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You can control what is in your advertisements, but not always where they're placed.[/caption]
Everyone has seen an example of bad ad placement. Whether it’s an advertisement for a funeral home adjacent to one for a fast food restaurant, a cruise ship/swimming lesson combo or something more risqué, it shows that you can’t always control every aspect of your business advertisements.
Business owners double and triple check their advertising copy to ensure it is error free and appropriate, as well as engaging for potential consumers. When it comes to where that ad goes, however, they often have little choice. In this age of outrage, where an implied link between a business and something mildly offensive can lead to a call for a boycott, that can be a problem.
The same is true with digital advertising, or boosting posts and ads on platforms like Facebook. You are not entirely sure where and when they’re going to turn up.
Facebook is taking steps to eliminate—or at least reduce—that problem. The social media giant updated its Brand Safety Controls in April to bring more peace of mind to business owners and online marketers. The new feature is called an inventory filter and its designed to help business owners protect their brand.
“Beyond our efforts to remove bad content, we know advertisers want control over where their ads could potentially be associated with other content,” Facebook said in the announcement. “That’s why we give advertisers choices for where their ads may appear when it comes to contextual ad placements like Audience Network, in-stream video and Instant Articles.”
New options include Limited Inventory, which offers the most protection, Standard Inventory and Full Inventory.
Which will be best for you? It depends on your goals for your advertisements. Limited Inventory will exclude all moderate and sensitive content, which means your overall reach will be reduced.
Standard Inventory will exclude all sensitive comment, but allow moderate content, providing the most balance in ad placement.
Full Inventory will offer your business the broadest reach; all eligible content is included.
Other upgrades launched in April include transparency controls that allow you to see where your ads may appear before you start your ad campaign, as well as a wrap up of where they appeared afterward. You’ll also be able to block lists, allowing you to prevent ads from delivering on specific publishers.
What do you think? Do these upgrades give you more confidence? Have you ever been subjected to a bad placement gaffe? Let us know in the comments!