Social media is a gateway for advertising opportunities. Not only are there 4.2 billion social media users worldwide, user penetration for it in the United States hovers at around 74% of the total population.
Moreover, the average person spends at least 2 hours and 25 minutes on their chosen platforms. With the increase in the volume of people using social media, as well as the amount of time users spend on it, Paid Social makes for a marketing strategy with promising returns.
And this trajectory isn’t showing any signs of slowing down any time soon. Last year saw an increase of 13.2% in the total number of social platform users, as seen from the infographic below. Read through We Are Social and HootSuite’s 2020 Digital report to understand social media’s growth direction.
Organic Vs. Paid Social Media
Social media started out as a great way to connect with your audience and magnify your brand engagement. Organic reach pertains to the people who see your business’ content uploaded on these social media sites, free for everyone to see. Hootsuite enumerates possible audiences you can reach through Organic Social Media content:
- A percentage of your followers
- Your followers’ followers
- People following hashtags you use
- People visiting your page
Today, however, social media is utilized by brands for growth beyond just organic reach. Paid Social allows you to target and tap into specific audiences that show interest in products or services similar to what you have to offer. Through these campaigns, social media platforms become channels for:
- Customer acquisition
- Remarketing
- Client retention
Social Media Sites
There are a plethora of platforms to choose from when it comes to social media advertising. The secret sauce is familiarizing yourself with the advantages each one presents in order to fully maximize them in your Paid Social strategies. Take a look at the infographic below for more information on these sites.
Facebook is the leading social media platform for social ads. In fact, according to eMarketer’s 2020 survey, around 18.3% of American adults have made a purchase through Facebook.
The social media giant has identified three audience types that you can target, namely:
- Core Audiences – audiences that fit into the demographics you set such as age, geography, and interests
- Custom Audiences – people who have already engaged with your business, whether it’s online or offline
- Lookalike Audiences – audiences with interests that match your most loyal customers
One of the main selling points of this platform is that Paid Twitter ads blend seamlessly with other tweets. Moreover, it’s a great platform for ad engagement, with a 151% YoY growth, specifically on click-through rates and video impressions.
Because Instagram is under Facebook, advertisers will be using the same Ad Manager to get ads rolling. Since the platform is image-centered, monitoring creative materials to ensure that they are eye-catching and fully optimized is very important. Check out our short guide on how to ensure quality ad materials here.
Since LinkedIn is a professional network, it works great as a channel for B2B promotion. Around 65% of B2B companies have used LinkedIn ads to acquire new leads. Aside from that, LinkedIn is also a platform that can be utilized to reach executives and business decision-makers.
Diversifying your content and channels of distribution to drive customer awareness, acquisition, engagement, and retention is always a sound marketing strategy. When you are able to find the best fit for social media in your campaigns, you can expect a significant increase in traffic and conversions.
