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How Facebook helps advertisers target ads in India

Sam Harnett Sep 2, 2014
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How Facebook helps advertisers target ads in India

Sam Harnett Sep 2, 2014
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The social media giant Facebook has well over 100 million users in India, a nation that could overtake the U.S. as the top Facebook market as early as next year.

To capitalize in emerging countries like India, Facebook is now providing advertisers with data on cell reception and connection. The information helps match ads to user technology. For example, Coca Cola could send a video ad to people in cities with 4G LTE, or turn it into a text ad for people in rural areas where connections are spotty and data networks are limited.

It’s a way to help advertisers better reach the population they’re addressing, says Anne Nelson, who specializes in international media development at Columbia University.

This is important because most users in places like India are on pay-as-you-go data plans, says Nathan Eagle, the CEO of Jana, a mobile marketing platform.

“Advertising for most people in these emerging markets ultimately is taking money out of their pockets,” he says.

With over a billion potential Facebook users in India, that’s probably not the best way to make a first impression.

 

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