Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Facebook bug prevents some users from creating event ads

Facebook bug prevents some users from creating event ads:
Some users with a new version of the self-serve Facebook ad dashboard are unable to to create ads to promote their events, we’ve discovered.
A Facebook spokesperson confirms this is a bug in the ad tool. As a result of the bug, users will not be able to see any of their events from the drop-down menu within the tool. There are a few workarounds for users who want to get the word out about an event, but these ads are not as effective as traditional Facebook event ads because they do not always include a button to RSVP.
One option for users affected by the bug is to create an event through a Facebook page rather than a personal account. Then users can indicate that they want to promote a specific post from that page. The event should appear from a drop-down menu. The resulting ad has more words and a smaller photo than traditional event ads, which is likely to make it less effective. Also, users who are not fans of the page will see a “Like this page” call to action rather than “Join,” which Facebook uses in event ads to let users RSVP with one click. (Note that our sample screenshots include the “Invite Friends” call to action because the user already Likes the page and has joined the event.)

Another option is for users to create an ad, either from their page or personal account, and promote it as an external URL, rather than a native Facebook event. This gives event organizers full control over the headline, body copy and image for the ad, but does not include a “Join” or Like button. The benefit here is that the image will be the same size as it would be for traditional event ads. However, users might be less likely to click the ad if it appears as though it is leading them off-Facebook. It will also be harder to track how many users RSVP as a result of the ad versus other means.

Facebook did not offer timing on when the issue with event ads will be resolved.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Thank's!