The test period for Facebook Offers came to a close, and Facebook announced that Pages (with more than 400 Likes) can now seed discounts and promotions to their fans for a minimal fee. While Facebook Offers are no longer free for brand pages, there are a few new features for brands to utilize, including use of barcodes, limits, and more.
Brands now have the option to restrict their offer redemption to brick-and-mortar, e-commerce or a mix of both. These offers can be customized to target specific segments (including gender, age, location, language, etc.) and will be visible to users in their news feeds as opposed to traditional ad units along the sidebar of users’ news feed. All offers can be created by Page Managers or Content Creators via the admin panel. Keep in mind – there is a cap at 90 characters for the body copy of the offer. You also have the ability to upload a 90x90px thumbnail image to go along with your offer post.
When creating an in-store only offer, admins can supply a scannable 12-13 digit barcode (12-digit UPC-A or 13-digit EAB code), making it easier to apply the discount at the register and allowing for tracking redemptions. Although admins are able to set a limit on the number of offers allowed, the barcode or redemption code is not unique to each person, and cannot prevent people from redeeming your offer more than once. Admins also have the ability to add customized terms and conditions and expiration date.
Claiming an offer is easy. Facebook users will see your brand’s offer in their news feed or on your page’s Timeline. To redeem, simply click, “get offer,” and users will receive the offer via email. While there is still no ability to control the copy that is featured in the email, admins are able to see a preview of the email prior to posting. The copy mirrors the Facebook Offer headline, barcode, expiration date, redemption code, thumbnail image, and terms and conditions. The terms and conditions section has a cap at 900 characters, and only appears in the e-mail copy. Finally, there is an option to “Share Offer” with others at bottom of e-mail, allowing users to post the Facebook Offer on their Timeline, on a friend’s Facebook Timeline, in a group, a page they admin, or in a private message.
When it comes to budgeting, Facebook Offers can cost anywhere from $5 – $2,000 dollars, depending on the amount of Page Likes and desired estimated reach, or the number of users that will view the offer in their news feed.
Wondering how you might track the effectiveness of your Facebook Offer venture? Luckily, it’s a relatively simple task. While an offer is running, you are able to use Facebook Insights to get additional data about the promoted Facebook Offer. Unfortunately, Facebook only provides the ability to see the number of offers claimed. Outside of Facebook’s resources, offers can be tracked by barcodes and redemption codes included in the offer.
What’s the benefit of utilizing Facebook Offers?
- Paid Reach:brands can achieve more distribution by paying more for an offer based on the number of people you want to reach
- Additionally, admins can advertise their Facebook Offer through Premium Page and Sponsored Stories ads that target fans and friends of fans
- Targeted Reach: just like Facebook advertising, admins can custom-tailor the Facebook Offer to target a specific audience, making the offer more relevant to each user
- Organic Reach: once a user claims your offer, it will appear in his or her news feed, helping brands reach their fans’ friends organically and increase brand visibility
- Tracking ROI: admins can now track the Facebook Offer success, seeing what people redeem and when
