately, this should help improve conversion rates and expand the customer base of a business.

Both Facebook and Instagram are tireless innovators, constantly striving to improve their products. Check back with AdvertiseMint regularly to stay in touch with all of the latest Facebook and Instagram updates.

By Even Miller

The post November Facebook and Instagram Updates: What You Missed appeared first on AdvertiseMint.

The Secrets to Selling Out Event Tickets (Podcast)

DEC. 4, 2019

In the third episode of Duke of Digital, Race Director Erica MacVittie joins podcast host and AdvertiseMint CEO Brian Meert to discuss her experience as a marketer for the recently sold-out race, Malibu Half Marathon.  

Malibu Half Marathon, a 5-kilometer run along the beautiful coast  of Malibu, California, has sold out for three consecutive years. It has been hailed by Women’s Running Magazine as an event “too gorgeous to be missed.” 

With the event’s popularity among novice and seasoned runners from around the globe, it’s hard to imagine that the marketing behind Malibu Half Marathon hasn’t always been so smooth. When MacVittie first began working for the company, she was faced with obstacle after obstacle, struggling to share the company’s story to her target audience. However, passionate about her work, MacVittie persevered during tough times. 

“If the heart is in the right place, it will manifest eventually,” says MacVittie of her goals for the company. 

A runner herself, MacVittie enjoys the rush of accomplishment after finishing a race. It is the same feeling that MacVittie wants her event guests to feel—providing that experience is her top goal. 

With hard work and her mission to provide quality experience for guests, MacVittie attracted the attention of a a few partners, including BMW, Pepperdine, and Kind.

“I started receiving help at a time when I felt hopeless.”

With a dedicated team and a few partners behind her, MacVittie worked to increase exposure for her events—social media played a big role. When asked which platforms she uses as part of her marketing strategy, MacVittie listed Instagram and Facebook as her top two choices. 

“My favorite platform for engaging is for sure Instagram, but of course Facebook is still a great way to communicate. I make sure that, at the very least, I’m really present on those two platforms.”

Runners racing to the finish line during a Malibu Half Marathon event.

On social media, MacVittie focuses on storytelling: showcasing beautiful visuals of previous races, featuring the company’s fundraisers, and introducing audiences to the Malibu community. This, she believes, will encourage her audience to go out and connect with the world around them. 

“It’s a very isolating world we live in. Being outdoors can be such a great way to connect back with nature, with the whole world, with people.”

Above all, MacVittie strives to make her guests feel welcome and special during the event. 

“People that come for that weekend [the race], they feel like they’re part of something, and they are really welcomed by the community.”

Although selling event tickets is an important goal, MacVittie places her audience’s journey as top priority.

“Of course, selling out was something that I could aspire to, but my focus was on the people’s journey. A lot of things were a result of that.”

MacVittie divulges into more detail the strategy that led to the success of Malibu Half Marathon. To learn more about her advice on the buyer’s journey, storytelling, and event organization, listen to the third episode of Duke of Digital.

By Anne Felicitas, editor

The post The Secrets to Selling Out Event Tickets (Podcast) appeared first on AdvertiseMint.