Ben Wilver’s recent post about Facebook Places started me thinking about how B2B marketers can use Facebook.  More specifically, is it somewhere B2B companies should be advertising?  

Determining if advertising on Facebook would be an appropriate media channel for a B2B advertiser comes down to the fundamentals of media channel planning.  For Facebook specifically, I think the biggest challenges are two fold. Is your target audience on Facebook?  And, will Facebook enable you to achieve your advertising goals?

If you look at Facebook objectively, with over 500 million and growing active users, there are be many opportunities for targeting and reaching almost any audience.  Facebook allows ads to be targeted based on geography, age, gender, education, interests, language, workplace and even relationship status. While many of these are simply not relevant to B2B advertisers, a few are. What makes Facebook’s targeting so powerful is it is based on information that people supply about their likes and interests.  This could be incredibly powerful for a B2B advertiser to reach a niche audience.

However, looking beyond targeting, remember to consider the goal of the campaign.  Does the goal of the campaign align with the advertising options available on Facebook?   Depending on the goal, Facebook may not be able to deliver the results you want.  Currently, Facebook ads can connect to websites or places within Facebook like pages, applications, groups and events.

Another unique feature of Facebook ads is the inclusion of a “Like” feature. When activated by a Facebook user the “Like” feature shares information about the ad with the user’s friend network.  This feature allows for social interaction, but does not really encourage people to click through or actually visit a website or Facebook page. Therefore, if the goal of the ad is to increase traffic, Facebook might not be the best choice for advertising.  On the other hand, if your goal was to increase awareness, then the social sharing aspect of Facebook might be a good option. 

Personally, I am a bit skeptical about Facebook advertising for B2B companies.  I’m just not sure people will “Like” and/or click on B2B ads, especially considering the personal non-work related nature of Facebook. I question if Facebook’s audience would interact with ads about their work or jobs.  My interactions on Facebook typically are not of a work nature. For example, I know the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has a Facebook page. I know, trust and rely on the IAB for my job; I’m just not a fan of their page.  I’ve never clicked or “Liked” an ad related to my job. However, I might RSVP for a webcast or seminar.  What are your thoughts on B2B companies advertising on Facebook?  Do you know of B2B advertising campaigns on Facebook?  Have you ever clicked on or “Liked” a Facebook ad that related to your job?