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Advertising on social media: here's how to increase your reach

Blog: advertising on social media

Social advertising

social media advertising

May 2, 2024 5 minutes reading time

Nowadays, almost everyone uses social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. These platforms have become not only sources of entertainment, but also essential communication tools. Despite this fact, many companies are still not using social media advertising to reach their target audience and that is a shame. After all, it offers huge opportunities to promote your business and reach potential customers.

In this blog, we take a closer look at advertising on social media, also known as social ads, and share practical tips to get you started.

What is social media advertising?

Social media advertising involves placing paid ads on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. These can be different types of ads, such as sponsored posts, carousel ads and video ads. Sponsored posts are paid posts that appear in users' timelines, while carousel ads consist of multiple images or videos that users can browse horizontally. Video ads are powerful tools to grab users' attention and can range from short clips to extended videos. Display ads are visual ads that appear on the pages of social media platforms, often on the sidebar or at the top of the page. These different ad formats allow organizations to present their message in different ways to reach a wider audience.

Why advertise on social media?

Advertising on social media offers several benefits to businesses. First, it significantly increases your brand awareness. Being regularly visible on social media platforms keeps your brand fresh in the minds of potential customers. In addition, advertising on social media helps drive sales. With targeted ads, you can bring products or services to the attention of people who have already shown interest in your industry or product category. By doing so, you increase the likelihood that these people will proceed to purchase. Another benefit is increasing your customer base. By advertising effectively on social media, you can reach new audiences and expand your customer base. A social media campaign also allows you to reach potential customers directly. By using the targeting capabilities of social media platforms, you can show ads to people who fit your ideal customer profile. This increases the likelihood that your message will stand out and result in recipient action.

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The cost of advertising on social media

A frequently asked question is: what does advertising on Instagram or Facebook cost? Costs vary depending on several factors, such as the chosen platform, your target audience, the ad format chosen and the level of competition. In general, however, you can get good results with a small budget.

An important factor that affects the cost of advertising is the cost per click (CPC). CPC is the amount you pay each time someone clicks on your ad. This amount is determined by an auction system, where advertisers bid for the right to show their ads to specific audiences. The CPC can vary based on several factors, including competition. If there are many advertisers competing for the attention of the same target audience, the CPC is likely to be higher. Therefore, it is important to carefully select your target audience and properly optimize your ads to stay ahead of the competition and keep costs down.

Another aspect that affects cost is the ad format. Some layouts, such as video ads, can be more expensive than others, such as image ads. This is because video ads generally generate more engagement, making them more valuable to advertisers and thus have a higher CPC.

Finally, the chosen platform and your target audience also play a role in determining costs. Popular platforms such as Facebook and Instagram often have higher advertising costs than lesser-known platforms. In addition, factors such as the demographics and interests of your target audience can affect costs.

In short, although advertising on social media involves costs, you can still achieve good results with a well-thought-out strategy and a small budget.

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7 tips for advertising on social media

Before you get started with your social media campaign, here are seven essential tips that can help you advertise successfully on social media:

Tip 1: Know your target audience
Understand who your target audience is and what interests them. By understanding their needs and preferences, you can create targeted ads that match their interests.

Tip 2: Set measurable goals
Set specific goals for your ads, such as number of website visits, lead generation or sales. Measurable goals will help you assess the effectiveness of your campaign and adjust it if necessary.

Tip 3: Choose the right ad format
Experiment with different formats, such as images, videos and carousels, to discover what works best for your business and target audience. Each format has its own strength and can evoke different reactions from your audience.

Tip 4: Be consistent and relevant
Make sure your ads are consistent with your brand identity and relevant to your target audience. This increases the likelihood that they will pay attention and take action.

Tip 5: Test and optimize
Experiment with different settings, such as audiences, ad scheduling and budgets. Regularly analyze the results to optimize your campaigns and get better performance.

Tip 6: Use call-to-actions (CTAs)
Encourage your target audience to take action by adding clear call-to-actions, such as "Buy Now" or "Learn More." This helps to increase your target audience's engagement and the likelihood of conversions.

Tip 7: Keep an eye on your budget
Set a budget in advance and regularly monitor the costs and results of your ads. Adjust your strategy as needed to get the best return and stay within your budget.

With these tips, you can create an effective social media campaign and promote your business successfully.

Want to learn more about advertising?

Then discover our various training courses in social advertising.

Maaike-Vollenbroek

This is what our trainer says

Experience
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"I always try to make sure that I let participants go home full of inspiration. I get them started with appealing real-life case studies and make sure they get tools to work with in the workplace themselves."

Maaike Vollenbroek
Social Advertising Marketer and trainer
Maaike-Vollenbroek
Maaike Vollenbroek
Social Advertising Marketer and trainer
Maikel-Veldhuis (2)

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