Have You Boycotted Facebook Ads? Here Are Your Alternatives
Over the past few weeks, a lot of large companies have decided to pause their Facebook marketing/advertising campaigns. Most of the brands that have decided to boycott Facebook Ads express unhappiness with how Facebook handles hate speech and misinformation. Brands are fed up with how Facebook handles problematic and insensitive posts. They want to see changes implemented to the platform, and for that reason, they are running their boycott campaign under the hashtag #StopHateForProfit.
A great example of a big C.P.G brand that has boycotted Facebook ads is Unilever. Unilever is the parent company for Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, Knorr, Dove, Vaseline and many other household brands you know, like and trust. They announced they would be putting a pause to Facebook ads from July to at least through the end of the year. Starbucks and Diageo, who are among the biggest spenders on Facebook ads, also announced that they would be pausing their advertising on all social media platforms.
You might have a different approach to the matter, but whatever your views are, ensure you make an informed decision that will position your food or beverage brand as best as possible. Ensure that whatever position you take is in line with your beliefs and those of your audience, and is everything you consider right.
Remember that new marketing tactics and platforms can take time to build traction for your C.P.G brand, and therefore you should manage your performance targets well. Keep in mind that Facebook owns Instagram and WhatsApp. If you want to participate in the boycott fully, they shouldn’t be on your list of alternative social media marketing platforms.
Below are some of the alternative marketing options that you have if you’ve decided to boycott Facebook ads altogether.
TikTok and Snapchat
These are great options if your food or beverage company targets Gen Z and millennials. The growth of TikTok over the past few months is unmatched by any social media platform, and that goes to show how big an audience you can tap from it. You just have to find out if it is relevant for your food brand and your target audience. Both TikTok and Snapchat have self-serve platforms that are easy to use, especially if you are already familiar with Facebook Ads Manager.
These two platforms can give your food or beverage brand great awareness among consumers if you use hashtags and fun hashtag-challenges. It’s time to stop sleeping on these platforms. Jump on them and get your food brand seen by millions of people around the world. It is time to get your food or beverage company known, don’t hold back.
Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing will do a lot great to your food business if you find the best influencer for your brand. There has never been a better time than now to work with influencers. Just make sure the ones you approach aren’t going to promote your food or beverage products on Facebook or its associated companies - which you’ve sworn to boycott because that will be going against your stand. You don’t want to do that. Some influencers run blogs, YouTube channels, or have TikTok, Snapchat, and many other social media platforms. Just find a good match for your food brand and work with them.
Email Marketing
Email marketing remains one of the best ways to get your food or beverage company known by consumers. Once you’ve built a good email list, you can always create informative and personalized emails for your audience. Create emails that properly talk about your food products, engage your audience well, and ensure they are continuously updated with the right information about your food or beverage business. Always keep the emails as personalized and engaging as possible.
YouTube Ads
YouTube has over 2 billion users and presents you with an excellent channel to advertise your food or beverage products. Drive awareness about your food brand through YouTube ads. People prefer watching online videos to T.V, and with most people spending time at home and on their mobile phones, tablets, or laptops, there can never be a better time to reach as many people as you want through YouTube ads. Youtube advertising can be done through Google Ads platform.
Search Engine Optimization (S.E.O)
S.E.O is a long-game tactic, and likely won’t give you immediate results. So if you are not patient enough, this might not be the right direction for you. But with a combination of great tactics, S.E.O may increase your food or beverage brand’s search volume on Google, which will definitely pay off over time. Make sure that your website is fully search-engine optimized. Always conduct S.E.O audits from time to time to see where your website is and what more you need to do to grow it. Now that you have an unspent Facebook ads budget, you can direct it towards that.
Most Importantly
Keep in mind that consumers buy brands and not products. So how you present your brand is very crucial in achieving food business success. Consumers are now looking at brands through a different lens, and now is not the time to put your brand on the wrong side of the consumers’ eyes.
Want to discuss building a marketing plan that will grow your packaged food company? Book a call with our Food Experts team today.
Published by Healthy Food & Beverage Group Contributor Calvin Wasambla