The Power of Workplace Targeting in Facebook Ads

Last week on a regular evening at home, I was on the computer reading my favorite blogs and my wife was on her laptop browsing the net.

We were both quiet and minding our own stuff.

Then suddenly, she called my name with a very excited voice tone asking: “Hey, isn’t my car’s insurance ending this month?”

I’ve said: “Yeah, I guess so, I have to look up”

Then she got more excited and said (while turning the laptop’s screen to my workstation):

“Look at this deal, XYZ Auto Insurance Company is running a special discount for only Westchester Medical Center Employees!!!”

She was showing me a Facebook Ad running an auto insurance offer, and targeting workplaces. I was like WOW!

I wasn’t surprised because of the workplace targeting, I was surprised because of my wife’s reaction to the ad.

Even though I’ve tested some workplace targeting campaigns, I am still kinda new to Facebook Ads. After explaining the ad to my wife, I’ve put on my creative hat and started thinking.

If you haven’t used Facebook Ads before, and don’t have a clue about what I’m talking here, read Chad’s post about workplace targeting 101 first, then come back here to keep reading. Also, I’ve recently written a pretty detailed Facebook Advertising Guide at one of my other blogs, check that out (warning, it’s loooonnnnggg!).

Ok, let’s get back to the topic. The theory was simple. My wife is a Westchester Medical Center employee, and she is more internet savy than an average internet user. So, the question I’ve asked to myself was; “Why did she get so excited about this ad?”

So many creative ideas started coming in, I couldn’t even sit on my chair. I had to stand up and walk around the apartment for a few minutes to calm down.

After I’ve calmed down, I wanted to run to the computer and start testing some campaigns right away.

But I’ve decided that this wasn’t a good idea. I had to analyze this through my affiliate mindset, and understand the human psychology behind this excitement. And, I did.

This was a true AHA MOMENT for me to understand the real power of Facebook Ads Workplace Targeting.

Facebook Ads Workplace Targeting is way more powerful than I’d ever imagined, because;

Average Internet User is NOT used to Personalized Ads

Understanding your customer demographics is the key to affiliate marketing success.

I’ve started by asking this question to myself:

What type of ads average internet users see daily?

Average internet users search on Google, read their favorite newspaper online, check out the blogs daily, etc. They usually see both PPC & CPM ads from Google, Yahoo, MSN, Media Buying Companies, etc.

How targeted are these ads? They can be pretty targeted to some specific customer demographic criteria.

But, unless they visit a company’s fan blog, or a university’s fan page, they are not targeted enough to call them “Personalized Ads”.

Ok, Facebook Team has hit it right on the target by workplace targeting, and I have already started turning this into some serious $cash$.

I am sorry, we ran out of fish today, so I won’t be able to offer you fish, but since you are my guest here, I will get you started with some tips, so you can catch your own fish

Great Idea => Brainstorming & Creativity & Research & Planning => Implementation => Success

As you can see, this is a 4 phase process in general. I’ve already shared the most important part with you: the Great Idea.

I will give you some direction on the brainstorming & creativity. You will need to take it from there, do your research and planning, start testing, and scaling, and finally create a number of successful Facebook Ads Campaigns out of this blog post.

Some Ideas to Exercise with Your Left Brain

• Start with where you (your family, friends, etc.) work. Think about specific things they do or buy, related to their jobs. Basic observation task, everybody can do this!
• Which schools did you go to? Are you a member of any Alumni Association?
• Split test your current campaigns. Maybe you have a profitable “tech offer” which is already targeted, but not using workplace targeting option. What if you’ve created 1000 campaigns out of that 1 campaign targeting 1000 companies which are very much tech related? Would workplace targeting alone increase your ROI or turn a losing campaign into a winning one?
• Start with the Inc. Top List, and learn more about the big companies in the US. Ideas will start pouring in while browsing the company list.

Use Your Right Brain – Let’s Get Creative

• What are the chances of a Wall Street Journal Employee clicking your “Wall Street Journal Home Subscription Offer”? Or a Walt Disney World Employee clicking your “Mickey Mouse Toys Sale Offer Ad”? Reverse thinking (& exclusion) can be a powerful tool & asset when you are planning your affiliate campaigns.
• How powerful can it get by combining keyword targeting and workplace targeting (along with other targeting options)? Don’t jump to the next one in the list. Stop here, take a pen and a paper and write down the first things that come to your mind.
• We need to use some more of that right brain. Let’s say you work at UPS. You don’t know me, I don’t know you.

  Let’s assume that I know you like golf (keyword targeting), I know today is your birthday (birthday targeting), I know you work at UPS (workplace targeting).

  You’ve stopped by my office to drop me a package (this way we have a few seconds on interaction ~~hint: you saw my ad on facebook~~), and what if I told you that your friends from UPS has a gift for you which is paid in full, just fill this form and you can pick it up right now?

  What would you do? Would you trust me?

• What if you knew the average IQ of your potential customers and I have a list of potential customers who are in that IQ range, how valuable would this list be to you?
• Think about which offers/products could you sell to Lehman Brothers employees on the day it went bankrupt, while they were all leaving the building with boxes of personal belongings, if you were there? What if you can reach the publicly available data to corporations filing bankruptcy, corporations starting to fire employees, companies whose employees are scared to hell that they will lose their jobs the next day, what would you do with this data?

I can keep writing ideas for hours. There are literally thousands of creative ways to catch the same fish.

Take it from here, and don’t forget the 4 Phase Plan:

Great Idea => Brainstorming & Creativity & Research & Planning => Implementation => Success

Probably You Won’t Make a Penny with Facebook Ads

What?

I just gave you great ideas and why am I saying this? To discourage you? To scare you? Am I scared from the competition?

The answer is NO to all of these.

It’s statistically proven data.

9 out of 10 people who read this post and got excited will NEVER take action!

Therefore, will never make a penny with Facebook Ads.

If you are one of those 9 people, I’m sorry, there’s nothing I can do for you. Probably, it is just a huge waste of time to keep reading my blog. I sincerely wish you my best at your 9 to 5 job.

But if you are that 1 special person. Take Action Now!

And always remember to share your ideas, results and comments below to encourage me to write more.

Remember to check out the Facebook Advertising Guide I’ve written. It has more tips, ideas & cool screenshots to get you started with Facebook Ads.