Facebook advertising has taken a lot of criticism the past few weeks in the wake of two particular articles. First, General Motors’ announced that they would no longer be advertising on Facebook due to poor returns. To make matters worse, a new study from Greenlight surfaced, highlighting the finding that 44% of survey respondents never click Facebook ads.

However, despite the recent negativity, advertising on Facebook is still an important part of online marketing. For those still on the fence, we’ve put together 3 reasons why you should use Facebook ads.

1. Strength of the Facebook Audience

While the media has turned the Greenlight survey into an indictment of the Facebook advertising audience, a closer look at the statistics actually strengthens the argument for using Facebook ads.

The survey found that 31% of the respondents rarely click ads, 3% regularly click ads, and 10% often click ads.

This means that although 44% never click Facebook ads, the amount of respondents who do click ads is also 44%.

When examining the audience numbers, it all comes down to whether you view the glass as half-full or half-empty. Either way, the potential market is still massive, shifting the focus from if you should advertise on Facebook to how you should advertise on Facebook.

2. Goal of Facebook Ads

As with any advertising initiative, whether it’s online or traditional, there needs to be a goal in mind. What are you looking to accomplish with your ads?

Facebook ads are best served as community building tools for your Facebook page, meaning you don’t have to rely on the Facebook ads to send people directly to your website.

Instead, bolster your Facebook page to make users want to visit your website based on the positive social media experience.

3. Quality of Facebook Ads

Advertising on Facebook is similar to other forms of online marketing in that the ads need to be optimized. The ads not only need to be targeted to a specific demographic, but those ads need to link to websites, pages, or apps that are relevant to what that targeted demographic is interested in.

You cannot simply throw money into Facebook advertising and expect success. However, if you take the time to implement a strategy with your Facebook advertising, the benefits of this more targeted audience is huge.