Social media is the arena in which businesses are gladiators fighting for the right to glory and adoration from their audience. Unlike the arenas of bygone eras, there are millions of businesses battling for a win. You may be quick, constant, agile; you may produce captivating graphics, tantalising video content, rip-roaringly hilarious memes, but it doesn’t amount to all that much if only a handful of followers can see it through the wealth of online competition. Something of not seeing wood for trees springs to mind. Fear not, soldier. There is a simple solution and it bears the name of paid social media. As a digital marketing agency, we know that harnessing the powers of social media is crucial, but we also know that it isn’t enough. Your business needs to use paid social media advertising in its digital strategy, and here’s why.
Benefit From Paid Social Media Not Limited by Follower Count
A slowly rising or static follower count and limited engagement are the problems encountered by plenty of businesses trying to trail blaze their brand on social media. Paid social is some other breed. Where run-of-the-mill social media is kittens at play, paid social is the king of the jungle and by god will you hear its roar. With paid social media advertising, your business will benefit from a mass audience that goes way beyond your number of followers. With a greater reach you can expect greater interaction and an increase in followers simultaneously. This means your unpaid posts will also benefit from growing interest. A win, win then!
Make the Most of Advanced Targeting with Paid Social Media
This is where paid social media really makes things happen. We’ve already looked at the greater reach that paid social media advertising has, but throwing out your social net at random and hoping to catch the fish is a waste of your time - and budget. The real benefit of paid social media advertising for your business is making use of the advanced targeting that each social platform offers. These demographic targeting options vary across the social media platforms but include targeting by location, interests, friends (these are very successful on Facebook ads and boosted posts) and company criteria such as targeting via job roles, industry sector and company size (these are powerful LinkedIn ad tools).
Paid Social Media is Cost Effective
The power of TV advertising cannot be denied. We’re sure we aren’t the only ones excited for the premiere of the John Lewis Christmas ad. Let’s not be naïve, though. These businesses have millions of pounds set aside to budget these things. One of the biggest benefits of paid social media ads is that comparatively they are the most cost effective form of advertisement, and you can expect a healthy ROI too. Whether you run your paid social media management in-house or outsource from a social media marketing agency, your budget can be controlled, content tested, and the campaign easily tailored to optimise the results.
Stay Above Social Media Algorithm Changes
Social Media is something of a godsend for businesses looking to project their brand identity to the masses. Free, fun, but also frustratingly fickle; businesses looking to make the most of social media marketing have a hard job of keeping up with those omnipotent algorithms. Take Facebook for example. In spite of its recent bad press, Facebook has more users than any other social media platform. Hootsuite reported the number as 2.07 billion users at the start of this year and over 70 million businesses are making use of Facebook Pages.
However, 2018 saw another newsfeed algorithm change in which newsfeeds are not allowing businesses the same space as Facebook friends. Contently described the change as ‘apocalyptic’, which is a little extreme, but it is something business owners need to know. What it means is the potential reach of an organic social media post is considerably less than in previous years. Paid social media puts your posts in front of your potential consumers, in spite of the algorithms. This benefit of paid social media advertising isn’t limited to Facebook, across Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram businesses are being boosted by getting their brand where it can perform best.
Across the globe millions of businesses are maintaining a social media presence and communicating directly with their consumers. Run with your Russell Crowe Gladiator moment (minus the death part of course) and ensure you stand out with paid social media advertising. Get in touch with the team at Christian Michaels today to kick start your paid social campaign.
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