It’s no secret that a large percentage of the world’s population is active on social media. On Facebook alone there are 1.5 billion users, actively engaging with each other and with brands. The original intent of social media was to create an online community where people can socialize from anywhere in the world. Once it became clear that people did in fact enjoy socializing online, often times with complete strangers, an opportunity presented itself for brands. Social media advertising has revolutionized the advertising industry and provided brands with a platform to reach targeted audiences. It has also allowed people to access a wealth of demographic and psychographic information at a fraction of the cost. Here are a few tips to make better use of your social media marketing strategy.
Social Media Advertising with Facebook
If your target audience likes to watch television, it makes sense to advertise through commercials. The same line of thinking goes for social media channels like Facebook. Many brands have identified their target audience as active Facebook users. If you know potential consumers are surfing Facebook 3-5 times per day, Facebook Ads is likely a great opportunity for your brand to connect and engage. Through personal profiles, engagement patterns and purchasing habits, Facebook collects extremely detailed information on its users. This information can be harnessed by brands to develop strategic and effective advertisements.
When creating an ad in Facebook, brands can choose a pay per click (PPC) option. This is different than boosting posts on a brand’s Facebook page timeline. The PPC approach is how Facebook balances the needs of its users versus the needs of brands. It helps ensure brands are reaching users that will engage with their advertisements while ensuring users only see things that interest them. By utilizing Facebook Ads through a PPC campaign, you can make your budget go further by focusing only on users that are active and interested in what you have to offer. Forget the blanket advertising approach on social media. Keep your campaigns focused and strategic.
How Do PPC Campaigns Work?
PPC campaigns are primarily utilized by the majority of online advertising channels and platforms. Whether your advertisement is going to be displayed in search engines or social media channels, brands will only pay when a user clicks on an ad or sponsored link. When advertising with search engines like Google or Bing, your brand will have flexibility when it comes to the placement of online ads. Ads can appear at the top of the search results page, on the right-hand column, or even within specified shopping sections.
While paid search ads have been commonly used with search engines for some time, social media advertising has grown exponentially since the inception of major social channels like Facebook in 2004. Due to the ever-changing algorithms of Facebook, brands are placing more value on paid ads in order to ensure their messaging gets to the intended audience. One of the benefits to PPC advertising, especially on social media, is that it is cost effective. As long as ad campaigns are strategic and targeted, you can reach your target audience without breaking the budget.
Brands that take the time to identify who their target audience is and where that audience receives information pertinent to purchasing decisions, will quickly see the value in social media advertising. It has never been more important for brands to be both social and strategic. For help with your social presence or digital marketing in general, contact the experts at Softline Solutions.
