Instagram Stories Ads - Are You Seeing This Too?!?!

[mbloom19]

This is a heads up to anyone that works at the following dealerships or the agency that manages their ads. This should also serve as a reminder to those that manage Facebook ad campaigns to check all of your location settings for your current ad campaigns to ensure that you are only advertising in your local area.

Since last week, I noticed a huge influx in the amount of out of state dealership ads that I have been served in my Instagram Stories. Almost every other ad is for a dealership and it has increased so steadily that I started to screenshot every ad. And before anyone asks, I have not traveled outside of Michigan for months nor have I visited any of those websites, so I am not included in a retargeting campaign.

The video below shows ads have all been served to me since Sunday. Here is the full list of dealerships:
Caskinette Ford, Lawrence Mitsubishi, Lithia Nissan of Ames, Mike Hale Acura, Future Nissan Folsom, Flow Acura, Elder Ford Tampa, Vann York Toyota, Echelon Ford, Palm Springs Hyundai, Airport Motors, Ackerman Toyota.

 

[Rick Buffkin]

The Agencys are like...

On the monthly Call with the dealer the Agency rep is like... Great news Mr. Dealer. Your campaigns had an amazing month...

 

[sukoseo]

Great heads up for those that don't watch where that money is going.....

Does anyone not see where the money is going?

 

[mbloom19]

Great heads up for those that don't watch where that money is going.....

Does anyone not see where the money is going?

 

[sukoseo]

I should clarify.

I hope those advertising for services that are filling the wrong mailboxes realize it before they spend waaaay too much and are not getting any return. Showing us you are being targeted from non-local dealers is a great red flag for dealers, or internet managers, or digital gangsters to keep an eye on things, or learn how to

 

[Brian Michael West]

So many people swapped to the new special ad category sections and reset the targeting to be all of the United States. #Fail

 

[Joe Friedrichsen]

Great post @mbloom19! Yes, this should serve as a wake-up call for dealerships to keep their ad agency or vendor accountable for advertising spend. To state the obvious, if relevant locations aren't being targeted, a dealer's ad spend is going down the drain. I hope this isn't widespread. I'm now curious to see what others have encountered.

 

[Jeff Kershner]

@Brian Michael West mentioned over on FB that when changing over to the new special ad category sections, the targeting setting may have reverted back to the default - targeting all of the United States.

Edit: I see Brian was responding at about the same time I was.

 

[John koska]

Don't forget to make sure the location settings are set for people "who live in this area".

Kudos to you for making a video. I can send you more screenshots if you need more.

 

[Kevin McKillop]

Should click a few, you may find the UTM or any additional tracking tags can identify the vendor.