8 ways that Facebook drives marketers crazy

I spoke with digital marketers to see where their relationships stand with Facebook, and why they remain willing to play by the rules of the social network giant.

Timeline

Marketers continue to be stumped as to just how to integrate their brands into the right conversations found within the Facebook Timeline, which debuted this year to a healthy dose of criticism.

“They forced the Timeline on us, and I still feel that it leaves brands in quite a bind,” says Steve O’Connell, partner and executive creative director at Red Tettemer + Partners.

“The brand pages are simply not a very welcoming experience, nor the greatest introduction or handshake, to a prospective new customer. Facebook is too smart a group not to see and hear the disappointment in our voices when we discuss with them the engagement numbers going down because of it.”

Data availability

It’s no secret that Facebook is sitting on one of the biggest-ever troves of marketing data. Although the possibilities for ad targeting are many, the fact that Facebook continues to hold the keys to the kingdom is troublesome for many.