Facebook's Ad Boost Offers Free Advertising & Training to UK SMEs

Jan 24, 2012
Carol Finch

Facebook Gives Free Advertising Credits to SMEs - Image by dcandea

Facebook has announced details of its Ad Boost credit program. Managed by the British Chamber of Commerce, roadshows will also give free training to SMEs.

Facebook has announced that it will be giving away free advertising worth £4.2 million to SMEs across Europe via its Ad Boost program. The company will work in partnership with the BCC (British Chamber of Commerce) to promote the program in a series of 'Facebook for Business' roadshows that will teach small-medium sized companies and start-ups how to use the network to market their businesses. What's on offer and how useful could this be to your web marketing strategy?

What is Ad Boost?

In the UK, the roadshows will be managed by the British Chamber of Commerce. They will cover basic elements of working with Facebook, teaching SMEs how to create a page, how to interact with customers/prospects online and how to use advertising. They will also promote Ad Boost and its free advertising offer – qualifying businesses will get a credit to the value of around £80.

Facebook will also produce a range of eBook toolkits, in partnership with Enterprise Nation in the UK. Again, these are aimed at helping small-medium businesses and start-ups learn how to build a profile on the site.

What's the Point?

Businesses, especially at SME levels, can find social networks a low cost and highly effective way of engaging with their customer bases, building profiles online and boosting overall sales and marketing initiatives. But, smaller companies may not have the experience to do this effectively and they may not have the cash to hire in experts.

Using Facebook on a social level is not the same as using it on a corporate level. This could be an easy way to learn how to do it. These roadshows may just teach the basics but that will be enough to get a business up and running on the site. The free advertising may be a way to boost advertising streams and to give Facebook statistical traction for future ad sales, but it's still free. Companies can use it to test the waters at no cost.

Facebook and the EU Economy

Businesses can't afford to ignore the corporate potential of Facebook. The site is not simply a place for people to socialise and connect. It also has a significant impact on the UK and EU economy. Stats released at the DLD Conference in Munich on 24th January, 2012, based on a Deloitte report commissioned by the network, show that the site:

Adds an estimated €15.3 billion to the European economy.
Contributes £2.2 billion to the UK's GDP.
Supports 35,000 UK jobs.

The statistic that may interest small-medium sized business leaders most of all is economic impact. According to the report, the network has contributed around £1.15 billion for UK businesses that use Facebook for new business generation and brand promotion. Ad Boost may well be a savvy move to help the company grow its own business user base and advertising streams, but this could be a win-win situation for SMEs too.