Tips for Successfully Running Ads on Social Media

Social media provides businesses with a fantastic platform for connecting with potential customers. By running ads on Facebook, Instagram, and other popular networks, you can reach people in the online spaces where they spend most of their time. Here are nine tips to keep in mind as you develop your strategy for social media advertising.

Research Your Competitors

Before creating your own advertisements, it’s nice to know what similar businesses are producing. Take some time to browse for ads in your industry on popular platforms. Feel free to imitate the techniques that seem most successful, but also look for areas where your own ads could beat out the competition.

Keep the Context in Mind

Make sure all your social media advertisements are designed especially for the platforms on which they’ll appear. Each social network has its own character, and you’ll want your ads to adopt the tone that users will be expecting. If you’re not sure what approach to take, look at existing ads for inspiration.

Incorporate Moving Parts

Motion attracts much more attention than static images. That’s why your ads should always incorporate dynamic, mobile features. Even if a full video is inappropriate or impossible in a certain context, consider using a simple gif to grab the viewer’s attention.

Use the Correct Sizing Ratios for Images

Nothing ruins an advertisement like images that weren’t properly sized. Before submitting an ad for publication, make sure the sizing ratio matches the platform’s expectations. This one simple step, while easily forgotten, often makes the difference between a gorgeous ad and a total trainwreck.

Prioritize Storytelling

While your ads shouldn’t be overly complicated, you should do your best to tell a coherent story in the brief space available to you. This is much easier if you use video. With a hook, a bit of exposition, and a snappy conclusion, you can show potential customers why they should value your brand.

Focus on a Specific Audience

The world is a big place, and you’ll never be able to target the entire population of consumers at once. Instead of attempting the impossible, be realistic and focus your efforts on a reasonable audience. By making ads that will interest a particular subset of society, you increase your chances of making an impact.

Run Simple Tests

You don’t have to be a brilliant data scientist to test design features in your advertisements. Simply run two ads that are identical except for a single feature, then see which ad performs better. These mini-experiments will help you consistently improve your methods.

Create a Set of Urgency

People won’t react to an ad unless they sense that time is running out on them. That’s why limited-time offers and short-term perks are vital. If you run ads that don’t create urgency, you’ll attract plenty of eyeballs but few paying customers.

Choose a Theme

Themes are great for keeping your ads from appearing haphazard or disheveled. By basing all your ads on the season or a cultural phenomenon, you’ll create a sense of continuity and increase the recognizability of your brand.

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