Whenever we mention paid media to our existing or potential clients, they’re always apprehensive about it. Understandably so, because no one wants to spend money with no certainty that they will see a Return on Investment (ROI). From Facebook & Instagram to LinkedIn, and Twitter, the possibilities are endless. Paid media has become an integral part of digital marketing, offering objectives to choose from which determine the output of Ads. Want to grow your followers, paid media. Want to increase your brand awareness, paid media. Want to get leads to your mail list, paid media. Although these objectives can be achieved organically as well, paid media can do in a shorter space of time with possible producing better quality. The question is, is it worth it?
Facebook & Instagram
Facebook and Instagram paid ads are amongst the most affordable, allowing users to run campaigns from as little as >R300 depending on the targeting and the number of days. Facebook for Business offers its users simple self-service tools which make it easy enough to run your most basic campaigns. According to Facebook, 1.6 billion people worldwide are connected to a small business on Facebook. This makes it easier and cheaper for users to run ads that yield ROI’s. Facebook advertising offers 11 objectives (reasons) to run ads from:
Since Facebook owns Instagram, this means that Ads for Instagram can also be created through Facebook for business, only if the Instagram account is linked to a Facebook page. It is also possible to promote the ads in the App itself.
Twitter has similar objectives to that of Facebook, with more objectives tailored for App installs and video views. Considering the climate of Twitter, it is pop-culture centric; therefore, brands have to be extra careful when advertising on the platform. Since it does not have as many users as Facebook, the cost per measurement will be higher (it may cost more to advertise on Twitter). But suppose, for example, your brand is well known, and your audience is made up of millennials and Gen Z, then next to Instagram advertising, you could look into Twitter ads.
This platform is a great one to utilise if your audience is characterised according to the type of people you find on it – business type. And due to the nature of the audience, the Ads on this platform are more likely to cost more than the above mentioned. But if executed with the right, targeting, creatives and audience, LinkedIn advertising can yield an ROI which can be converted to potential leads, collaborations, or brand awareness.
Tik Tok
While Tik Tok advertising is still relatively unknown to the South African market, if the opportunity grows as fast as the App itself did during the past few months, then it may be something to look out for soon. While the algorithms (the mini monsters that curate your feed for you) of Tik Tok are insane (in a good way), this should give users a glimpse that their adverts, if targeted correctly, will hit the right audience, leading an impressive ROI.
So, social media advertising?
If you’re a brand manager or entrepreneur, one take away we’re confident you’ve had is that social media marketing is essential. Seeing how the internet kept everyone informed and entertained during the lockdown, this proved that if your brand is not online, then it may lose potential leads. If your brand does have any social media presence, it quickly loses creditability. It also stands the chance to lose existing customers who feel no connection to the brand or aren’t reminded of your product offering. Digital marketing can yield great organic results. Moreover, paid Ads can help fast-track the business objectives your marketing plan has, generating more results and possibly expanding your audience pool. Our advice? Paid Ads can significantly increase online traction, especially if the brand is unknown, new, or is seeking expanded brand awareness.