You may have noticed recently that as you scroll through your Twitter feed or click through Instagram stories, you are receiving tons of ads targeted specifically to you. For instance, say you recently decided to look up “restaurants near me” to help you decide on a location for your birthday dinner. Then, a few hours later, you see an ad on Facebook for a local restaurant advertising a special, so you decide to book a table and save yourself some money! What you may not have realized is the special technology and strategic marketing decisions behind you receiving this not-so-coincidental deal.  

Why should your business be interested in ads on social media? 

  • Social media ads cost significantly less than other traditional advertisements like commercials or billboards. 
  • You can set your own budget! For example, Facebook gives you the option to enter a start and end date for your advertisement and a total budget. Then, Facebook chooses the best times to show your ads so that you get the most bang for your buck. 
  • Increased brand recognition. According to Hootsuite, Instagram ads reach 20% of everyone in the world over the age of 13.  
  • Increased conversion rates, which means more traffic to your website. 

How do they work? 

How social media ads work depends on which platform you are using, but many of them run on a similar foundation. Most of them aim to help your business with these three basic objectives: brand awareness, consideration through engagement, and website conversions. Many platforms give you the option to promote a post you already have on your profile, or you can create an entirely new post for the ad specifically. How you pay for these ads could be through different options like cost per click, cost per impression, cost per app install, and so on. Typical components of a social media ad include either a photo or video paired with a call-to-action button like “Call Now” or a link to a website with more information. Social media platforms provide users with ads based off of what they know about them, which could be their age, location, page or post likes, browser history, and data from the mobile websites they use. 

What should I do to make my ad most effective? 

If you are looking into adding social media advertisements to your marketing strategy, it is crucial that you stand out amongst the crowd.  Ad spending is projected to increase from $41.47 billion in 2020 to $47.9 billion in 2021, so many users feeds are inundated with ads and these ads will only increase in number as time goes on 

 Here are some tips to ensure that your advertisements reach and draw in potential customers: 

  • Do your research. There are tons of different platforms to choose from with many different creative options for your ad. Make sure you are using the one that makes the most sense for your business goal. 
  • Know your audienceFor instance, if your target age demographic is Generation Z, make sure you are using platforms like Instagram and TikTok rather than Facebook. 
  • Use your social media to inform. The more users know about your business, the more likely they are to feel comfortable purchasing products or services from you. 
  • Don’t be afraid of trial and error. The research you put in to finding out which platform and ad type are best for your business will pay off! 
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About the Author

Alexis Miller

Alexis is one of our Social Media Coordinators! When she’s not on social media, she’s most likely spending time with her family or friends, watching a new tv show, or planning her next trip.

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