As you begin to build out your paid social media strategy, you will want to place certain social media ads on certain platforms. To properly choose where to place your ads, you will want to know where your target audience lies. In this reading, you will learn how to choose which platform you should place ads on.
Know your audience
People use social media platforms for specific purposes. Not every platform is alike—one might be for socializing with friends and family, while another is meant to help users network and grow their careers. Because each social media platform has its intended use, it’s important to choose your ad platform wisely.It is even possible to damage your relationship with your target audience if you don’t. But, as is the case with all kinds of social media marketing, you can rely on testing to see which platforms your audience engages with ads on the most.
With over 1.4 billion average daily users, it’s no secret that Facebook is one of the most popular. So, if your brand has a Facebook presence, use it to your advantage. By posting GIFs, videos, static images, and carousels, you can leverage those ads to drive website traffic, grow brand awareness, increase your conversion rate, and more.
There are a lot of different ways to create an Instagram ad, but regardless of the route you go, your content will need to be image based. Whether you are leveraging influencer marketing by paying influencers to post Reels using the hashtag “#ad” or creating Instagram Stories ads, it has become an effective place to get conversions.
If your brand targets a more niche audience, consider placing ads on Twitter. Twitter offers a community based connection that not every platform offers—it offers timely interactions and updates. Since conversation and engagement are encouraged so heavily on the app, Twitter helps users feel connected to brands.
YouTube
YouTube is an effective space to advertise video content if your audience is between the ages of 18-49. YouTube now reaches more 18-49-year-olds than every cable TV network. YouTube prides itself on being community based, and they do this by prioritizing original video content, and fostering engagement in the comments section.
If your brand caters to other businesses, rather than consumers, Linkedin might be the place for your ads—it’s widely considered the place for professionals and business leaders to interact.
Key takeaways
As always, testing out various platforms is the best way to learn what works for your audience, but keep these tips in mind when you’re thinking about which platforms to test. And remember that social media is an ever-changing industry—what worked for your brand last year may not work for your brand this year, so don’t be afraid to pivot your social strategy if necessary.
The most important thing to remember is that your social media ad strategy should be based on your audience’s preferences. This means you should prioritize gathering data and cultivating relationships with them in order to know how to best serve them. Once you’ve figured that out, you can begin to prioritize placing ads on various platforms.