The Effectiveness of Paid Ads on Social Media

One of the biggest misconceptions about social media advertising is that it’s a free marketing tool. However, because algorithms now determine what content appears in individuals’ newsfeeds, brands can no longer rely on organic reach to get their message to their targeted audience. Instead, paid advertising boosts a brand’s presence on social media by putting brands back in control of the strategic placement of their content.

Find out more about leveraging social media advertising tools with Kiara Havenga, Head Tutor on the Social Media Marketing online short course from the University of Cape Town.

Transcript

In case you haven’t noticed yet, social media is no longer a free ride. There is far too much competition out there amongst brands and businesses for any social media platform to afford to give you a free ride. Organic reach has declined steeply, and algorithms now rule the roost. You’ve now got to pay to play and to win on social media. 

Algorithms are what every social media platform runs on these days. They have led to a lot of changes in social media in the last few years, and they continue to change constantly. Due to the giant that it’s become, Facebook is probably the biggest example of a social media platform using algorithms to great effects. According to Facebook, they want to show people content that they actually care about. Opting for a chronological timeline simply meant far too much spam for their users. Enter algorithms. Currently, Facebook makes use of many factors that decide what content lands in its users’ timelines and in what order. And this long list of factors changes and grows all the time. 

So, what does this mean for your social media presence as a brand or business? Simply put, unless you’re paying to promote it, you’re lucky if your content is reaching in the vicinity of 5 per cent of your audience on Facebook and much less than that on Twitter. The good news is that even though social media is now a pay-to-play arena, it’s definitely where you want to be spending your money. So, apart from the fact that social media platforms are filled with hundreds of millions of active consumers 24/7, social networks gather such a large amount of user information enabling you to target your audience in a wider variety of ways than any other online or offline platforms. 

Lastly, in case you haven’t noticed, we’re living in the midst of a mobile revolution with people checking social content multiple times a day on their smartphone, allowing your ads to reach consumers frequently. There is no doubt that having a budget set aside for monthly paid advertising on your social media platforms is key.

One thing I want to emphasise is the fact that a bigger budget doesn’t necessarily mean a bigger reach or higher engagement. You need to spend your money wisely, and this means being strategic with ad placements, targeting, and formats. It means creating content that drives engagement. 

To conclude, it’s a huge misconception that social media marketing is free. So, if you’re not paying-to-play now, you’ll find yourself quickly falling behind your competition. The beauty of social media advertising is that you’re in the driver’s seat. Choose your audience, determine your budget, and go full speed ahead.