Facebook Advertising by Gender – Why Are Men So Cheap?

Advertisers are far more likely to target by age and location than by gender but new studies are showing that gender targeting for Facebook ads will get you more bang for your buck. Facebook, the largest social networking tool in the world, is dominated by women. But, more companies are spending the majority of their ad money specifically on men. How come?

Men click on ads more often- 60% of them to be exact. While only 40% of women click. Due to this higher ‘clicking’ men are less expensive to target. The average cost per thousand ads is only sixteen cents for men; women cost twenty cents.

Men deliver better exposure rates and click through rates than women and it increases their value for marketers. Don’t get me wrong, women are worth spending money on too! They LOVE interacting with brands on Facebook, your ads just have to be more relevant and eye catching.

The evidence comes from how and why men and women use Facebook. Women use it for maintaining existing relationships and usually have an agenda. Men look for making new relationships and have a shorter attention spans thus leading them to be distracted by relevant advertisements. (I know it’s tempting, but bite your tongue ladies) You can reach more of a unique audience when targeting men.

If you are a brand or company that serves men and women, general advertising is not the route to take when it comes to Facebook. Gender targeting is a lot more effective and will boost ROI.  Use different colors, text and images to obtain the attention of a particular gender. While it is clever to spend more money reaching men with Facebook ads, don’t forget about the other 58% of Facebook users!