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- Week 1: Paid Marketing
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Welcome back!
July is here already, which means a new wave of marketing strategy insights is on its way. Since we've explored organic growth quite a bit thus far, this month we’re diving into the world of paid strategies.
Ads are no longer just for billboards. You've probably scrolled past your fair share of them on Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok—and maybe even clicked on one.
Let's face it, paid ads can be annoying at first glance, but when they bring something intriguing to the table, you might just find yourself wanting more— especially because social media ads today are highly personalized.
Love it or hate it, paid advertising is the turbo boost that gets your message out there faster and to the right people.
Let’s dive in! 📲
News
What Everyone’s Talking About
Tools + Productivity
Here’s What You’ll Love
📹Zeacon- The 24/7 video marketer
💡Stratify- An AI-powered competitor analyst
📒CleverX- Recruit B2B participants for research
📩LeadPurify- Clean up your email list
🗺️DigitalOcean - A simple cloud platform for all developer needs
Strategy
Paid ≠ Fake
Authenticity is king on social media. Yes, your audience knows when your content is sponsored, but guess what? They don’t mind—if you make them laugh, find a way to be relatable, or win them over with a genuine story.
Take a cue from Scissors & Scotch, a luxury men’s grooming company. They don’t shy away from the fact that they’re using paid ads. Instead, they lean into it, adding a touch of humor that resonates with their audience:
Stay on top of trends
Timing is everything in the world of social media. Don’t miss out on the power of seasonal trends, holidays, or viral moments. Take Starbucks and their Pumpkin Spice Latte craze every fall— they’ve mastered the art of tapping into seasonal fervor to drive engagement.
If your product aligns with a current season or trend, paid ads can swiftly put it in front of eager eyes. Running a timely campaign, especially during a high-demand period (hello, turkey shortage ads), can significantly boost your clicks and conversions:
Creating urgency with messages like “LIMITED QUANTITIES—ORDER TODAY!” can work wonders if the content of your ad is relevant to begin with.
Targeting
Effective targeting is the backbone of successful paid advertising— it’s what separates paid advertising from organic content.
Use the business analytics tools offered on most platforms to craft campaigns that resonate with these preferences, and leverage targeting features to zero in on the right audience segments. Here’s how you can do it:
Analyze demographics and online behaviors to understand your audience better.
Craft targeted campaigns that speak directly to your audience’s needs and desires.
Utilize advanced targeting options like interests, location, and behaviors to reach precise audience segments.
Optimize campaigns by adjusting criteria based on real-time performance data.
How do you avoid annoying your audience with sponsored content? Zoom in on your product in a way that showcases a pain point it solves, like aday does here:
Women’s pants are notorious for having insufficient or non-existent pockets, which makes this clean ad appealing to the brand’s target audience.
Testing— 1, 2, 3
Experiment with different ad formats, headlines, and audience segments. Facebook’s A/B testing tool can be your best friend here. Keep what works, discard what doesn’t, and watch your ROI climb.
Keep an eye on key metrics like reach, engagement rate, CPC, and ROI to gauge your campaign’s performance.
Once you measure impact using platform analytics, tracking metrics like CPC, CPA, ROAS, and engagement rates, you can use these insights to refine and optimize your future campaigns. Don’t forget to maintain visibility and encourage conversions with strategic retargeting ads.
Consider NARS Cosmetics, which tested Instagram Shop ads against website-directed ads and found a 6% increase in ROI and a 24% decrease in cost per purchase with the native checkout option. This data-driven approach can significantly enhance your ad effectiveness.
Paid Advertising Tips per Platform
Facebook & Instagram
Facebook Pixel is your personal data detective. It tracks user interactions and helps you refine your ads to maximize results.
Experiment with various ad formats—images, videos, carousels—to showcase your brand, keeping in mind how different formats work best for certain purposes:
Spotlight: Image Ads
Perfect for showcasing your products or services, image ads work best when they come with a clear, irresistible call to action.
Quick Connect: Video Ads
Captivate your audience with dynamic videos that tell a story, spark emotion, or show your product in all its glory.
On Instagram, these formats are showcased in posts, reels, and stories. All are super easy to scroll or tap right past (especially stories), so your ad has to grab the viewer’s attention in under a second.
Check out this Facebook Image ad that cuts to the chase with its value proposition and a pinch of humor:
Plus, Facebook’s primarily working-age audience makes the platform a great place for Slack to advertise.
TikTok
TikTok’s vibrant, short-form videos are perfect for catching the eye of a younger, highly engaged audience. It’s where creativity meets virality.
Authenticity wins all over social media, but even more so on TikTok. Show your product in real-life scenarios or join trending challenges.
Utilize TikTok’s fast-paced platform with image, video, shopping, and carousel ads designed for high engagement.
See how this dating app uses TikTok’s commonly used features and formatting (read: UGC-style video footage & text stickers) to appeal to its’ Gen Z audience:
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Start with Promoted Tweets to amplify your message and use Twitter’s precise targeting options to zero in on users involved in specific conversations or events.
Be sure to keep your tweets around 100 characters. In Twitter's world, less is more—be quick, catchy, and compelling.
Aldi’s approach to Twitter marketing nails this:
Reach decision-makers and industry leaders on LinkedIn with ads crafted for serious business impact.
Whether it’s through Sponsored Content or Dynamic Ads, LinkedIn lets you showcase your expertise and industry-specific solutions to captivate the B2B crowd or working professionals.
LinkedIn lets you personalize ads based on job titles, industry, and company size, so tailor your ads to match these qualities in your audience.
This ad hits the sweet spot on LinkedIn, connecting directly with professionals who make catering decisions for their organizations:
Looking Ahead
Paid social media advertising doesn’t just help you reach more people, it connects you with the right people at the right time. Whether you’re aiming to drive sales, increase brand awareness, or boost engagement, each platform offers unique opportunities to connect with your audience—from Facebook’s precise targeting to TikTok’s creative formats.
Stay tuned for next week when we dive into the world of native advertising. Discover how blending seamlessly into users’ feeds can elevate your brand’s visibility and engagement.
Here’s what’s coming up this month:
Social Media Strategy
Week 1: Paid Social Media Advertising (this week!)
Week 2: Native Advertising
Week 3: Affiliate Marketing
Week 4: Paid Search
Week 5: Display Advertising
Stay tuned!
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