The essential guide to social media advertising

As the traffic on social media platforms grows, organic reach generally declines. Paid social media advertising allows you to reach your target audience directly. Paying for ads also means you will reach your audience more quickly.

Social media advertising can help you to:

• Increase your brand's reach
• Build brand awareness
• Drive traffic directly to your website
• Boost engagement
• Help you develop your leads
• Increase your conversion rate
• Provide free content (such as free courses, e-books, and other downloadable resources) in exchange for users' email addresses
• Encourage users to contact you by direct message or email
• Sell products or services, both online and in person
• Target and retarget specific audiences
• Announce sales and promotions
• Host giveaways

Want to learn more about how social media advertising can help you grow your business? Let us look at seven major platforms and the basics of advertising on each of them.

Facebook

The basics of Facebook advertising

At present, Facebook is by far the most popular social media platform in the world. Thanks to its broad popularity across a large number of users, advertising on Facebook is an excellent way to build brand awareness.

Who uses Facebook?

Facebook's audience is primarily made up of adult users aged 18 and over. As of August 2020, the majority of Facebook users were adults aged between 25 and 34.

Custom audiences on Facebook

Creating custom audiences for your Facebook advertising is simple and quick. Rather than filling in lengthy, data-heavy forms, you can build your audience by targeting a set of interests or a geographic location.

Types of Facebook ads

There are eight main types of Facebook ads you can use to promote your brand. Let us take a look.

• Photo ads contain an image, a small amount of text, and a clickable link. They are therefore easy to create and quick to put together. You can create them in Facebook Business Manager or boost an existing post on your page. A study by Facebook found that photo ads are the best-performing format on the platform.
• Carousel ads are a series of photos or videos that users can scroll through to see a range of products or services. Each card in the carousel has its own link and text, meaning you can send users to different pages if you wish.
• Slideshow ads contain multiple images in a slideshow format. Users can add background music.
• Collection ads can feature both your cover video or photo alongside small product images with details below.
• Video ads are created using a video rather than static images. Users tend to stay engaged with short formats. Facebook gives you up to 15 seconds to work with, so try to keep your video ads as brief as possible.
• Stories ads appear in the Stories feed. Stories only last 24 hours, so users who follow the Stories feed will not want to miss what you have to share.
• Messenger ads appear in the Chats section of Facebook Messenger.
• Playable ads are previews of downloadable apps or games that appear in mobile users' feeds.

How to get started with Facebook ads

The simplest way to begin with Facebook advertising is to boost a photo post on your page. Use Facebook Business Manager in particular to create your photo ad. To learn more about advertising on Facebook, click here.

Instagram

The basics of Instagram advertising

Instagram ads are similar to Facebook's in many ways — unsurprisingly, since Facebook owns Instagram. As a result, advertising campaigns on both platforms can be linked.

Who uses Instagram?

37% of adults in the United States use Instagram. It is also a very popular app among teenagers. Over 33% of Instagram users are aged between 24 and 34.

Custom audiences on Instagram

Just as on Facebook, it is easy to define your custom audience in your sponsored post. You can target your audience based on behaviour, geographic location, demographics, and interests. Instagram also allows users to enable automatic targeting, letting the app choose your target audience for each ad.

Types of Instagram ads

Let us now look at the six main types of Instagram ads available for your social media advertising strategy.

• Photo ads are the simplest Instagram ads to create. They contain a static photo, a small amount of text, and a link to wherever you want your users to go. You can send users to your profile or to an external link.
• Carousel ads display multiple images that can be swiped through. This is an excellent option for shops with several products to showcase.
• Collection ads allow you to display a combination of videos and images in a gallery, giving users an overview of your product range.
• Video ads are sponsored video posts.
• Explore ads appear in the Explore feed of users whose interests and Instagram activity match your target audience.
• Sponsored Stories are vertical ads that disappear and appear within the Stories feed.

Instagram ads appear inline within your regular feed. In the upper right-hand corner of the post, it will indicate that the post is sponsored.

