Many of us ask the question What is Social Media Advertising? It May sound as if it’s been asked forever. Truth is advertising on social media, as we know it, and as a choice for marketers, has been with us just less than two decades. It was the year 2005 when Facebook launched its advertising platform. Today, social media is the preferred choice for small and large businesses. Ad formats have evolved to fulfill company and marketers’ many needs. Looking at the available options, you will find an arrangement that meets most of your needs.
Social Media Advertising Today
Want to advertise in a cost-efficient way? The answer is usually yes. Social media has become the go-to solution for startups and the first item on their advertising to-do list. You can get an outstanding return on investment (ROI) for your blog, business, or project. This capability makes it easy to get started as pain-free as possible. Chances are a large percentage, or all, of your audience uses a social media platform. It’s probably because they’re having conversations about your brand. If you want to join them, advertising is best when they’re already gathering.
Ad Types
It all began with the written word. Many ads were, and some still are, text-based. As time went by, social media companies started listening to the needs of advertisers and created new, innovative ways to spread their message. For example, you will find Facebook-sponsored posts, Twitter Cards, and Snapchat Lenses. Each platform has strengths and weaknesses. You’ll find that some media focus on texts, some stand out by showing images, and some seem to be experts when it comes to video. Ad types allow for reaching different goals.
Some advertisers drive traffic to their blogs or websites, some prefer to let users download an app, others want to interact with their audiences, and so on.
Demographics
Demographics are intimately related to segmentation, which looks to identify a particular set of consumers to provide an attractive message to that group of people or audience. Demographics explain certain traits such as gender, age, occupation, income, and family status. Choosing a set of characteristics separates your prospects from the crowd. Knowing who to talk to is a crucial element of a marketing plan. With the most developed social media platforms, you can choose the demographics you want to show your ad. The user feels you’re speaking directly to them, which makes them more inclined to listen to your offer.
Hashtags
Technically, a hashtag is a word or group of words preceded by a hash sign, such as #blogging. Users use hashtags to make their publications more easily findable through search. When a trend arises, you’ll find that posts related to it can be found through hashtags. It can be used as a la label, as it encourages the exploration of a particular theme. Many hashtags become fashionable for any period, and you can hijack their popularity to drive attention to your publications.
Each social media platform has its way of using hashtags. Some highlight them, and in others, they have a humbler implementation.
Platform
A social media network can begin its life as a website or an app. However, as time goes by, they tend to become platforms, a collection of technologies used as the base for an array of services. As an example of this, you’ll find that Facebook now has not only a website but also a variety of apps. A platform is usually a single social media network such as Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest. This way, the platform is the collection of websites, apps, APIs, and other resources with which you can access the network.
Facebook’s mission is “to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together.” It lets you connect with family and friends and understand what’s happening in your surroundings and the world. With more than 2.89 billion active users a month (second quarter of 221), this social network is the most extensive worldwide. Its advertising revenue was $27.2 billion (Q4 2020). Who uses Facebook? You’ll be surprised to know that it serves more than 200 million small businesses scattered across the earth. Over 6 out of 10 Americans aged 12+ use the platform.
Instagram was one of the first social networks that focused on sharing graphics and videos. Twitter relies heavily on text, and Facebook, which relies on pictures and texts, feels the weight of this specialized social network. This social media network will have 1.071 billion global users in 2021. Users use the platform 53 minutes per day, on average. You’ll find up to 4 times more interactions on Instagram than on Facebook. The platform encourages up to 80% of its users when deciding to buy a product or service.
Twitter is a microblogging service that allows you to post messages called tweets. You can see their posts (tweets) in your timeline when you follow an individual. Former American presidents and other high-profile politicians use this popular network. You’ll find 199 million daily Twitter users. The USA leads the way, with many of its population being Twitter users. Is the platform active? You can count up to 6,000 tweets per second, or 200 billion tweets yearly. Up to 82% Business to Business content marketers use the platform for organic content marketing.
Other Social Media Networks
I’ve written about the big 3 social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. You should know you can find an extensive list of social media sites worth exploring. You may find your target market gathered in the recently created Tik Tok app. Maybe you want to target professionals through LinkedIn. Snapchat is another possibility. Perhaps you want to advertise a restaurant and find Yelp beneficial. Is your content preeminently visual? You can find Pinterest attractive. One advantage of using an up-and-coming social media network is that you can position yourself as an expert relatively fast.
ROI
Finally, to answer the question, What is Social Media Advertising? It’s interesting to analyze if it’s a viable option for your blog or business. The first step is to set your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), separating vanity metrics from useful ones. Once you’ve performed this step, it will be easier to analyze whether your campaigns are working. Working with other web properties, such as websites, is a common scenario. Sometimes you’ll need data from various sources to understand what is working and what is not. Many individuals and businesses have found success by advertising on social networks, and this trend is here to stay.
