Social media is one of the most versatile and powerful ways to get your brand or business in front of your audience. Not only that, but it lets you speak directly to them, which is what today’s consumer expects. Through a combination of organic and paid social media on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn and more, you can develop a social media advertising strategy that towers over competitors, generates interest and engagement, and increases your customer base. At Frankel Agency, our paid social media advertising services can help with every step. Keep reading to find out what social media advertising is at its core and get tips on how to make the most of your paid social media advertising posts. 

What is Social Media Marketing? 

Social media marketing is a form of digital advertising on social media platforms. As a brand, this allows you to create and share content onto platforms that are relevant to your business while ensuring that your social marketing strategy is consistent with your overall marketing goals. 

The most popular social media platforms include Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn and Twitter, though there are a host of others, including Snapchat, Pinterest, Reddit and more. Most brands are present on a range of platforms to engage with different segments of their audience, but it’s imperative that you are present on platforms that fit your brand.  

Each platform has its own characteristics, and users of a particular platform expect certain things from each one. For example, Instagram is photo and image focused, and users scroll through their feeds and stories looking at, and expecting to see, interesting and eye-catching imagery. Your brand’s account should deliver visually appealing images and content. Similarly, Twitter is conducive for immediate and instant communication. If this doesn’t fit your brand, or if you are unable to respond with immediacy, this might not be a good platform choice for your brand. 

Social media platforms also include two main types of posts: organic and paid. Organic posts are posts that you create and post on your page for free, whether it’s an original post or something you share from a similar or related brand. It could include a message or caption, a photo (or series of photos), video or infographic. Paid posts are very similar to organic posts but they are paid, meaning that you pay a dollar amount to the platform to get them in front of specific audiences. These posts are typically identified as “sponsored” posts. This article primarily focuses on paid social media. 

Paid Social Media 

While organic social media posts are shown to a majority of your followers on a particular platform, it is often a struggle to get your organic posts in front of new eyes. This is where paid social media comes in. The following tips can help you get your paid social media advertising in front of more users, increasing your audience’s awareness of your brand and increasing your customer base. 

Tips for Paid Social Media Posts

Curious how to make the most of your social media advertising? Here are some tips from Frankel Agency’s top digital marketing specialists. 

Targeting Your Audience

One of the best things about paid social media advertising is that it can get your ad (your paid post) in front of any audience you choose. And you can choose multiple audiences! This means that you can target different parts of the audience funnel, from new customers (using interest-based targeting) to customers who are looking at different but similar companies (lookalike audiences) as well as custom audiences including remarketing (advertising to users who have visited your site and perhaps added something to their shopping cart) and more. You can also target users who have interacted with your social media page within a certain amount of time during recent history (for example, the last 30 days). 

Depending on the audience(s) you choose, your next step will be determining what to post. 

Post Preference

Brainstorming what to post and show your audience about your brand can be fun! After all, it’s all about showing your audience what makes your brand special. 

Most social media posts, including paid social media, include a few basic elements: 

• Image, or series of images (known in social media ads as a carousel ad)
• Product ad (similar to Google Shopping, used to sell products)
• Video
• Infographic
• Message/copy
• Tags, such as those for another account like the using the @ or a hashtag (#) 
• Link

Some platforms, such as TikTok, will govern the type of ad you select. Others, like Facebook, allow options. Since your ad will run for a period of time (which is different from your organic posts that typically show up in user feeds by date relevancy), you’ll want to make sure you select the most effective elements for your ad and your message on a given platform. For example, if you’re showing how something works, a short video might be great. If you’re highlighting an event, feature or giveaway, an ad with tags might be appropriate. Spend some time considering the goals of your ad and then select the best elements. 

Budgeting

How much should you spend on social media ads? Just like other forms of advertising, there is often a direct correlation between budget and ROI: the more ad spend you put toward your budget, the more you get out of running the advertisement. A good rule of thumb is the cost per click, or CPC. For Facebook, this hovers around $1 per click. Logically speaking, spending $2 will get you 2 clicks, and so on. You can use this model to help you determine how much you may want to spend on budget, but keep in mind it’s an average. The CPC can go up for very niche brands, and down for brands with more awareness and widespread locations. The social media advertising experts at Frankel can work with you to create a budget that aligns with your goals and fits your desired spend. 

Campaign Duration

The duration of a social media ad can vary by goal and run anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. Because of this, it’s imperative to keep an eye on the metrics. If numbers start to decline, the ad may need a refresh, especially if it’s an evergreen ad. Promotional and event ads may want to be run for at least a few weeks leading up to the sale, promotion or event. Whatever ad duration you select, though, it’s important to understand that the first few days will always consist of a learning period. During this time, the platform is showing your ad to a range of people within each audience and gathering data to best optimize the ad and exit the learning period. 

These are just a few helpful tips to get you on your way to learning about social media ads and how to make the most of these types of ads in alignment with your overall marketing strategy goals. At Frankel Agency, we have the best paid social media marketing experts on our side. It’s our job to stay on top of trends, algorithms, audiences and campaign metrics so your ads and your budget are always working for you. Contact us today to get started on a winning campaign!