2. Consider the impact that Facebook ad withdrawal will have on your local marketing and channel partners
While your national brand may have the financial resilience to sacrifice Facebook advertising, local partners — such as independent retailers, agents, dealers, and franchisees — may find themselves in a tougher spot. Facebook ads often serve as local partners’ primary lead generation source and are a driving force for getting customers through their doors. It’s also one of the easiest, most cost-effective marketing tools for overextended small-business owners. In fact, huge streams of small business revenue are often tied to Facebook ads. Eliminating this source of leads could make it challenging for local partners to get the sales and foot traffic needed to stay afloat, especially in the wake of COVID-19 shutdowns, which have limited other sources of leads, such as events. On top of that, some local partners may be inclined to capitalize on the more affordable Facebook ad inventory that has opened up after top advertisers abandoned the platform.
On the contrary, Facebook ads are often used as a brand awareness tool for national brands, making it less risky to remove the tactic from an overall marketing strategy. But national brands could also face backlash for being complicit with Facebook’s failure to enforce civil online behavior, and it’d be especially concerning if your ad were to appear next to a hateful or inaccurate post. If your brand is considering participating in the Facebook boycott, it’s important to weigh the potential impact it would have on both national and local marketing and for you to make sure your partners have other tools in place for generating leads.