Offers are no stranger to the average Facebook user, you’ve probably seen them on your newsfeed plenty of times.
But what are they, why do brands use them and how do they work?
Every time you go on to Facebook there’s something being marketed to you, it’s become very much a consumer space as well as a social one. Basically, if you have a business on Facebook, offers are a really great way of saying thanks to your fans. And promoting your products at the same time.
How do Facebook offers work?
Certain businesses, brands, and organisations can publish ‘offers’on their Facebook Page. Offers are defined as discounts and promotions which users can redeem either physically ‘in store’ or online.
Page admins and editors can create offers directly on the Page or create one using Ads Manager or Power Editor. It will then appear in people’s News Feed where they can claim it, like, comment and share with their friends. When they claim it they will either be directed to your online store or given a voucher to redeem in your bricks and mortar store.
You can define certain parameters around the offer such as notifications, how the offer displays, how long it runs for, who sees it, how many people can claim it and much more. When people who like the Page claim offers, their friends may see it as a story in their News Feed.
Types of offers
There are 4 types of offers that you can create:
- Percent Off: A percentage value will be taken off people’s total purchase (20% off all books)
- Amount Off: A currency amount will be taken off people’s total purchase ($50 off all manicures)
- Buy One, Get One: People will get items or services after purchasing the number of items or services you define (buy 12 doughnuts, get one free)
- Free Stuff: People will receive a free item or service you define (free shipping, free gift with purchase)
You can share discounts with customers by creating an offer from your Page. People who claim the offer can redeem it at the URL you provide or in store, depending on where you make your offer available. Keep in mind that you won’t be able to edit or delete an offer after it’s created.
How to create an offer
- Click Offer, Event at the top of your Page’s Timeline
- Select Offer
- Choose how people can use the offer, either Online or In-store
- Select an Offer Type from the dropdown, then add details about your offer
- Click Create Offer
Source: Facebook Help
Once the offer has been created you will be sent a preview via email. Customers who have claimed your offer will need to present the email in order to redeem it.
How to create successful offers
Every business is different, and you can experiment with offers to find out what your customers respond to best. Offers following these best practices have a better chance of being successful:
- Make discounts substantial: Offers with free items (ex: buy one, get one free) or with discounts of at least 20% off will typically reach more people than offers of lesser value.
- Use an engaging image: Photos of people using a product often perform better than photos of a product by itself, and both of these generally perform better than logos. Keep in mind that your Page’s profile picture will also show next to your offer in most places on Facebook.
- Set a reasonable expiration date: Give people at least a few days to see and claim an offer, and allow time for your offer to be shared among friends on Facebook.
- Promote your offer: Create an ad for your offer, and pin your offer to the top of your Page so people will notice it.
Source: Facebook Help
How much does it cost?
Offers in ad creation
When you create an offer in ad creation the amount you pay is based on how many people you want to reach.
Offers from your Page
These offers are free to create and post on your News Feed, but if you want to promote your offer (well yes) then you need to pay for it. You can choose the amount you want to pay, this will largely depend on the size of your target audience. Budget options will be provided when you promote the offer, based on your estimated reach. You can also choose a custom budget.
For more info head to Facebook’s help page on offers for business profiles.