The Facebook Roundup: Volume 16

As per usual…

Those that land in our “good” selection are ones which really bring forth best practices, creativity, and effectiveness. The “bad” are ones that had a possibility at potential but weren’t exactly making the cut. For the “worst”, and we mean no hard feelings to those at the bottom of the list, is that special feeling you get when your stomach doesn’t settle (that sudden lump in the back of your throat).

So let’s begin with Volume 16.

The Good

This new service is super cool which is why CuriosityStream is making the top of the list.

What makes it good:

• A slight jab at the entertainment industry and turn-around by offering a service for watching documentaries (while telling the price right in the copy)
• The little nod at the light bulb which gives you images of creativity and invention
• The rest is so-so but it is interesting how they set themselves in this fashion that they are creating ‘curious minds’ through their service (which makes you wonder how deep you may go when finding great, intellectual content through the service)

Overall, if you were a scientific-type or just someone that loves documentaries this seems like a great service to have. If they make sure to target the right individuals, play around with A/B testing, and listen to feedback – this is a service that could certainly take off in no time at all.

The Kinda-Bad

Coming in at the middle of the list is a neat service by Yodle.

What it does okay:

• It takes a problem (finding clients) and offers their service in a clear and direct manner but it could have gone a little further by adding additional “pain points” of finding clients (which would have draw additional attention)
• The image is exactly as you’d expect and nothing flashy – it gets the job done but is a little boring
• There is just enough of a tease that you’d likely click the ‘Learn More’ but it’s something you’d probably want to learn more of before jumping off the social platform

If I were an IT professional just getting their start (or wanted to expand without disrupting my time) than this service nails it on the head. The only issue is that it presents more questions than answers which makes it easy to pass over if you saw competitor ads that went a little deeper in-depth.

The Too-Good-to-be-True

Bottoming out on the list is a product to increase intelligence and productivity by the offerings of OptiMind.

What makes this ughhh-ly:

• The name is neat, the claims are impressive, but your immediate reaction is “oh, another wonder drug that’s supposed to change everything… yeah right”
• Video was interesting and engaging but it just doesn’t feel right and you’re left asking for more (though you have no intention to find out because it seems too good to be true)
• Apparently it “Changes Everything” (another one of those buzz phrases that turn you off)

This product may very well be something that changes everything but people have been pounded over the head with this stuff for years and years – we’re tired of it – we’re skeptical – we’re very vocal to call out B.S. The ad doesn’t do a great job at convincing you but then nor does the basic idea that there is a wonder drug in the first place.

Conclusion

What did we learn this week?

A. Know your audience and target them around specific interests they’ve shown on Facebook (this one seems to have popped up due to a recent like of ‘documentaries’)

B. Find a pain point in a lead and put it out there for them to feel it but make sure to follow up with a logical solution they can get behind

C. Social channels probably aren’t the best locations to share pseudo-science type products where people can rip into your company (especially if you’re terrible at PR); perhaps stick to the smaller communities that are already on-board with this stuff

Seen any good, bad, or down-right ugly ads this week? Have thoughts about these ones? Share your experiences with FB ads and sponsored posts with a comment below.