By the time you read this, Macy's massive Thanksgiving ad campaign will be in full swing on Facebook. The plans, according to Internet Retailer, include targeting every woman in the United States who is over 21 with a video ad promoting their holiday magic & spirit. Anybody who interacts with the ad by commenting, sharing, or liking it will be targeted with follow-up ads about their sales.
Whew! Every woman in America? I'll be curious to see if I get one on my feed.
Are You Looking At Video Ads?
Macy's is just one of the many businesses that jumped on the Facebook video ad bandwagon when it rolled out last March. The site says that all video views - including ads - number about one billion every day, with 65% of those views on a mobile device. So if you aren't looking at video ads as a marketing strategy, you may want to think about changing your mind.
Of course, your particular customer demographic plays into every marketing strategy, and if your target market isn't looking at video ads then it isn't an urgent issue. But it is going to become one sooner or later, if things keep progressing. Those who aren't interested in video ads now might be if you came up with one that caught their eye, right?
Where Is Facebook Going With This?
It's pretty obvious that the social media giant is set on getting a piece of the promotional pie by limiting unpromoted posts. Brands have been frustrated with the site for months, because it's difficult to keep your followers connected unless there is individual interaction. Sometimes not even individual interaction keeps the posts you want coming in on your feed.
If too many people get frustrated with Facebook, they might migrate to another social media site. Then again, they may not. It seems like Facebook did a good job getting us all hooked and we may just stay there. If we do, will you be looking at video ads as part of your campaigns? If you have jumped on this bandwagon, I'd love to hear from you in the comments.
Photo Credit: Facebook Video/shutterstock