Facebook Ads

Anyone using Facebook ads to market their business? I've used them for awhile now with mixed success, but I wanted to post a mini rant. I'm currently running an ad to a specific group: people who are currently in / have attended local colleges in my area who recently got engaged or are planning on getting engaged. Even though it's pretty specific according to Facebook, there are still 24,000 people who fall into my targeted audience. For my daily rate that I'm paying, Facebook says my ad should be served to an estimated 890-2,300 people per day. As far as I know the amount of people my ad is served to is dictated and carried out by Facebook. Well after a day and a half days of my ad running, I look at the analytics and the ad has only been served to 484 people. That means per day it's been served to about 300 people, when Facebook estimated it would be served to about 900 per day AT THE LEAST. That means Facebook is delivering 1/3 of the product that I'm paying for. Can you imagine going into a pizza place, paying $20 for a pie and them handing you 2.5 slices? I see it the same way. I'm going to see this ad to completion, but this may be the last time I waste my money on Facebook's false advertising. Why does Facebook hate small businesses so much?

"Estimated Reach" or "Potential Reach" and actual delivery are very very different. Not everyone visits Facebook every day, and even if they do, not all of them see every ad that is targeted to them in that period of time.

I've worked in online advertising for the past 10 years for my day job, and often run into questions like this all the time. Delivery is never guaranteed, and you only pay for what actually delivers.

My only paid advertising on through Facebook. Personally I can't fault the returns I get from it or how it works. I love it.

I agree that it can be frustrating that actual numbers are often below the estimated numbers (even the entire estimated range), however I don't think you're "getting 1/3rd of the product you're paying for" as you claim.

Unless I'm mistaken, Facebook ads charge per impression. So if you're getting 300 impressions then you're paying for 300 impressions. I could be incorrect. Did you max out your daily budget for those 300 impressions?