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Facebook Retargeting on Roids - Facebook Exchange

By Michelle O'Keeffe on Aug 30, 2012
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We have executed many Facebook advertising campaigns, often these ads are not as effective as Google Adwords as they are not contextual based ads. Facebook Ads often miss the mark as they skip inbound markings #1 rule: Quality content. But this is all set to change with Facebook Exchange, which is set to roll out over the next few weeks.

These new ads will allow a website to place a cookie on a visitor's machine so they can serve targeted ads into the user's Facebook Newsfeed after they leave the website.

Facebook Exchange brings the first cookie-based retargeted ads to Facebook - a format common around the web but that Facebook must handle delicately because of privacy concerns.

How does Facebook Exchange / Retargeting work:

  1. A user visits a web site that's hired a DSP rigged up with Facebook Exchange
  2. A cookie is dropped on that user's computer, typically when they've shown some kind of interest in buying a product
  3. If the user doesn't make a purchase, or the advertiser wants to market to them more, the DSP contacts Facebook and gives them the user they wish to target's anonymous User ID
  4. The advertiser pre-loads creative for ads that would target that user
  5. When the user visits Facebook it recognises the cookie dropped by the DSP
  6. The DSP is notified and allowed to make a real-time bid to show the user ads
  7. The DSPs with the highest bids get their highly-targeted ads shown to the user
  8. If the user disapproves of being shown the ad and "X's it out, they're shown a link to the DSP where they can opt out of future Facebook Exchange ads

I have noticed examples popping up in my Facebook newsfeed already while researching client's competitors. The ads have a short blurb of text with a large image + a tracking link. They are very hard to miss… for a second, I actually thought I might have "LIKED" that page by mistake.

At the moment it looks like only a small group of DSPs can run these ads. But I can see this as being a very effective marketing tool going forward, and can't wait for it to roll out so I can start testing out some campaign ideas.

Ad Example below:

Facebook retargeting

Michelle has been in marketing strategy for over 20 years. Michelle got involved in Engaging from Day 1 with the conviction of creating a business that ‘does great work with great people’, including clients, partners and staff. A born problem solver, she immerses herself in clients’ businesses and reconstructs their sales & marketing activities to ensure they operate to deliver directly on the business’ objectives. Michelle is passionate about maintaining a company and company culture that leaves the world a better place than we found it.

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