facebook political campaigns

Types of Facebook Political Ads in Canada

Types of Facebook Political Ads in Canada

Meta’s Facebook & Instagram platforms represent Canada’s lion’s share of political advertising. On the one hand, their massive user base & engaged audiences offer a lucrative opportunity for political advertisers to engage with voters nationwide. On the other, restrictive Canadian government regulations and decisions by other popular social media platforms (such as TikTok & Snapchat) effectively leave Meta as the most accessible, viable, and scalable platform for political advertising in Canada. At EOK Consults, a leading Digital and Social Media Marketing Agency for Political Campaigns, we recognize how pivotal Meta has become for effective political advertising. New to the world of Facebook Political Advertising? Check out our Ultimate Guide to Facebook Political Ads in Canada here. This blog highlights the different types of Facebook political ads that are permissible in Canada as well as the variety of ad types, campaign objectives and ad formats available for political advertisers to leverage in their campaigns.  5 Types of Facebook Political Ads Common types of political advertising on Facebook include the following: Candidate Ads – These are sponsored posts that promote a specific candidate or individual running for public office across municipal, provincial or federal levels of government. These are typically done to promote brand awareness for a candidate, their background and profile, policies, platform/ideas as well as reasons to convince voters to elect them. Candidate Ads are generally run before and during an election cycle to ensure maximum reach and engagement with the voters in a specific riding or constituency. Issue Ads – Issue ads represent a form of political advertising which focuses on engagement and action related to a specific political issue. It could be a local issue like library funding or a provincial one like the building of a new public highway or mass transit service. It could even be a macro policy issue such as immigration or interest rates. These ads can be sponsored by individuals (including candidates) or organizations (including political parties) and these may advocate for or against a particular policy or stance on an issue. Advocacy Ads – These ads are similar to issue-based ads in that they promote a particular cause of advocacy group at a mass grassroots level. However, these aren’t always tied to an election cycle but may seek to influence public opinion on a certain matter over a longer-than-typical-election-campaign period. Common examples include massive public policy decisions such as urban planning, real estate development, and sale of restrictive goods such as tobacco & alcohol as well as transit decisions on ride-sharing and community driving.  Election Campaign Ads – All political advertising on Facebook during or just before an election cycle with information on the voting process, political parties, campaigns & their leaders fall under this category. When sponsored by parties or individuals, these ads encourage people to vote for them as well as provide voting information to make it easier for them to head to the polls. A major advertiser behind political ads that encourage more voter participation is regulatory bodies such as Elections Ontario or Elections Canada which use Facebook to engage the public en masse and encourage higher voter turnout.  Social Issue Ads – Social issue ads are a category that Facebook typically associates with issues of mass society or national importance. These are typically advertising on major social issues including race/identity, housing, social change as well as matters of general public safety and wellness amongst others.   Types of Facebook Political Campaign Objectives A successful political campaign connects with the most eligible voters in a defined region and then builds on that connection through engaging content that ultimately translates into votes and ballot decisions. Facebook advertising can help with every stage of a political campaign and offers a wide variety of campaign objectives to choose from, depending on the strategic goals of a political campaign. These include: Brand awareness: Advertising that aims to increase the visibility and recognition of a political candidate, party or idea/cause.  Reach: Campaigns that aim to maximize the number of people who see the political ads of a political advertiser. Reach campaigns are designed to deliver the highest number of ad impressions to as many unique users as possible within a specified target audience. Engagement: These political ads encourage user interaction with the ad content such as likes or comments. Engagement campaigns help create a buzz or viral effect around political campaigns that further help increase the organic reach for political content.  Traffic: Traffic ads drive users to a specific website or landing page set up by the political advertiser. These are useful to help people engage more in-depth with the candidate or the party and their platform, donate, sign up for communication or volunteer and join a campaign.  Video Views: Ads set up to boost views of video content fall under this category. Video is one of the most effective formats of political advertising and sponsored ads help increase the number of views and reach a larger audience for political campaigns. Lead generation: Political ads that aim to collect user information for possible support, as well as action items on key policy issues, are lead generation campaigns.  Messages: Any political ad that encourages people to initiate conversations via the unified Facebook messenger falls under this category. These ads help bridge the campaign and voters together.  Conversions: Any ad campaign that is focused on helping users take specific actions on a website such as donations, vote pledges or sign-ups are called conversion campaigns. These are measurable campaigns that can be very effective in voter engagement and momentum building. Event responses: Political advertisers use Facebook advertising to promote attendance at campaign events, fundraisers, town halls or other gatherings and these ads can help mobilize supporters and community engagement.    5 Popular Ad Formats for Facebook Political Ads in Canada To ensure that political advertisers have an effective and engaging way of communicating with potential voters on Facebook, a variety of ad formats are available. These are generally the same formats as available for other commercial advertising on the platform.

