Facebook Ads to target the brand-conscious

Global - Facebook has launched its new ad platform for brands to get to their target group through trusted referrals endorsed by members through the social graph - the network which users communicate and share information.

Facebook Ads includes three parts - firstly, a way for businesses to build pages on Facebook to connect with its audience, secondly it is an ad system that facilitates the spread of brand messages virally through Facebook Social Ads and an interface to gather insights into people's activity on Facebook that marketers care about.

This means users can add to their profiles companies and brands that they favour, and this will provide a new avenue of trusted referrals where users share their knowledge and learn about brands and businesses with their friends. Advertisers too can connect with users by creating a presence on Facebook and targeting the exact people they want.

At the Facebook Social Advertising Event held last week in New York, the networking site revealed 60 renowned brands that have committed to the system. Facebook users can interact directly with the business through its Facebook Page by adding reviews, writing on that business' Wall, uploading photos and in any other ways that a business may want to enable. More than 100,000 new Facebook Pages of the world's largest brands, local businesses, organizations and bands were launched. Just like a Facebook user, businesses can start with a blank canvas and add all the information and content they want, including photos, videos, music and Facebook Platform applications. Companies launching applications for Pages include Fandango, iLike, Musictoday, OpenTable, SeamlessWeb, Zagat Survey and Zazzle.

Facebook's ad system serves Social Ads that combine social actions from friends - such as a purchase of a product or review of a restaurant - with an advertiser's message. This enables advertisers to deliver more tailored and relevant ads that now include information from their friends so they can make more informed decisions. No personally identifiable information is shared with an advertiser in creating a Social Ad.

Through its free service Facebook Insights, marketers can get metrics about their presence and promotion as it gives them access to data on activity, fan demographics, ad performance and trends that better equip marketers to improve custom content and adjust ad targeting.

Users are empowered to make choices about sharing their data, as they will only see Social Ads to the extent their friends are sharing information with them within the News Feed as sponsored content or in the ad space along the left side of the site.

Current advertisers include The Coca-Cola Company, Sony Pictures, Blockbuster, CBS, Chase, Verizon and Epicurious.com.