Advertising on social media has seen a dramatic rise over the past few years.
As social media platforms have grown into mammoth companies with thousands of employees, the advertising opportunity has become huge.
Billions of people around the world now use social media on a daily basis.
These platforms dominate our lives and the influence they possess is enough to make a black mirror episode seem like reality.
If you run a business and you’re not advertising on social media you could seriously be leaving a lot of money on the table.
In this post we will explain the benefits of using social media as a way to advertise your business.
Benefits of Social Media Ads
The benefits of advertising on social media are as follows:
Targeted Advertising
The users of social media are varied and they all come from a variety of backgrounds.
Social media platforms know their users and, more importantly, they know their behaviours and interests.
This data is invaluable in terms of marketing.
These savvy social media platforms know us better than we know ourselves because they study our behaviours and patterns.
So when you advertise on their platforms, they know exactly who would most likely be interested in your product or service.
When you compare this to more traditional forms of advertising it pales in comparison in terms of targeting.
If you advertise your product on a billboard in Times Square it will be seen by thousands of people a day.
When you use social media advertising your product shows directly in front of someone on their screen and it will more than likely be someone who has an interest in what you’re advertising.
You’re essentially getting more bang for your advertising buck as your ad is way more efficiently delivered.
Although seeing your ad lit up in the middle of Times Square would be cool to see, let’s be honest.
Cost-Effective
You’ll need to allocate money to your social media advertising budget.
How much is really up to you.
With social media advertising there is no magic number that will guarantee you’ll reach your advertising goals.
The more money you put in the better chance you’ll have of success.
But when you compare the cost of more traditional forms of advertising and social media advertising there can be quite a difference in cost.
Running a TV ad can cost between £3,500 – £4,300 with costs going higher at peak times.
Considering your ad will be shown to a lot of uninterested people, you could be wasting precious advertising pounds.
You could spend the same amount of money on social media ads and reach a way more relevant and engaging audience.
Also, what happens when you’re watching your favourite TV show and the advertisements come on?
You usually go straight for your phone and start scrolling through your social media newsfeed.
Increased Brand Awareness
With 4.9 billion users on social media it’s hard to argue the potential reach it has for your business.
We’re not saying that as soon as you publish a post that 4.9 billion people will see it in an instant.
Unless you have 4.9 billion followers.
If that is the case you should probably stop reading a blog post on the benefit of social media ads.
All you need to do is capture a small percentage of people’s attention on social media to reach a huge audience.
Reaching people organically is a much slower process than spending money to advertise on social media platforms.
These platforms will value the content that is paid for over all else, so they will try and get it in front of as many relevant people as possible.
Getting your content out there to the masses will increase your brand awareness.
The importance of branding your business correctly cannot be understated.
Getting your brand out there in front of many people increases the success your brand can have.
Engagement and Interaction
The people who buy your products and services are essentially the lifeblood of your business.
Without them you don’t have a business.
Using the power of social media ads you can create a two way communication between your business and your customers.
Interacting with your audience on social media helps increase your brand’s visibility and recognition.
Engaging with your audience allows you to build and nurture relationships with your customers.
Think of companies that do this so well.
Companies like Ryanair and Paddy Power are always pushing the boat out by creating engaging social media content.
Their unique ways of engaging with their audience on social media has granted them a near cult-like following who are always left wanting more.
Responding to comments and messages left by your audience shows that you care about their opinions and concerns, fostering trust and loyalty.
Interacting with your audience can provide valuable insights and feedback.
You can use this information to improve products or services, create content that resonates, and adapt your strategies to meet your audience’s needs.
Active interaction can help you build a community around your brand.
This sense of belonging can lead to more loyal customers or supporters who advocate for your brand.
Social media has been designed to be social so it makes zero sense not to be.
Measurable Results
Social media advertising campaigns can be tracked and measured in a very detailed manner.
You get access to an endless supply of data.
Having access to this amount of detailed data allows you to see clearly what has worked and what hasn’t when it comes to your advertising campaign.
The analytics provided are a great indicator if a current campaign is working or not.
Having the data in front of you while a campaign is ongoing can allow you to make tweaks and adjustments that will turn a losing campaign into a winning one.
You’ll be able to carry out A/B split tests to test out new ideas you may have for a campaign.
Doing split tests like these and analysing the data is one of the best ways to judge whether or not your campaign is going to be successful.
If you don’t test things out how will you know if something is doing better?
