Guess what?!? You STILL have the ability to target your business Facebook Page updates!
It took me a while to figure it out. Where had my ability to target my Facebook page posts to a specific location gone?
I’d read repeatedly that all pages now had the new ability to target updates by even MORE demographic information but my option was GONE! Was it missing or just hidden?
There used to be a little “Public” button beside the “Post” button that would allow me to select multiple locations and languages. Here’s what targeting used to look like when I’d click the “Public” button:
But, when I went into Facebook, I no longer had that “Public” button visible. My little update box looked plain, just like this:
So, I started investigating and found out that Facebook had disabled targeting for my pages and my clients pages but I could enable it again with a few simple clicks.
Here’s the step-by-step process to accessing Targeted posting options for your business Facebook Pages:
1. Click on the Update Settings in the Admin portion of your page
2. Select the Manage Permissions tab
3. Find the unchecked “Privacy” option
4. Check the “Privacy” option and then Save Changes
5. When you go back to your page, this is what your Target options look like:
6. You can STILL target the old way… but the NEW way is way cooler! Check it out, you can even see how many of your fans will be targeted by your update!
Why is targeting on Facebook important?
Quite simply, if you’re a local business, there is often no need to post your updates using a firehose. Your message can be delivered directly to the fans of your page that are local! AND (this is the BEST part)…
…you can Promote the post only targeting the fans using your chosen demographic information! This will reduce your cost for Promoting individual page posts, increase your relevant exposure – and hopefully improve your engagement rate!
It is interesting to note that fans viewing content while ON your page will see all of the updates, regardless of targeting or privacy settings. Also, by selecting the “fans only” option when promoting Facebook page updates, you will reduce the spam likes and comments your page receives.
