Title: Frequency, Content, Timing and Targeting Criteria of Pop-Up Facebook Advertisements as Predictors of Subscribers' Message Engagement
Authors: Oduh Obiegari (PhD), Emenike Ikedichi Ubani, Ndukwe-Tochi Chinwe Chosen ( Correspondence)
Volume: 10
Issue: 6
Pages: 86-97
Publication Date: 2026/06/28
Abstract:
This study investigated the influence of pop-up Facebook adverts on subscribers' interest in Facebook messages among social media users in Enugu metropolis. Specifically, it examined the relationships between subscribers' interest in Facebook messages and four dimensions of pop-up Facebook advertising: frequency, content, timing, and targeting criteria. The work was anchored on Attentional Capture Theory and the Elaboration Likelihood Model, which explain how users notice, process, and respond to online advertising messages. A survey research design was adopted. Primary data were collected with a structured questionnaire, while secondary data were obtained from related academic and industry materials. A convenience sampling technique was used to select Facebook subscribers in Enugu metropolis, and a sample size of 328 was determined using Cochran's formula for an unknown population; 312 valid questionnaire copies were retrieved and analyzed, representing a 95% response rate. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics and multiple regression using SPSS. The model summary showed R = .983, Rē = .965 and adjusted Rē = .938, indicating that the independent variables jointly explained a very high proportion of the variance in subscribers' interest in Facebook messages. The ANOVA result showed that the regression model was significant (F = 34.935, p = .001). The findings showed significant relationships between subscribers' interest in Facebook messages and advert content (p = .034), advert timing (p = .013), and targeting criteria (p = .009), while advert frequency was not significant (p = .984). The study concludes that relevant content, strategic timing, and appropriate targeting are more important than mere frequency in influencing subscribers' interest in Facebook messages. It recommends that advertisers develop audience-vrelevant messages, use data-driven timing, refine targeting criteria, and monitor advert frequency to avoid fatigue and irritation.