It has become more difficult over the years to reach your target audience on social media through organic messaging alone. Complementing your daily posts with paid advertising can boost your online presence and help to drive new customers to your small business. Here we’ve outlined some of the best practices to keep in mind when launching your ad campaigns.

Dedicate A Healthy Budget

Advertising costs money, and having too small of a budget can render your ads ineffective.  Typically, social media advertising requires a minimum monthly budget of $500-$1000. Anything less than that and your audience will be too small to generate a worthwhile return on investment.  Dedicating a portion of your marketing budget toward paid social ads is a great way to build brand awareness, increase website traffic and grow your online following.  Each of these are essential in scaling your business.

Segment Your Audience

Segmenting your audience allows you to tailor your messaging to a specific niche, which is far more effective than casting a wide net at a general group. Both Facebook and LinkedIn allow you to select the audience for your ads based on a variety of demographics including age, job role, location and other factors. The narrower your focus, the more likely your ad copy is to resonate with your target.  Determine the market where you are most likely to have success and begin your ad campaigns focused on that niche.

Write Compelling Ad Copy

Your ads need to get the attention of your target audience and get them excited about what you have to offer. You’ll want to create at least 4 different ads for each campaign you launch in order to keep yourself in front of your audience with fresh material. LinkedIn in particular will only show the same ad to an individual once every 48 hours. Having multiple ads allows your messaging to reach them every day.

Have A Clear Call To Action

There needs to be a reason for someone to click on your ad. A few examples include offering a content download, registering for an event, signing up for a rewards program or receiving a coupon for a discount. Your ads should lead to a landing page where a visitor fills out a form to receive your offer. This is how you capture their contact information so you can deliver on your promise and continue to market to them.

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