David Bridges
Meta has announced some new updates to its ‘Call Ads’ which are designed to prompt Facebook and Instagram users to call your business for more information.
First off, Meta’s testing out a new ‘callback’ option, which will give people the option to request a call back from your business if you’re too busy to take their initial call.
As explained by Meta:
“Running a business means juggling a lot, and sometimes that means being unable to answer every call in the moment. Potential customers might lose interest if their calls aren’t answered, so we are testing a feature on Messenger that gives customers the option to request a callback from a business. This can show potential customers that you value their time and business and provides business owners flexibility for when a conversation happens.”
Definitely, call-back options can be valuable, putting the onus back on the business to follow up, which then leaves you with one less thing to remember.
As such, it could be a handy addition. Meta’s currently testing the callback option with selected businesses.
In addition to this, Meta’s also testing out more ways to measure the performance of Call Ads within Ads Manager, by adding more objective options within Call Ad campaigns, while it’s also testing a new ‘pre-call’ feature, which will enable advertisers to provide additional context in their Call Ads (like a link to their website) to educate potential customers before they make contact.
Meta’s also adding a 60-second call optimization option within various objectives, enabling businesses to ‘optimize their ads to reach people who are most likely to engage in a longer conversation’. Which probably means older people, because most young people are allergic to actual phone calls.
Meta’s also testing a new in-app calling option that would enable people to conduct an audio call via Meta’s apps, and direct from Call Ads, while still allowing users to resume their social browsing experience seamlessly.
So you make a call direct in-app, then go about your social browsing, which could be helpful for adding context, with users then able to look up relevant info while on the call, while it might also help if the business ends up having to put somebody on hold when they do call through.
I mean, ideally, that wouldn’t happen, but it does, and the capacity to shift a Facebook/Instagram-originated call into the background could be beneficial in this respect.
As noted, Call Ads may not be hugely impactful if you’re looking to reach younger consumers, as years of more indirect connection, via messaging and social platforms, have made them increasingly wary of actually speaking on the phone.
Indeed, a survey conducted by BankMyCell last year found that 75% of Millennials will avoid phone calls entirely, with 80% indicating that voice calls make them anxious.
If you want to reach these people, probably best not to spook them with Call Ads – but if you’re looking to reach older markets, or you offer products and/or services that do require a call, it could be a good option to consider, with these new enhancements helping to improve the value of Call Ads in various ways.
Mason Thompson
Sophie Langley