How to get started with Instagram ads

The simplest way to begin running Instagram ads is to sponsor an existing post. Check your post analytics to find a high-performing post, then boost it. To learn more about Instagram advertising, click here.

YouTube

The essentials of YouTube advertising

After Facebook, YouTube is the second most popular social media platform in the world.

Who uses YouTube?

YouTube's largest audience segment is adults aged 18 to 29, although it is widely used by adults of all ages. YouTube is popular among a large number of people aged 13 to 64, predominantly men.

Custom audiences on YouTube

YouTube's audience selector is highly customisable. You can target YouTube ads by audience or by content. For audience targeting, YouTube goes well beyond demographics and interests. You can target users based on their behaviour, whether they have made purchases on your site, and even target audiences similar to yours.

When targeting by content, you can place your ad alongside a specific type of content you select. You can target factors such as specific website placements, channels, keywords, topics, and devices.

Types of YouTube ads

YouTube offers six different options for social media advertising:

• Skippable ads are video ads that appear in the YouTube video player. They can be shown before a video, and can also appear during or after the video. Users have the option to skip these video ads after 5 seconds. Ads can run for up to six minutes.
• Non-skippable ads are video ads that can appear at any point during the main video. However, users cannot skip them.
• Display ads appear on the right-hand side of the desktop screen, above the list of suggested videos. These are generally static images or animations.
• Overlay ads are small advertising banners that appear at the bottom of the video in the form of a box containing text or an image that users can click on.
• Bumper Ads are six-second, non-skippable ads that appear before the main video on both mobile and desktop screens.
• Sponsored cards are small teaser banners displaying content such as a product related to your video. They appear on the video for a few seconds, then can be accessed by clicking a small icon in the upper right-hand corner of the video player.

How to get started with YouTube ads

Starting with a short ad or a sponsored card could be an excellent way to try YouTube social media advertising. Both formats are cost-effective for brands with a limited budget. To learn more about advertising on YouTube, click here.

Snapchat

The essentials of Snapchat advertising

Originally inspired by Instagram and Facebook, Snapchat is built on the concept of scarcity. Through temporary content, Snapchat holds users' attention. Users do not want to miss anything — and your advertising could be part of that.

Who uses Snapchat?

Snapchat's largest user base consists of teenagers aged 13 to 17 (69%), followed by those aged 18 to 29 (62%). This means Generation Z and Millennials are Snapchat's primary users.

Custom audiences on Snapchat

Creating a custom audience for your Snapchat advertising is flexible, depending on your brand's needs. You can use an existing contact list to create a customer list known as a "Snap Audience Match (SAM) Audience".

Types of Snapchat ads

There are six types of social media ads you can run on Snapchat:

• Snap Ads are videos that appear when users navigate to the "Discover" tab. They give users the option to access further content, such as an article, a longer video, the option to install an app, and so on.
• Sponsored filters tend to target audiences in specific geographic areas. They appear as an option when users take photos or videos using the Snapchat app.
• National sponsored filters are sponsored lenses that are not localised but are available nationwide.
• Discover Ads place your Snapchat ads at the heart of the Discover page. These are the most expensive ads to run, as they are seen by the greatest number of users.
• Snap to Unlock codes are scannable Snapchat logos, similar to a QR code. Users can scan the code using the Snapchat app to access limited-time offers or use exclusive filters.

How to get started with Snapchat ads

Starting with a Snap Ad could be an excellent choice for a personal brand or a small business. You can use the Snapchat Ads Manager on your desktop to begin creating an ad. To learn more about Snapchat ads, click here.

Twitter

The essentials of Twitter advertising

A popular microblogging platform, well known for its short and punchy messages, Twitter is a platform where brands can still grow organically.

Who uses Twitter?

Currently, Twitter is most popular among adult users aged 18 to 29, with men using the platform slightly more often than women.

Custom audiences on Twitter

For Twitter ads, you can customise your audience in a variety of ways. In addition to standard filters such as age, location, gender, and interests, you can also target by keywords, interests, and more.

