What are Social Media Ads?

In our webinar “Grow & Engage: Using Pay-Per-Click and Social Media Ads to Reach Your Audience”, we shared how to grow and engage your audience using social media ads. Read on to learn what social media ads are, how they work, when to use them, and more.

Social media ads are digital advertisements served to users on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Think about the billboards you see along the highway on your drive home. You only have a few seconds to take in what it says as you pass by. These ads are like modern billboards. As people scroll through their feeds, you only have a few seconds to catch their attention. Unlike the billboards along the highway, you have a chance to make the viewer stop and easily connect with what you have to offer. If you think back to the sales funnel, both are great awareness tactics because even if a viewer doesn’t take immediate action on the ad itself, they might remember it later on and look up your business, product, or service.

How it Works

Social networks utilize user information to serve highly relevant advertisements based on the user’s interactions within a specific platform. Once ads are clicked, they drive more traffic to landing pages to learn more information or act on a product.

When to Use Social Media Ads

Social media ads are a good option if you want to:

Create brand awareness + reach
Attract new customers/remind existing customers by using visual appeal
Target select audiences with specific messaging
Retarget and engage interested consumers with remarketing

The Top 3 Reasons to Use Social Media Ads

The top three reasons to use these ads are:

1. Attract a Wider Audience
Focusing on increasing awareness. This is the moment at which you first catch a customer’s attention, and your prospect becomes aware of your business and what you offer.

2. Retargeting Existing Customers
Re-engage your current customers on social media and help keep your business top of mind for those that are viewing your ads.

3. Learn More About Your Ideal Customer
Learn more about your customers buying cycle, such as tracking days of the week that have peak activity and times that your customers are most likely to engage with an ad.