Facebook Marketers Reveal States Where Users Click on Ads Most [EXCLUSIVE]

Facebook Marketers Reveal States Where Users Click on Ads Most [EXCLUSIVE]
April 4, 2012 by Sam Laird on Mashable

Facebook users in South Dakota, Tennessee and Colorado click through ads on Facebook at record rates. In South Dakota, Facebook users click on ads at a rate of 174% the national average.

Meanwhile, residents of Vermont, Alabama and Indiana are the least likely to take the bait. In Vermont, the click-through rate (CTR) is 57% the national average.

This is according to data provided exclusively to Mashable by marketing agency TBG Digital, which works with high-profile clients including jetBlue, Heineken and Coca Cola.

TBG analyzed more than 7.6 billion Facebook ad impressions from its client base during December, January and February. Here are the top and bottom 10 states for CTR, according to TBG’s data:

While the click-through data is powerful information for online marketers, TBG CEO Simon Mansell cautions that it’s not the be-all end-all for advertisements.

What people do after they click on ads, for example, is among a host of other factors that determine an ad’s ultimate success.

“It’s like any data — useful to know but you shouldn’t look at it in isolation,” Mansell told Mashable in an interview.

And where does Facebook earn the most money off the ads it hosts? Not surprisingly, South Dakota — the state with the highest click-through rate — has the highest cost per thousand impressions (CPM), at 190% the national average.

Vermont — where people click on ads with the least frequency — has the lowest, at 53% the national average.

Here are TBG’s top and bottom 10 states for CPM:

There are obvious parallels between the states that have the highest CTRs and CPMs. But Mansell says, the lists aren’t more proportional as a result of variables in the Facebook ad-bidding process. Facebook charges on a cost-by-click basis. Advertisers who gain more clicks are allowed to buy ads for discounted rates.

What’s most interesting about these data to you? Let us know in the comments.

Airline Wi-Fi Check: Which Have It?

It took ages, but United has finally made a decision on putting Wi-Fi on its fleet. Instead of just doing the domestic fleet, it's going global. Now, almost every U.S. airline has plans for Wi-Fi with at least one of the various providers out there. Here's a look at how they stack up.

Alaska

Installed on entire mainline fleet (except for the cargo/passenger combi 737s that primarily fly in Alaska). Service not available on Hawai'i flights.

Allegiant

No plans for Wi-Fi.

American

Will install on entire mainline domestic fleet by next year. To see if your flight will have it, check the AA widget. Service not available on Hawaii flights. No plans for international fleet have been announced.

Delta

Installed on entire mainline domestic fleet. Currently installing on all regional jets with more than 50 seats. No plans for international fleet have been announced.

Frontier

Plans to install only on Embraer 190 aircraft, but not currently in service.

Hawaiian

No plans for Wi-Fi.

JetBlue

Will install on entire fleet beginning next year.

Southwest

Installing on most of its fleet. Will be completed by 2013. Pre-merger AirTran fleet has it installed on every airplane.

Spirit

No plans for Wi-Fi.

United (including Continental)

Installed on only the 13 airplanes flying between New York/JFK and both Los Angeles and San Francisco today. Will begin installing on rest of the mainline fleet (domestic and international) next year. Full mainline fleet will be completed by 2015.

US Airways

Installed only on all A321 aircraft.

Virgin America

Installed on entire fleet.

Photograph: iStockPhoto