Weekly Buzz: Super-size me … yes, no or maybe?

Once again Facebook has made many coaches, speakers, and trainers smack their head in dismay and exclaim, “MORE changes AGAIN??”

Apparently Facebook thinks business executives and social media trainers have nothing better to do and have trotted out a whole slew of new changes and offerings. Among the newest additions are enhanced Admin options, Promoted Posts, and the new “Deals “ option…basically, more new things to learn.

Let’s take a quick look at Promoted Posts. It’s no secret it’s harder than ever to get engagement on your Facebook Business Pages. No engagement means no-showee-upee on your Likers newsfeeds so business professionals and companies are continually looking for that “secret sauce” to keep their Likers engaged and the comments, Likes, and shares flying. So Facebook has come up with a way to “super-size” your posts by adding a new feature called Promoted Posts. Promoted Posts are a new way for you to get your posts into the newsfeed of Likers who may not be seeing your stuff alre ady. Promoted Posts can be a great way to get back into the newsfeeds if your engagement has been lagging and your page is starting to look like a ghost town.

Does it work? So far the general consensus seems to be a resounding “maybe” or “sometimes” and here’s why;

Typical Liker reach is a sad little 20%, and if you want to reach more people and stick your virtual arm in the air yelling “HEY, don’t forget about ME!” a Promoted Post may be the way to achieve this for a measly $5-$10. However, the Promoted Posts option only appears on Pages that have 400+ Likes or more, so if you’re not seeing this option on your Facebook Page that is probably why.

Does that mean that by buying these Promoted Posts angels will sing, rainbows will appear, and the cash register will ring? That’s where the “sometimes” comes in. If your metrics reveal there were 40 people who clicked, bu t still no one bought, you can look at that as a flop, or the fact that there are 40 people who may have a new awareness of your products and services. If that’s fine and dandy with you, then Promoted Posts maybe be worth the couple of bucks you spend. Only you can be the judge of that.

In case you were wondering, there are decent metrics for Promoted Posts just like any other Facebook Ad campaign as well. Look for the “ads” link on the left sidebar of your personal profile and clicking that will reveal all your Facebook ad campaigns including Promoted Posts.

I will have to say despite all the “iffy” details on this new feature, the ringer for me was that Promoted Posts show up on Mobile whereas Sponsored Stories or Facebook Ads don’t. That to me is huge. Mobile marketing is here to stay and picking up steam as we speak. We also can’t ignore the fact that the summer months are upon us and consumers are spending le ss time planted in front of their computers and more time outdoors (as they should!). I can speak from experience that my phone never leaves my side when I am away from my desk. I may be on the patio or in a boat, but I (like many people) am still checking emails and perusing Facebook thanks to my mobile device.

What do you think? Have you run a Promoted Post and gotten good results? If so, we’d love to hear your story!