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It is estimated that 74% of consumers use social media when making purchasing decisions. Creating a presence on social media, both organic and paid, is a valuable way to spread brand awareness and secure sales in the modern era. However, there’s more to social media advertising than many companies expect. From choosing the right platforms to crafting effective visual elements, here are three best practices for social media ads that will help you get the most from your paid ad budget.
1. Determine your target audience
Social media ads are all about getting in front of new people and spreading brand awareness. However, getting those people’s views won’t convert to sales unless you’re targeting the right people. Before you begin advertising, clearly establish a target demographic. Are you most likely to sell to women aged 35-55 with kids? Or Millennials living in liberal states with a college education? Virtually all social media platforms will ask you to choose what demographics to target when building your ad campaign, so it’s important to create and specify this as much as possible. You should also do research into which platforms are most likely used by this demographic. Facebook won’t be as effective with Millennial and Gen Z shoppers, but Instagram will be. The more you know about your target customer, the better your targeting can be and the further your ad dollar will go.
2. Place emphasis on high-quality visuals
Instagram is known for being a graphic-heavy platform, whereas you may associate platforms like Twitter or Facebook more with text. While this is true to a certain extent, all social media platforms appreciate high-quality visual content. When creating a social campaign, make sure that you’re incorporating high-quality visuals with images relevant to your campaign. Using low-quality or irrelevant graphics could breed distrust with users and make them less likely to interact with your content, thereby decreasing your chances of securing a sale.
3. Test multiple versions of an ad
No matter how much you love your ad’s graphic or caption, it may not speak to your audience in the exact way you intended it to. You can never fully predict how content will resonate with users, especially through a medium like social media. The best way to ensure maximum success is to run multiple versions of an ad with different combinations of photos, videos, and copy. You may find that an unexpected option is much more effective than any of the others.
If you’re struggling to navigate the world of social media advertising, leave it to the experts. IDG Advertising can make your ad spend go further than ever before by implementing all best practices for paid social media advertising. To find out more about our social media management and social media advertising services, give us a call today at (714) 221-4377. We would be more than happy to help you with all of your digital marketing needs.
