Author Topic: Advertising on FB (Read 8929 times)

stockastic · « **on:** January 25, 2018, 13:10 »

I'm trying to learn about FB advertising: artist/business pages, boosting posts, targeting audiences, hashtags, etc. A Google search turns up endless sites supposedly giving you the whole inside story; they're all rubbish, endless vague hype, clickbait for ads for ads for more ads.

And FB just announced they're changing the game again, in ways no one really understands yet. So I assume a lot of what's out there is partially obsolete.

I'm an old school guy who reads books and doesn't want to sit through videos, seminars, online courses etc.

Anyone want to recommend a good book on advertising with FaceBook?

Brasilnut · « **Reply #1 on:** January 25, 2018, 14:26 »

There's a thread about this already:

https://www.microstockgroup.com/general-stock-discussion/selling-prints-on-facebook/

stockastic · « **Reply #2 on:** January 25, 2018, 16:44 »

Yes but that thread is old. Guess I could try to revive it.

I've been trying what steheap tried - boosting a post of a photo, with a target audience based on 'interests'. Same results - lots of 'likes' from a weird assortment of people, a few hits on the actual FAA page, then... silence. I think you might have to boost something for a long time, at considerable expense, to generate a sale.

I just checked out my own 'interests' on FB - the things FB thinks I'm interested in, and would use to show me ads. And those interests were 95% totally random nonsense - many of them things I'd certainly never clicked on even once. So if that's the database FB is using, forget it, it's worthless.

So FB is probably a waste of money.

But, I don't give up easily. There might be ways to target people who actually buy prints, but I don't yet know what it is.

steheap · « **Reply #3 on:** January 25, 2018, 16:57 »

I had no luck at all. I also tried LinkedIn with no success. If you find the secret of selling prints on FAA, please let me know - it has been a very "dry" period for me over there.

Steve

ShadySue · « **Reply #4 on:** January 25, 2018, 17:04 »

Quote from: stockastic on January 25, 2018, 13:10

Anyone want to recommend a good book on advertising with FaceBook?

By the time even bookazines on this sort of thing come out, they're out of date.

stockastic · « **Reply #5 on:** January 25, 2018, 19:05 »

Quote from: ShadySue on January 25, 2018, 17:04

Quote from: stockastic on January 25, 2018, 13:10
Anyone want to recommend a good book on advertising with FaceBook?
By the time even bookazines on this sort of thing come out, they're out of date.

I think that's true. Found a couple of cheap (or free) eBooks on Amazon that were just a few pages of rubbish. Found bigger books now 2 years old - forget it.

I tried FB's own online Help: nothing but ads for FB telling me how great it is, with links to more ads for FB telling me how great it is... etc. I think they want you to just start spending money and getting 'likes' and not try to think too much about it.

stockastic · « **Reply #6 on:** January 25, 2018, 19:06 »

Quote from: steheap on January 25, 2018, 16:57

I had no luck at all. I also tried LinkedIn with no success. If you find the secret of selling prints on FAA, please let me know - it has been a very "dry" period for me over there.

Steve

I have one boosted now that's about to get its 100th 'like'. And not seeing any FAA hits on that photo at all.

Maybe we need to add some really explicit text about how cool it would be to have a framed print on your wall.

Brasilnut · « **Reply #7 on:** January 26, 2018, 09:42 »

I'm close to 4,000 views on FAA and still no sales, so need to venture elsewhere. I've tried FB, Linkedin, Twitter. Even my friends...feels like a Van Gogh moment (maybe they'll sell when I'm dead).

As per Master Steve's advice, I'm giving Photo4me a go as they seem to have an interesting setup. They update regularly the types of prints that sell which gives an idea of what buyers are searching (see attachment).

I've heard Pinterest is a good place to promote POD prints. Anybody tried?

obj owl · « **Reply #8 on:** January 26, 2018, 11:23 »

FAA have a gizmo that allows you to sell on your facebook page, which avoids the middleman as far as the punters are concerned, and also allows you to concentrate on your own branding.

stockastic · « **Reply #9 on:** January 26, 2018, 11:26 »

I've put most of my photos on Pinterest. As far as I can see, it's done nothing.

Photo4Me is a British site, well run, but doesn't sell much - they even post their sales numbers. Just about everything that I see selling there is aimed at tourists - British landmarks, landscapes, historical sites, famous ships and planes.

I do make a couple sales at FAA just about every month.