reasons to use facebook ads for political campaign in Canada

5 Reasons to Use Facebook Ads for Your Next Political Campaign in Canada

From nomination to voter engagement to mass advocacy, Meta’s Facebook and Instagram ads offer an unmatched channel for individuals and organizations to leverage when it comes to online political advertising. As a leading Digital and Social Media Marketing Agency for Political Campaigns, we understand the critical role these platforms play in modern campaigning. Here are the top 5 reasons why you should use Facebook ads for your next political campaign in Canada: Facebook Political Ads are Popular Facebook is one of the most popular social media platforms in Canada with a user base that is unmatched when it comes to diversity of audience and intense level of engagement. When it comes to political campaigns, candidates and organizations thrive on platforms that allow them a chance to connect directly with the voters. Meta, utilizing its cross-platform integration of Facebook and Instagram offers this exact opportunity to political advertisers. It’s the best of all (social) worlds when it comes to political campaigning. The numbers speak for themselves. A typical Federal election cycle sees over $10 million in direct ad spending on Facebook and Instagram in Canada. As a Digital and Social Media Marketing Agency for Political Campaigns, we can help you navigate this landscape effectively.  Facebook Offers Targeted Advertising Unlike traditional mass advertising channels that offer little flexibility when it comes to audience selection, Facebook’s robust advertising platform offers precise targeting options. This allows political campaigns to reach specific voter groups and demographics crucial for their success as well as the ability to customize their message to make the most impact. From geolocation to interests to behaviours, Facebook has a deep understanding of its user base in Canada. The same is offered to political advertisers, in compliance with local laws and regulations. Facebook Political Ads Utilize Innovative Content Formats Today’s social media user has many options to choose from when it comes to the platforms and type of content they wish to engage with. Video is a dominating format when it comes to social media content. Additionally, social media companies constantly tune their algorithm to ensure their users stick around for longer. As a result, these platforms consistently prefer engaging, mobile-friendly content that sparks conversations and reactions.  For advertisers on Facebook and Instagram, there’s a lot of flexibility for political campaigns to leverage short and long-form content including graphic ads, reels, wide-frame videos and more to woo their audience. The benefit of having a Facebook ads manager that offers creative as well as distribution capabilities makes it an even more attractive platform for political advertising. Facebook’s strength as a two-way communication platform between advertisers and voters encourages likes, shares, and organic virality of content that creates the possibility for a sense of community and momentum around a political campaign. Facebook Political Ads Offer Unmatched Return-on-Investment (ROI) Print, TV, and radio advertising have long been key components of political advertising in Canada. A common concern for advertisers on these traditional mass advertising tools is the limited measurability of return on investment (ROI). In contrast, Facebook allows advertisers to set clear goals in terms of their marketing objectives and track performance against those goals. Whether that’s mass reach, brand awareness, website traffic, post engagement, video views or other objectives, advertisers can get the best bang for their buck on Facebook & Instagram social media advertising. Analyzing hundreds of campaigns that we at EOK Consults have managed, we can see successful advertisers connect with 100+ voters for just $5 in digital ad spend. We have managed campaigns where supporters have been identified for specific causes and advocacy issues for as low as 50 cents to $3 per supporter!  In summary, a typical Facebook campaign can easily provide 10x ROI vs traditional forms of political advertising. In addition to advertiser verification, all political ads are required to carry a “Paid for by” disclaimer that identifies the organization, campaign, or individual funding the ad campaign. This further helps in establishing transparency when it comes to political advertising online. Transparency & Real-Time Analytics Are Added Bonus Political advertising is governed by laws and guidelines of the appropriate regulatory organization (municipal, provincial or federal). Facebook provides compliance and transparency tools to ensure that users know who is behind a particular political ad. It also maintains a publicly searchable directory of all political/social issues ads for 7 years on its ads library. These actions help build trust and transparency when it comes to political campaigns and highlight the importance of these elements in a democratic process. For campaign managers and staff members, Facebook’s real-time analytics on ad performance is a true game-changer. Campaigns can track important metrics such as ad reach, engagement, and conversions for real-time assessment and optimization of advertising strategy.  The possibility of real-time A/B testing campaign messaging, graphics and other elements is something traditional political advertising platforms just can’t offer.  In addition to advertiser verification, all political ads are required to carry a “Paid for by” disclaimer that identifies the organization, campaign, or individual funding the ad campaign. This further helps in establishing transparency when it comes to political advertising online. In summary, Meta offers Facebook and Instagram as comprehensive & integrated advertising platforms that are popular, targeted, innovative, measurable and most importantly, effective in reaching Canadian political and advocacy audiences. You just can’t run or manage a winning political campaign in today’s times without these in your toolkit. Launch Winning Political Campaigns on Facebook in Canada Interested in learning more about political advertising on Facebook? Check out our ultimate guide. If you’re running for public office or managing a political or advocacy organization, get in touch to learn how we can deliver winning campaigns to meet your objectives. Learn more by contacting us for a free consultation today.

