Content and Ad Formats in Performance Marketing Campaigns: Brand Usage Analysis of Advertising Options on Facebook

Abstract

The digital marketing industry is on the rise, with Facebook being one of the main adver- tising platforms for businesses to reach potential customers and drive results such as purchases, app downloads and registrations. In order to run a successful campaign, the appropriate kind of content is necessary to trigger the customer - still, the question for a suitable mix of content and ad format re- mains. Although research on online marketing has increased, there is a gap in the research of content use in performance marketing in relation to the business objectives being pursuit. This paper uses an inductive empirical method based on grounded theory with data gathered from 10 of the largest advertisers on Facebook ads in Germany, to analyze and categorize the different content and format strategies used by companies to drive performance objectives. As a result, a framework regarding content and ad format in Facebook ads for practical usage is derived.