Social Context Done Right: The November Project
In a recent article on AllFacebook, advertising researcher Eurry Kim said that, “Ads need to resonate with consumers, so an element of ‘emotional reward’ or ‘noticeability’ helps to convey more than just the brand.” I was recently served a Page Like ad on my Facebook timeline that provided the exact kind of social context Kim is talking about.
Last week, my friends Mari and Brett were featured in a photo album along with 700 other participants in the Boston-based November Project. Like a goldfish trained to react to light, I clicked on the album to see what event or organization had my worlds colliding. Questions like, “How do Mari and Brett know one another?” and “Why are my friends sweating before I’ve even had a chance to shower this morning?” raised my eyebrow before I realized that what appeared to be an average post was, in fact, an ad. I immediately liked the November Project’s page to learn more and marveled at how effective the ad was. It was a shining example of how Facebook ads can be useful, attractive and welcome when social context is involved. Why did it work so well?
Social: The ad caught my immediate attention by featuring friends of mine in their natural habitat (my News Feed).
Relevant: The ad was relevant to my interests of Boston-based sports and outdoor activities.
Attractive: The ad was aesthetically pleasing (I’ll only give Mari and Brett half of the credit for this part). The photos were authentic while still being professional.
Social media expert Chris Brogan said in a recent blog post that, “What I don’t love is when an ad of any kind (but definitely these in-stream sponsored ads are kind of the worst) has no real tie to the stream or location where it’s placed.” In the context of Facebook, that stream is news from the people and events that make up the user’s life. If brands want to be part of that conversation, they will need to fit in with that stream.
At the end of the day, the decline in organic reach from brands is meant to open the door for intelligent, relevant ads like this to shine by leveraging Facebook’s social context feature. The networks Facebook users have acquired span all relationships from the deeply personal to professional to casual. The motivations of connections to other users vary and therefore so does the range of curiosities about the way those connections live their lives. The ad showed why Facebook is the most powerful channel for brands and organizations to advertise on today and served the dual purpose of getting the November Project a new fan.
[image error]
