Besides Google, there is no other internet platform collecting more data on you than Facebook. And to be clear:
Facebook is catching up to Google thanks to their data-collection company Atlas.
Beginning in October, the Facebook Like and Share buttons you see and engage with around the internet (not directly within Facebook) will begin sending your browsing history over to Facebook. This means when you visit your favorite online shopping hubs, the blogs where you get your latest sports news, and any other site that has a Facebook Like or Share button embedded, Facebook is going to know about it.
For social media marketers like me, this is another great bit of news regarding Facebook Ad Targeting. Specifically, my Facebook ads can now more accurately reach the audience I’m targeting. Thanks to Facebook, I’ll know if you’ve ever been to my client’s website, and hit you with an ad to remind you to visit again. There are 100 other ways to use this new information, and I’m excited to try them all! This technology (retargeting with pixels) isn’t new, but the fact that they’re making it much easier for the advertisers is a big deal.
The best part is, like a pixel that sends data once a user hits the page, a user doesn’t even have to click on a Facebook Like or Share button for data to be sent. Visit a page with one of those buttons, and you’ve done all you need to do for Facebook to know you’ve been there.
If you don’t like this news, Facebook says they will let users opt out of seeing ads based on their non-Facebook activity. I’ll update you on that once I see how it works. As you know, Instagram also uses Facebook Ad Targeting data on it’s platform, so this is twice as nice for those of us in the field.
Belle Strategies is a boutique Social Media Marketing company based in South Florida. Our team mixes innovative strategies with attention to detail for an online presence that produces tangible results. For assistance growing your brand on social media, contact us!
With nearly two decades in the industry, Belle Strategies’ owner, Rachel Creveling, is a seasoned business consultant who crafts comprehensive frameworks that integrate operations, marketing, sales and HR to position her clients for optimal success. She excels at incorporating trending tech ethically and studied Strategies for Accountable AI at Wharton.