Top 5 Facebook Advertising Myths Debunked

With more than two billion users, Facebook is the undisputed king of social media. Since its inception in 2004, it has evolved from a picture and personal news-sharing website to a multi-billion dollar organisation that generates the bulk of its revenue from advertising.

Misinformation is rife when it comes to Facebook advertising. In this article, we will shine a light on five myths connected with Facebook advertising.

1. “Only global companies can afford to advertise on Facebook.”

Facebook caters towards companies of all sizes. Sure, if you are a successful global brand, you will have the financial muscle to pay for Facebook advertising campaigns that travel across every continent. However, if you are a small business, localised Facebook advertising can be purchased for an initial payment of a few pounds. This fee will, however, rise with clicks.

2. “PPC (Pay-per-click) advertising costs a fortune.”

It’s true that Facebook places significant weight in PPC. If a web user is directed towards a company’s website via a Facebook ad, that is going to cost the company in question. However, the fees per individual click are modest, especially when it relates to a company looking to make inroads locally instead of internationally.

3. “Facebook ads are irritating and have reached saturation point.”

There is a school of thought which suggests that advertisements on Facebook have now reached saturation point and that they are having no impact. The research, along with the data, suggests that this is not the case. Facebook is one of the most powerful places for any company to place an ad and, as long as it is targeted towards the right demographic, the desired outcome is likely to follow.

4. “The images used in ads must depict people looking happy and smiling.”

This is a strange theory because there is no research that suggests just because people look happy in an advert, the product they are advertising will achieve more impressive results. If the ad is better suited to people looking sad – like an undertaker service – then they should look sad.

5. “If your company has one million likes on Facebook, it will be more successful than a company with 100,000 likes.”

Facebook likes are overrated. The very act of ‘liking’ a business page on Facebook is so trivial that it can never be regarded as a cast-iron endorsement of a company and the quality of the services they offer.