The Top 5 Reasons You Should Still Be Using Facebook

There was a time when Facebook was considered the social media platform. Yes, there were other platforms, but whenever people thought about social media, Facebook was the first thing that came into their minds. Naturally, this made it the ideal platform for businesses who wanted to advertise their products and services. It seemed like everyone was on Facebook, so everyone would see the advertisements that were posted there.As powerful and ubiquitous as Facebook has been during its existence, it can be argued that it doesn't have the same kind of influence as it once did. It's still the biggest social media platform in the world with billions of users signing in to their profiles every month, but other platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat, and Pinterest have proven to be major players in the social media landscape.So, since Facebook isn't synonymous with social media like it once was, does this mean that you should abandon Facebook ads and move to other platforms? Absolutely not. Facebook ads are still great for marketing your business, and not just because the social media giant still has so many regular users. We're going to take a look at just five reasons why you should still utilize Facebook advertising in your marketing campaigns. These are far from the only reasons to stick with Facebook, but they are among the most compelling.

You Can Still Reach a Large Audience in a Short Amount of Time

There are approximately 80 million business pages on Facebook right now, which means that you have a lot of competition when it comes to reaching an audience with your ads. On top of that, Facebook's algorithm change last year has made it harder than ever for a specific ad to show up on people's feeds. That may sound like a negative, but you can still make the ads work for you.The algorithm change does translate into a smaller audience, but it also ensures that your advertisements are being seen by the right users. Advertisements are always at their most effective when they can target a specific demographic, and that's exactly what the algorithm change allows. Those who see your ads will the the people most likely to engage with them. They will share your ads with their like-minded friends, which will grow your audience a lot faster than if you tried to target everyone with a Facebook account.

Targeted Advertisements

Facebook has been the subject of some very bad press in the past year when it was revealed that it actively gathered information about its users. That does make it sound like the platform is a sinking ship that should be avoided at all costs, but the truth is that this data can be used for targeted advertisements. Ads can be targeted towards those who have "liked" your competitors or those who match the demographics you're trying to reach.This is obviously great if you're trying to let potential new customers know about your products, but it also lets you target previous customers to let them know about new products or promotions that you may be running, even if they haven't engaged with your content in some time.

You Have Access to Virtually Unlimited Information

Even if Facebook hadn't actively gathered information about its users, many posts that have been made are still public. Even if a quarter of all Facebook users posted publicly, that's still well over a billion people who are freely sharing their information. You can take a look at this and know what kinds of products they've purchased, what kinds of hobbies they enjoy, and where their general interests lie.This is a goldmine of information, all of which can be used in the targeted advertisements that we discussed in the previous item on this list.

You Will Most Likely Reach Your Core Audience

Even though Facebook isn't the only game in town anymore, it is still the social media platform of choice for 79 percent of American adults. You may not have the satisfaction of specifically targeting young people who like to hang out on Instagram and Snapchat, but there is a very good chance that you will be able to reach someone in your core audience if you stick to Facebook.Even if you would rather target a more youthful audience, you can still reach them by targeting the adults on Facebook. All of these people will be able to spread the word about your products to their younger friends and family members.

Facebook Lets Your Followers Communicate With You

The best and most important aspect of social media is that it is social. It allows people to reach out to each other and share their thoughts and opinions. You can and should be using this to your advantage when it comes to advertising. If all goes well and enough people see your ads and your business's Facebook page, they will drop a line and comment on what they've seen. When they do, be sure to take the time to respond to them, or at least take their opinions to heart.That kind of feedback can help you shape everything from your next social media marketing campaign to what kinds of products and services you should be offering. It's an invaluable resource, and it would be a mistake not to use it.With as fast as social media moves these days, it's easy to forget that an old stand-by such as Facebook is still one of the best platforms out there. It has billions of users all over the world, many of which will fit comfortably into the demographic you're trying to reach, and it contains a wealth of information that can be used to your advantage in your future marketing campaigns. Other social media platforms may seem hipper and trendier among young people, but there is no denying that Facebook is still the king, and it looks to stay that way for many years to come.