Facebook Banners: Valuable Tools, Surprising Statistics, and More
What is a Facebook Banner?
A Facebook banner applies to an advertisement and the top of a firm’s business page. This article provides valuable information on both types of Facebook banners.
What’s the Status of Facebook Banner Advertisements?
Although Facebook banners are the preferred type of advertising for firms on the social media website, the popularity of such advertisements is quickly declining. The following statistics were provided in a blog post by David Cohen on AllFacebook on August 15, 2012:
Harris Interactive polled 2,236 U.S. adults who were 18 and older, and the statistics below highlight serious concerns about firm’s advertising through Facebook banners:
· 72 percent of Facebook app users like “immersive and interactive ad units”
· only 28 percent of app users were satisfied with traditional Facebook banner ads
· 60 percent of smartphone users preferred rich media ads, about only 40 percent were happy with traditional banner ads
How is Facebook Banner Ads Changing?
According to Todd Wasserman form the Mashable Business blog, Facebook still allows traditional banner ads, but there are new features available if firms decide to use a Premium ad instead of a simple “marketplace” banner. The Premium ads still promote brand exposure, but they allow the ad to post status updates and even video content in some cases.
Firms will not pay for Premium Facebook banners on a click-through basis. Instead, the Premium ads are based on impressions and reach. Facebook has decided to change the payments because click-through rates on Facebook are extremely low and mainly promote brand awareness.
Advantages of Facebook Banner Ads
Although Facebook banners have decreased in popularity, they still have a strong influence on a significant percentage of users. A firm has the following advantages when using such an advertisement:
1. Facebook is the Largest Social Network
According to Stephane Le Viet of Mashable Business, about 526 million users log into Facebook every day, about 398 million of the same users are on Facebook at least 6 days a week. Facebook also has more users than LinkedIn and Twitter combined.
2. Facebook Allows a Firm to Target Prospective Clients
An attorney can target a Facebook banner ad using information like location, gender, age, interests, relationship status, workplace, and education. Using such advertisements targets prospective clients who are most likely to need your services.
3. Recruit Potential Employees as Well
Many attorneys will use Facebook to look for firms in their area, as well as job opportunities. Setting up professional Facebook banners encourage young attorneys to show interest in your firm.
4. Maintain a Low Cost Advertising Campaign
Except for Premium ads, Facebook banners are not that expensive because they operate under PPC. You’ll only be charged if someone shows interests in your firm’s advertisement and clicks on the Facebook banner.
Cost and Tips for Facebook Banner Advertisements
There is no set limit for Facebook banners. It all depends on how much the firm is willing to pay by establishing a daily and lifetime budget. If you want to start with a small budget, the right tips can help you maximize the ad’s reach:
· List the interests of your firm, expert areas of law, and the benefits of the services
· Include a clear call-to-action within the text
· Use your brand as the image
· If advertising your firm’s website, include the firm’s name in the headline
Facebook Banners for a Firm’s App
Many firms have started developing apps for their firm, and there have been recent changes within the app dashboard for localization. According to David Cohen on AllFacebook, Facebook made changes to the app dashboard to help the app’s name, tagline, Facebook banner, screenshots, and more provide localized images based on language settings.
This feature is particularly important for firms with international clients.
Facebook Banner Tools for Customization
If your firm is just starting out on Facebook, it’s a good idea to search for different law firms and see how they’ve setup their Facebook Banners on their Timeline. You’ll notice that the most successful Timelines have both professional and creative banners. Some of the Facebook banner tools listed below may help:
1. Profile Banner
This tool has over 4 million monthly users and has continued to grow. The options provided by this tool are fairly standard.
2. myFBBanners
This Facebook banner tool is standard as well, but you have access to a large listing of different banners compared to other services.
3. Pure Silva Banner Maker
The one advantage to this banner tool is that it lets an attorney’s banner show up as a solid image instead of divided images.
4. Blingify
This tool offers more banners than any other tool out there. There are a large amount of options for attorneys, and it’s easy to use.
5. Bannerizer
This tool provides similar features compared to most other banner tools. This is another good option for an attorney.
Trends in Facebook Banners for Law Firms
After researching numerous different firms on Facebook, the following trends begin to appear:
· Some firms prefer the standard profile, but more and more firms are transitioning to the Timeline. The Timeline provides a larger image to fit more partners.
· The Timeline photo will either be a picture of the partners in the firm, the city where the office is located, or an image the captures the main area of law.
· The profile picture is either a picture of the partners or the firm’s brand. In timelines, the firm’s brand is usually placed in the profile picture and the picture of the partners is placed in the Timeline photo.
· A firm’s Facebook banner will usually include generic categories like photos, likes, and a map. Law firms should consider incorporating unique Facebook banners that still convey professionalism.
· The most professionalism is conveyed with by listing the following under the profile picture: firm’s name, the address, phone number, and hours of operation.
