archive: https://archive.is/9TRB6
Within the ad manager, they upload an image that has been modified to look like a Facebook gallery post (there are tools for this), and then they delete the headline and description that is autogenerated by Facebook to make it look like the ad is just an image and not a link. Then, they generate a preview for their ad. This creates a preview link, which can then be pushed to their phone (it has to be a separate device), then shared to their own personal Facebook page as a “test.” From there, the link can be grabbed and shared to a page as a normal post, even though it is not a published ad, meaning that, to do this trick, you do not actually have to spend any money.
I don’t think it’s what I was supposed to get out of the article, but… this is so cool… Honestly I’m in awe.
to get on my developing-nation[0] soapbox for a little bit: it is, and it’s also hilarious how often this sort of shit happens with things developed by people who you could largely handwave as “their smallest computer is a 3yo max-spec mbp” (I know this isn’t precise but ygwim). “talk to your users” is obviously useful and it’s often largely clear that a lot of these orgs don’t, but it’s even more clear in places further down the economic ladder. the one thing people in such markets often have is bucketloads of time. I do like that the phrasing used in the article was “you do not actually have to spend any money” rather than calling it “free” - this is still work. but you will readily find maaaaaany people who will do this sort of thing
[0] - speaking from experience, large consideration in stuff I have to design for in services