Social networks are a great resource for businesses to expand their brand awareness and share their messages with consumers. That being said most social sites are so filled with noise that business messages can be easily lost in the shuffle. That overload is why a shift has occurred to paid advertising on social media.
This shift was easily predicted by all the trend analyst, it happened just like search engine marketing and other internet based advertising. Eventually it all comes down to, you have to pay if you want to play. That being said, social media can be one of the most affordable ways to get your message in front of consumers.
Paid social media should not be taken as lightly as it may seem. Though you do not have to spend thousands of dollars you do need to spend your allotted dollars strategically.
#1 Create your target audience
Facebook and Instagram for instance lets users choose demographics including location, age, gender and interests. LinkedIn allows the same basics but then categories like job titles, industry, etc. rather than interests since it is a business-centric platform. To utilize these tools to their full potential a company first needs to create a picture of their ideal consumer then translate that picture into a targeted audience. Using the picture of your ideal consumer choose which platform you want to place advertisements on. No need to advertise in a place your consumers just aren’t. That will eliminate wasting advertising dollars on users who have no interest in the product or service type.
#2 Craft a site appropriate message/ad
A business must craft a message appropriate to the site they plan to utilize. Choose your goal, the platform (i.e. Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.), action to be taken by user and craft a message in a fitting style. The message does not; however, need to revolve around words. In fact, images, graphics, infographics and video all top the charts offering higher rates of user interaction.
#3 Choose a budget
When choosing a budget there are no hard and fast rules. Simply look at your own budget and see what works for you. Depending on the size of your audience a message can be placed for a small sum but often company’s find they are willing to increase spending as they see results.
Don’t fear social media paid advertising, make it work for you!
As a business you may not have the time or manpower to dive into social media, but at Media Venue we have both! Call Media Venue today at 502- 855- 4783.
Written by: Holly Dunbar, Social Media Manager
