In today's world of content overload, it can be next to impossible to get the instant click and conversion that nearly all Facebook ad campaigns strive to achieve. Though a consumer may click on an ad, and maybe even read a little of your sales pitch, it's easy for them (especially on mobile platforms) to be distracted by an incoming text, social media notification or even real life. When distraction occurs, and the initial momentum generated by that original ad is gone, you're back at square one. However, Facebook retargeting can help recapture those lost conversions.

What is ad blocking? From the perspective of consumers, the prospect is win-win. Not only can they bypass content they didn't elect to see, but they can save on data costs by not loading it. However, for marketers, this can seem like a zero-sum game. It's easy to get frustrated by this behavior, but taking a hard look at where ad blocking is happening (and where it is going) can help you get in front of this growing trend.

What Is Ad Blocking?

Most marketers know that ad blocking is add-on software that users seek out and download with the intent of stopping display ads from loading on a requested page. While the concept is pretty straightforward, the "add-on" part of the equation is somewhat mystifying. Many consumers simply don't bother to seek out browser extensions, making it less of a pressing issue than some marketers might fear. In fact, data reported by Fortune shows that only 6 percent of Internet users around the world are actively blocking ads. Although that figure is low, the same report shows that ad blocking is on the rise, particularly among millennials.

Creating a marketing campaign is a lot of work. After months of research, A/B testing and seemingly endless promotion to get it up and running, it's reasonable to want to rest a little bit and reap the rewards of a campaign well executed. But don't get too comfortable. Marketing campaigns aren't just "set it and forget it"; they require continual maintenance to make sure you're always connecting with your base in meaningful ways and reaching as many new customers as possible. While you might not need a complete overhaul just yet, here's a spring cleaning checklist you can use to spruce up your campaigns as the last of the winter chill melts away.

If you're looking for more from Facebook advertising, you're not alone. According to Marketing Land, the percentage of retail orders from social media actually decreased from the previous year. Overall, less than two percent of holiday sales in 2015 could be attributed to social media conversions, but Facebook still remains the largest social media platform, and its capabilities offer incredible potential - even if it's not driving sales. These simple tactics will help you make the most of Facebook advertising and improve your social media marketing overall.

If you're interested in Facebook video marketing, you're probably aware that the social media giant has been moving aggressively into this space. In late 2014, Marketing magazine reported that Facebook had more monthly video views than YouTube. However, some smaller businesses may still be questioning if Facebook video is a valuable advertising channel for them.

Value for Small Businesses

Companies that once advertised in phone books, on billboards or through community circulars are embracing digital advertising mediums, and Facebook's geotargeting capabilities offer a low-cost, direct response opportunity. One of the big wins for advertisers is the ability to track Facebook viewer conversions and gain insight into the number of audience views versus actual sales. Even for those viewers who don't directly convert, Facebook can track still them and serve ads at a later time. This tracking ability is essential, as Facebook is pushing measurement beyond CPM.

Being a mom in the 21st century is a tough business. Stay-at-home moms, working moms and even work-at-home moms are facing increasing demands and pressures on their schedules. As marketers, it can be tough to reach a demographic that is seemingly always on the go and checking things off her to-do list with rapid-fire efficiency. While supermoms often power through the day with laser-focus, marketers can use audience targeting in a way that feels familiar, meaningful, and doesn't interfere with busy schedules. Ignoring the group just isn't an option. Moms are often the key financial decision makers in the household, according to a report by ClickZ

In Tampa, digital marketing trends are creating new opportunities for small and midsize businesses. Thanks to advances in GPS technology, users can find and interact with brick-and-mortar businesses like never before. This can lead to increased profits for business owners who are ready to experiment. However, if you don't have a background in new technology, it can be difficult to know where to start. Here are some tips for Tampa Bay Area businesses.

Conventional wisdom says that social media best practices, such as posting frequently, boosting interaction and using advanced audience reach tactics like A/B split testing, are essential for engaging your audience and growing your brand. But recent data indicates that perhaps this formula is not as cut-and-dried as marketers once thought. As more research is conducted regarding consumer habits, it's becoming clear that the social landscape is fairly complex and that post timing, post frequency and overall trends can change drastically depending on the brand and channel involved.

When to Post

Although most marketers agree that posting multiple times a day to your social networking accounts is essential, when you post may actually be just as important as what you post. A report from Microsoft Enterprise shows that the best days and times to post vary by social media platform. For example, Thursday and Friday are the best days to post to Facebook, while Monday through Friday is best for Twitter. Facebook users are most active between 1 and 3 p.m., while the best posting times for Twitter are noon, 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. in the time zone where the greatest percentage of your users are based.

Many consumers look to Facebook for information about businesses, but many of those businesses see a Facebook page as secondary to their other marketing efforts. When customers log onto Facebook for information about your business or to talk to you directly, they can feel ignored or overlooked when they don't find what they're looking for.

Small businesses often lament the fact that they're at a disadvantage against bigger brands, which not only have larger marketing budgets, but can afford to offer much lower prices. But local businesses still have their own attractions, including a focus on quality and a commitment to their communities.

Small Business Saturday has emerged as a smart means of raising awareness about the value of shopping local, as noted by Marketing Land. The event, which comes on the heels of Black Friday, encourages consumers to spend their money wisely with businesses that reinvest that money in their local communities. This national retail day depends on the entire small business industry to promote it for their mutual benefit. Local businesses need the support of their communities, and an annual day dedicated to this relationship can give businesses a big boost. Here are some effective digital strategies for raising awareness of the event and driving traffic to your stores on Small Business Saturday.