Social Media Advertising: Drive More Brand Growth

This blog is an expansion and update to our previous piece about how to use social media for business growth. While it shares the same principles, this piece is also more specific to paid advertising.

Before we dive in, here’s a quick reminder (in case you’re somehow new to the digital world):

Social media advertising is the process of creating and disseminating paid content on social media platforms to achieve specific marketing objectives. These objectives may include increasing brand awareness, generating leads, fostering customer engagement, and driving sales and conversions. 

In a world where consumers are increasingly digital-savvy, it benefits your brand to remember that social media advertising has become an essential tool for businesses looking to connect with their audiences. It has become an indispensable component of modern marketing strategies!

By harnessing the power of advertising on social media platforms, your business can effectively target desired audiences, deliver tailored messages, and measure campaign performance better.

Drive growth by:

1. Understanding digital ad platforms

Each social media platform boasts a unique user base, distinct content formats, and specialized advertising capabilities. Google is still a good choice for ads, but consider the following for social media advertising efforts:

• Facebook
  With over 2.7 billion monthly active users, Facebook remains the world’s largest social media platform. Its robust advertising ecosystem enables businesses to target users based on demographics, interests, and behaviors, making it an ideal choice for brands seeking to reach a broad audience.
• Instagram
  Instagram, a visually-driven platform with over 1 billion monthly active users, offers businesses the opportunity to showcase their products and services through high-quality images and videos. Its advertising capabilities include carousel ads, stories ads, and shoppable posts, making it attractive for businesses in e-commerce, fashion, and lifestyle sectors.
• LinkedIn
  As the premier professional networking platform, LinkedIn has over 722 million professionals. Its advertising capabilities include sponsored content and InMail, allowing businesses to target users based on job title, industry, and seniority, making it invaluable for B2B marketing initiatives.
• TikTok
  TikTok, a short-form video platform with over 500 million monthly active users, has rapidly gained popularity among younger demographics. Its unique advertising options, such as branded hashtag challenges and in-feed native video ads, provide businesses with innovative ways to capture users’ attention and generate buzz around their brands.
• YouTube
  This platform is a favorite of consumers and creators as it has one of the highest-yielding payouts because—you guessed it—they allow in-stream ads. When viewers play your ads between long-form videos, they earn a commission. That is, more creators are open to using YouTube as an ad platform.

2. Setting clear goals and objectives

Here are some examples of goals your brand should aim for:

Brand awareness

This is critical for establishing a strong presence in the minds of target audiences. Compelling content, eye-catching visuals, and strategic targeting can effectively increase brand awareness on socials.

Lead generation

This involves identifying and cultivating potential customers. Social media platforms offer various opportunities for businesses to generate leads, including gated content and lead ads.

Customer engagement

This goal fosters meaningful connections between a business and its audience. Social media provides avenues for engagement through comments, direct messages, and user-generated content.

Sales and conversions

A business owner’s favorite, this represents the ultimate goal! By leveraging platform-specific features like shoppable posts, businesses can guide users through the sales funnel effectively.

3. Crafting effective campaigns 

Start your campaigns by:

Identifying your target audience

Analyze demographics, interests, and behaviors to develop strategies that resonate with your desired audiences.

Creating compelling content

Compelling content is the cornerstone of successful social media campaigns. High-quality visuals, engaging copy, and clear calls to action (CTAs) are essential for capturing user attention.

• Visuals play a pivotal role in social media advertising, capturing users’ attention and conveying complex ideas. Businesses should prioritize high-resolution images, eye-catching colors, and consistent branding.
  
• Copywriting helps businesses convey key messages and establish brand voice. Clarity, brevity, and persuasive language are crucial for engaging users.
  
• Calls-to-Action (CTAs) drive user engagement and encourage desired actions. Action-oriented language, contrasting colors, and strategic placement enhance effectiveness.

And in case you forget, ensure that all your ad content adheres to the latest ad guidelines on your chosen platform. Working with a digital marketing agency can help you get your ad out there with a significantly lower chance of getting flagged.

Strategizing budget and bidding

Budgeting and bidding strategies help businesses allocate resources effectively. By considering campaign objectives, target audience, and platform capabilities, businesses can develop strategies that align with their needs.

A/B testing and optimization

Refine your campaigns! By testing various elements, businesses can identify the most effective combinations and optimize their advertising efforts.

4. Leveraging advanced advertising features

Ready to kick it up a notch? Include these in your ad plan:

Custom and lookalike audiences

These enable businesses to target users similar to their existing customers. By leveraging these features, businesses can expand reach and improve targeting accuracy.

Retargeting strategies

Retargeting involves serving ads to users who have previously engaged with a business’s content. This tactic can re-engage potential customers and encourage conversions.

Influencer partnerships

Influencer partnerships entail working alongside key figures in a specific niche or industry to market a business’s products or services. By teaming up with suitable influencers, companies can access their established audiences, boost their credibility, and foster brand growth.

Video and story ads

These content formats provide immersive experiences that engage users. Incorporating these into advertising strategies can capture attention and foster deeper connections.

5. Measuring and analyzing performance

Measuring and monitoring matter! These steps are important keys to refining your ad strategy to allow your campaigns to succeed.

Establish Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

These are metrics that help evaluate campaign success. Common KPIs include click-through rates (CTRs), conversion rates, and return on ad spend (ROAS).

Use tools and platforms for analytics

Tools like native platform analytics and Google Analytics can measure performance. 

Adjust strategies based on data

Regularly reviewing performance data enables businesses to identify areas for improvement and adjust strategies accordingly.

6. Overcoming challenges

You might encounter these challenges, so make sure you can overcome them.

Ad fatigue

Ad fatigue occurs when users become desensitized to repeated ads. To combat this, businesses should refresh creative content and target new audiences.

Changing algorithms

Social media algorithms frequently update, impacting visibility. Staying informed about these changes allows businesses to adapt strategies effectively.

Platform limitations

Each platform has unique features and limitations. Understanding these can help businesses maximize advertising potential.

Compliance and privacy issues

As privacy concerns grow, businesses must prioritize transparency in advertising practices to maintain user trust. Familiarizing themselves with platform policies is essential.

Ready to explore ads for brand growth?

As social media platforms evolve and new technologies emerge, businesses like yours must remain agile and adaptable in their advertising strategies. Embracing innovation and prioritizing user needs – reflected through your brand ads – are essential for success.

Succeed further by partnering with a public relations agency to help continually refine your approaches, and drive brand growth, foster customer loyalty, and maintain a competitive edge in an ever-changing marketplace. Contact NGP-IMC today.