Social media advertising may look easy from the outset, but the best practices can be challenging to figure out. Advertising on social media is about more than simply having a corporate account or two. It’s about regularly posting engaging content to keep an audience interested, and no two social media platforms are alike. 

For example, Facebook and Instagram offer completely different experiences. What works for advertising on LinkedIn could fail on TikTok. That’s why when advertising on social media, it’s so important to know what you’re doing. In this piece, we’ll offer navigation for advertising on major social media sites.

Set Goals

When setting a marketing plan, it’s important to have goals. These goals should make sense for a person’s business. Not only that, they need to be S.M.A.R.T. goals, meaning that they’re specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound.

For example, a company may want the specific goal of increasing brand awareness. They would select a specific metric to watch, such as how many people have seen a post, the rate at which they gain followers, the number of people who might see a post during a certain amount of time, or the number of people who mention their brand on social media. 

Research Audience

Social media advertising must reach the right people for it to be successful. That’s why it is so important for advertisers to understand their target audience. That means knowing who they want to advertise to in the first place and what their target audience’s preferences are.

Understand the Platform

For the best outcome, an advertiser should base their efforts on the specific social media platform. For example, advertising on Facebook can succeed with eye-catching content, snappy captions, and mobile-designed ads.

Instagram, on the other hand, has a visual focus that is great for creative content. Much like Facebook, effective Instagram ads draw the eye and have crisp captions.

Meanwhile, LinkedIn is a social network based around business trends and marketing. It serves as a platform on which to increase brand awareness, position a company as a business authority, and generate high-quality leads. When advertising on LinkedIn, it helps to have descriptive text and a clear call-to-action.

The most popular social platform in terms of time spent is TikTok. Having reached 1 billion users in September of 2021, it offers a personalized algorithm that can hold a user’s attention for hours. While the short-form video content of the platform is unique, it has a higher potential of going viral. Advertising on TikTok succeeds with good timing, authenticity, and the incorporation of relevant, trending hashtags.

Upon deciding which network to use, an advertiser can define their strategy for each and set up accounts.

Research Competition

Advertisers can also get ideas of what works and what doesn’t based on their competitors’ success. For example, they can use a technique called social listening, searching up the competition’s name, account handles, and other keywords on social media. In doing so, they will be able to spot trends, what sort of content performs well, and even what fails.

By getting a sense of the industry, an advertiser can find opportunities to grow. Checking what competitors are doing also gives an advertiser a chance to adapt their strategy. If something isn’t working for a competitor, then an advertiser can avoid that mistake. Simultaneously, if there is a gap in the market, they can take advantage of it.

Create Quality, Engaging Content

No user will be interested in engaging with a company whose content is uninteresting. That’s why an advertiser’s content needs to be as engaging as possible. In order to do this, they first have to set goals for what their account will accomplish.

Following this, they need to set out a unique voice for their brand. This should be something human, able to stand out and connect with an audience. Is is also good to keep track of trends. More specifically, an advertiser should pay attention to whether or not their social media followers prefer trendy or original content, and tailor their approach.

Whatever an advertiser chooses to post, it’s incredibly important that it be high quality. Striking visuals and engaging storytelling draw an audience in, keeping them interested. Further, having a consistent feel for a brand helps to build brand trust and loyalty. In particular, the graphics, content, and themes that an advertiser posts should look and feel the same across platforms. By having a recognizable style, an advertiser can enable their account to grow.

Schedule Posts

If an advertiser’s account is empty, users will have nothing to interact with. Thus, it’s important to plan a calendar of content. Scheduling posts allows an advertiser to plan day-to-day posting in advance, as well as social media campaigns. It is at this stage that an advertiser can consider optimal posting times for each social media account in order to maximize engagement. 

Self-Assess Social Media Success

It helps an advertiser to keep track of how well their efforts are going. In order to do so, they can ask questions about their social media, such as:

• What is working, and what isn’t?
• Who is engaging with them?
• What are their most valuable partnerships?
• Which networks are most used by their target audience?
• How does their social media presence compare to the competition?

In doing so, an advertiser will gain a clear picture of the success, purpose, and place of their social media accounts.

Find Your Audience with Alan and Co. Marketing

Advertising on social media is complex, but it isn’t inaccessible. By knowing what they are doing, an advertiser can interact with potential customers and grow their brand. 

If you’re looking for advertising assistance, Alan and Company can help. With expertise in drug rehab SEO, Alan and Co. Marketing can assist in marketing for drug rehabs. Contact us today to learn more about what Alan and Company offers.