The Ultimate Guide to Facebook Political Ads in Canada

The Ultimate Guide to Facebook Political Ads in Canada

Facebook political ads offer a modern and engaging way for political candidates & advocacy organizations to connect with their supporters. As a Digital and Social Media Marketing Agency for Political Campaigns, we’re here to provide insights into the basics, examples, and strategies in our ultimate guide. What are Facebook Political ads? Any advertisement on the social media platform Facebook, Instagram, or its network of online publishers that is related to a political campaign, social issue, advocacy group, or a candidate for public office is collectively and commonly known as Facebook Political ads. Such ads represent a popular form of digital political advertising in Canada to engage with the millions of Canadians who use Facebook and its affiliate networks daily.  From politicians promoting their vision and priorities to political parties and special interest groups rallying support for their ideological platforms and ideas, a broad spectrum of messages can be promoted or advertised on Facebook and related social media platforms. Types of Facebook Political Ads Meta Platforms, Inc. (parent company of Facebook & Instagram) offers a variety of content types that can be leveraged for political and advocacy marketing in Canada. This includes short and long-form videos, graphics, and lead-generation or web traffic ads. Multiple formats of political ads available on Facebook & Instagram include sponsored posts on user homepage/news feeds, stories, reels, and video feeds. Does Facebook Allow Political Ads in Canada? The short answer is Yes!  Political sponsored posts and advertisements are allowed in Canada. The same is true for many other countries worldwide, including the US.  However, like most traditional & digital advertising platforms, there are rules and regulations that all advertisers have to abide by and Facebook is no different.  What is important to note is that given the regulations surrounding political digital marketing in Canada, not all Facebook promotional tools and challenges are available for political marketing. There are, however, restrictions that apply to the nature of ads that can be run, targeting options, and the placements available to political ads on Facebook and Instagram.  What do you need to run Facebook Political Ads in Canada? To run political ads on Facebook and Instagram in Canada, advertisers are required to follow an authorization process that verifies their identity and disclosure in terms of responsibility for running and paying for the ads. In addition to advertiser verification, all political ads are required to carry a “Paid for by” disclaimer that identifies the organization, campaign, or individual funding the ad campaign. This further helps in establishing transparency when it comes to political advertising online. What are the rules for Facebook Political Ads in Canada? When it comes to the legal considerations for Facebook political ads in Canada, the Canada Elections Act (CEA) is the defining law that lays out the rules and obligations for advertisers and social media platforms. The flagship rule as part of that act is the requirement for an “ad library” – a searchable archive of all political, social, or issue-based ads that are run in Canada. This showcases the ads, and their disclaimers and provides high-level information on budgets and ad targeting options chosen by the respective campaigns. Any political ad that is activated in Canada is archived in that library for a period of seven years from the launch date. In addition to the ad library and advertiser-level requirements noted above, Facebook has additional community standards and policies that advertisers need to adhere to. These cover the nature and content of ads, the placements available for political ads, targeting options, transparency, and compliance guidelines.  How Popular are Facebook Political Ads in Canada? Facebook ads are extremely popular in Canadian politics. In fact, it is by far the most popular social media platform that supports advertising for political and social issues in Canada. In the last federal elections in 2021, the combined spending on Facebook ads by the three leading political parties exceeded $6 million. In the 2022 Ontario Elections, Facebook political ad spending exceeded $2 million with the Liberal Party in Ontario accounting for more than 50% of the total amount. As a Digital and Social Media Marketing Agency for Political Campaigns, we can help you make the most of these opportunities for engagement. How much does Facebook Political Ads cost? When it comes to budgeting and costs for Facebook political ads, there are a couple of considerations. While the actual spending limit on a campaign is governed by respective campaign laws (municipal, provincial, or federal), Facebook ads have no defined limit. Advertisers can begin political or advocacy marketing for as low as $5 per day. Facebook’s bidding system allows advertisers to turn up or down their spending as per their campaign needs. The beauty of digital ads is the scale, reach, engagement, and flexibility when it comes to campaign management and the same is true for political ads. If your campaign is connecting with the voters, you can add to its budget with a couple of clicks. On the contrary, if you’re not happy with the performance of another political ad, you can shut it down in one click! You can’t say the same for more traditional forms of political advertising. What we have seen in our experience with a wide spectrum of clients across all levels of the government is that, at the end of the day, a combination of the campaign’s overall budget, the candidate or party’s brand image, and strategic priorities influence the budget process for Facebook ads.   What are some of the latest trends in Facebook political advertising in Canada?  Facebook’s advertising platform is constantly evolving to ensure alignment with changing user interests as well as compliance with regulatory requirements.  Some of the latest trends in Canadian political advertising on Facebook & Instagram include: Consistent increase in political ad spending on Facebook by candidates, political parties and third-party organizations The rise of video content as the most popular ad format Reels and stories dominate short-form video content, especially among young voters (18-30 years) Changes in geographic targeting guidelines on Facebook that restrict ads

Facebook
X (Twitter)
LinkedIn