Types of Twitter ads

There are four main types of Twitter ads:

• Promoted tweets are tweets you push to give them greater exposure in users' feeds and the app's search tool. They are automated and ideal for generating leads and drawing your audience's attention to specific offers or features. The tweets you promote can contain text, an image, a GIF, a poll, or an account mention.
• Video ads include Promoted Video, Amplified Pre-roll, Amplified Sponsorship, First View, and Promoted Live Video (via Periscope).
• Cards encourage users to take action through a photo or video. You can direct a sponsored card to your website, to download an app, send a direct message to your inbox, generate conversations (by encouraging replies and retweets), or send a tweet to unlock.
• Brand-sponsored tweets include Branded Emojis, Brand Reminders, Promoted Moments, Promoted Trends, and the Promoted Trend Spotlight.

How to get started with Twitter ads

Before running an ad on Twitter, make sure the marketing content of your campaign is impactful and precise. You want it to align with Twitter's tone as a platform. Starting with a promoted tweet is an excellent way to ease yourself in, and you can set billing to a targeted bid to keep your ad spend within a set budget. To learn more about Twitter ads, click here.

Pinterest

The essentials of Pinterest advertising

Pinterest is a highly visual online "pinboard" with a wide range of users. Brands that use Pinterest want to create beautiful, shareable content that users can act on immediately. If your brand features visuals that your users enjoy saving and sharing, Pinterest is an excellent place to invest in social media advertising.

Who uses Pinterest?

Women primarily use Pinterest. Pinterest's largest age group falls between 18 and 49.

Custom audiences on Pinterest

On Pinterest, you can target your audience in several ways. Filter by demographics, interests, keywords, lookalike audiences, or customer lists. If you prefer, you can allow the platform to automatically choose the audience your ad targets.

Types of Pinterest ads

You can choose from five types of Pinterest ads for your advertising campaigns. These ads work in the same way as the options on Instagram and include:

• Standard Pin
• Video
• Shopping
• Carousel
• Collections

You can choose to turn an existing pin into an ad, or create a campaign in the Ads Manager.

How to get started with Pinterest ads

The simplest way to begin Pinterest advertising is to sponsor one of your existing branded pins. Make sure the pin is original, aesthetically appealing, optimistic, actionable, and current. To learn more about Pinterest ads, click here.

TikTok

TikTok Advertising Essentials

TikTok is still a platform in full growth. It is known for its short, vertical videos that showcase a wide range of humour and creativity.

Who uses TikTok?

60% of TikTok users are aged between 16 and 24. However, older users — up to their thirties — also appear to enjoy the platform.

Custom audiences on TikTok

You can create custom audiences on TikTok based on a user's customer file, their engagement and app activity, and website traffic.

Types of TikTok ads

• Brand takeover ads appear first in the user's main feed, on the "For You" page. They can be displayed as a video, images, or animated GIFs that send the user to a link of your choice.
• In-feed ads are short, native ads that are served in the main feed as the user scrolls.
• Branded Hashtag Challenges allow brands to sponsor a hashtag that can then be used organically as part of platform-wide challenges. Hashtag challenges often go viral and generate significant exposure for the brands and profiles that participate.
• Branded effects, such as a custom TikTok filter designed for your audience.
• TopView ads appear at the top of the "For You" page, three posts down after opening the app.

How to get started with TikTok ads

At present, TikTok ads are more expensive than those on other platforms. Although it is possible to sponsor ads on TikTok, budget constraints may limit advertising to larger brands. As the company grows, advertising opportunities will continue to expand. To learn more about TikTok ads, click here.

Conclusion

Whether you are a seasoned social media advertising professional or just starting out, there is a wide range of options and platforms to choose from. Here are some best practices to help you get started:

• Choose your advertising platform based on how your audience's demographics align with the platform's user base
• Advertise more on platforms where your brand is already performing well
• Experiment with ways to grow your audience on platforms where you have less traction
• Choose platforms and ad formats that match your budget
• Always test variations of your ads to see what works best

Are you using social media advertising, or considering it? Which are your preferred platforms? Send us a comment and let us know your thoughts.

Freely translated from English: article by Elegant Themes

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