Ad Formats
They say content is king.
But the type of content you choose will have a big part to play in the success of your social media marketing.
Social media is a place where a variety of content resides.
This variety of content is displayed using a variety of ad formats.
The specific ad formats available can vary from platform to platform, but here are some common social media ad formats:
- Image Ads – These are simple ads that consist of a single static image. They are commonly used for promoting products, services, or events.
- Video Ads – Video ads can be in the form of short videos or longer ones, and they are effective for storytelling, product demonstrations, and engaging audiences.
- Carousel Ads – These allow you to display multiple images or videos in a single ad, which viewers can swipe through horizontally. This format is useful for showcasing a range of products or telling a sequential story.
- Slideshow Ads – Similar to video ads but created from a series of static images or photographs, slideshow ads can be a cost-effective way to create engaging visual content.
- Story Ads – These ads appear in the “stories” sections of platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat. They are typically short-lived, full-screen vertical ads that are particularly effective for a younger demographic.
- Collection Ads – Collection ads combine a cover image or video with several product images below. They are designed for e-commerce businesses and make it easy for users to browse and purchase products without leaving the platform.
- Messenger Ads – These appear in a user’s messenger app and can include various formats, like image or video ads, as well as sponsored messages that allow businesses to engage in direct conversations with potential customers.
- Augmented Reality (AR) Ads – Some platforms, like Snapchat and Facebook, offer AR ads that allow users to interact with your brand through AR filters and effects.
- Sponsored Filters and Lenses – On platforms like Snapchat, brands can create sponsored filters and lenses that users can apply to their photos and videos.
Each ad format serves different purposes and can be effective depending on your marketing objectives and the preferences of your target audience.
It’s important to choose the right format for your specific campaign and goals.
Quick Setup and Delivery
Setting up your ad campaign can be done in a matter of minutes.
You’ll be able to get your ads in front of eyeballs within no time at all should you wish to advertise on social media.
Although, the setup and delivery times for social media ads can vary depending on several factors, including:
- The complexity of your campaign.
- The platform you’re using.
- The ad format.
- The specific targeting options you choose.
A simple image ad with broad targeting may be quick to set up, while a more complex campaign with multiple ad formats, custom audiences, and advanced targeting options can take longer.
Creating ad creatives, such as images, videos, and ad copy, can add to the setup time.
High-quality, engaging content will require additional time for production.
While some social media ads can be set up relatively quickly, it’s essential to balance speed with effectiveness.
Rushing the setup process without proper planning and optimisation can lead to less efficient ad campaigns.
Retargeting
Retargeting, also known as remarketing, is a powerful strategy in social media advertising that involves showing targeted ads to users who have previously interacted with your website or content.
Retargeting ads often have higher conversion rates because they target users who have already shown interest in your brand, products, or services.
Since these users are familiar with your business, they are more likely to convert (make a purchase, sign up, etc.) when exposed to retargeting ads.
Retargeting keeps your brand fresh in the minds of potential customers.
Even if they didn’t make a purchase during their initial visit, they’re more likely to remember your brand when they see your ads on social media, making them more likely to return and convert later.
Retargeting allows you to re-engage with users who may have abandoned their shopping carts, exited your website without taking action, or viewed specific products or pages.
You can present tailored ads to address their previous interactions or encourage them to complete their intended actions.
You can create highly personalised retargeting ads based on users’ past behaviour.
For example, if a user looked at a particular product on your website but didn’t purchase it, you can show them ads featuring that product, possibly with a special offer or incentive.
Just think of how powerful doing this can be for your business.
Imagine a customer comes into your store, picks up an item, examinines it then decides not to buy it.
Then as they leave you run out the store after them and put the item in front of them, again, again and again.
That is exactly what retargeting is.
Only instead of you running out of the store like a crazed salesman trying to strongarm someone into a sale, you run an automatic retargeting campaign that does all the work for you.
Social Media Ad Strategies That Work
The benefits of social media for marketing your product or service are overwhelming.
As a business owner you should be utilising the opportunity that social media offers you.
However, it’s clear that there will be a need to be a strategy in place before taking the plunge.
That’s where we can help you.
We have run social media ad campaigns for businesses all over the UK in a variety of industries.
Thanks to our expert knowledge and innovative strategies we have helped these businesses reach new customers, increase their brand awareness and generate more revenue.
If you’re interested in getting started in social media advertising, reach out to our team today.