In the previous blog we touched upon the importance of paid ads for your social media marketing strategy, we will now dive into which channels are important for your business. Consider these different platforms and their current user bases.

Facebook: Facebook offers the largest monthly active users, coming in at about 1.3 Billion, and its ad program is one of the oldest and most advanced. Facebook allows many different ad options for specific objectives (engagement, following, website clicks, app installs, finding local consumers, event boosting, etc.) It will remain at the forefront of paid social ads for a little while, however smaller platforms have really stepped up to the challenge, and may be more worthwhile for your business once you have built a solid Facebook presence.

LinkedIn: LinkedIn’s ad platform is largely aimed toward business professionals. What is interesting about LinkedIn users is their focus while surfing. Business-oriented thinking is not usually at the top of mind for Facebook or Twitter users, but for LinkedIn the average user is surfing with the intention of improving their business. For B2B companies, LinkedIn advertising will most likely give you the largest ROI and conversion rate.

For B2B companies, LinkedIn advertising will most likely give you the largest ROI and conversion rate. 

Pinterest: Pinterest’s ad platform is still in its beginning stages, however Pinterest offers a unique user base. Around 80% of all Pinterest users are female, and the overall income of users is 9% higher than non-users. In addition, website visits from Pinterest have been found to be 20% more valuable, which is consistent with the overall platform basis of pinning items to wishlist-style “boards.” Pinterest advertising would be ideal for the B2C company looking to increase online product purchases, local businesses or places of interest (restaurants, hotels, bars, private museums, etc.) looking to increase foot traffic or awareness, or the solely e-commerce site. Keep in mind; image is key to a successful Pinterest campaign. Users are looking to build their personal brand by selecting images they would like to associate with themselves while also looking for interesting content.

Instagram:  Instagram is one of the most exciting new social platforms. In 2014 Instagram had a 32% increase in members and a 47% increase in active users. Instagram’s ad platform is much less developed than competitors, however, recent developments on the horizon could prove incredibly profitable. For now sponsored Instagram posts offer increased engagement and a good source for website traffic; keep in mind that your website must be optimized for mobile. Instagram’s user base is a little different than other channels. User gender is split 50/50 between men and women with over 50% falling in the 18-29 year old category. In order to market effectively to this user base it is important to keep advertising young and pleasing to the eye. Push for purchases by convincing users your product is the missing puzzle piece in their lives.

Paid advertising, if done right, can prove incredibly profitable for your business. It is important to remember that it will take time. Continue to change your strategy and test certain aspects of your campaigns to ensure you are hitting the correct market and providing yourself with the highest ROI possible. Social media marketing success is both objective and subjective; it is an ever-adapting landscape. In order to make the biggest bang for your buck you want to ensure you have a marketing team with a strong knowledge base. Call on us to help you make the most of your social media channels: