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Getting Started With Social Advertising [Infographic]

Social advertising is everywhere. Social media platforms are perfect for showing ads because of the vast audiencesthey contain. Getting the word out about your business using social advertising is a tried and tested means forgenerating new sales and leads.

The problem is that there are so many different social media platforms to choose from. Do you opt for Facebookadvertising or Twitter advertising? What about Pinterest and Instagram? Maybe Google Plus is the best option?

Doing your research between each one is advisable and you should establish where to invest your social advertisingbudget before jumping in. You can learn about each advertising platform below and get a good overview of how eachcould be best for your business.

The Main Social Advertising Options Available

There are five main options for social advertising. Facebook and Twitter are the most common two, but you could alsouse Google+, Pinterest or Instagram. Each has their own pros and cons…

Using Facebook For Social Advertising

Facebook is one of the most powerful social advertising options because it is the favourite of all social media platforms– containing over one billion users. The extensive targeting options also make it an attractive option for the savvyadvertisers who want to target exact consumer behaviours or niche segments.

The slideshare presentation below provides more information on Facebook advertising.

The downside of advertising on Facebook is that the continual platform developments mean you need to keep tuned into what is happening. Of course, if your’re spending money you should ensure you know what you’re investing in at alltimes.

Twitter Advertising

Twitter is a 140-character micro-blogging social media network. It is more of an open network than Facebook –anyone can follow anyone with restrictions.

Being such a short and snappy message sharing platforms means tweets usually contain links to direct readers to asource to find out more information. The introduction of Twitter cards has now meant that you are able to attach mediaexperiences to Tweets that link to your content.

Twitter has also pioneered the use of hashtags; which categories posts together for people who are searching forsomething specific. You can tag people easily by just knowing their username, which encourages them to sharesomething if they agree with it or like it.

Twitter has three ad products – for a more detailed guide on using Twitter advertising see this article by Search EngineWatch.

Source: Searchenginewatch

The downside of Twitter advertising is also the double-edged sword of the concise 140 character limit. This is great forthose who do just want to add a quick update, but you can’t go into much detail or convey emotional businessmessaging.

Google+ for Better SEO

Google+ is fast becoming an extremely popular form of social advertising. It is similar to Facebook in the way you can

add longer posts with links or images. Hashtags are available to collect posts to make it easier to find them.

The main benefit is the SEO capabilities. Since it is owned by Google, the search engine allows users posts to showup quickly and high in the search results, with your authorship photo being connected to those updates.

Google has now introduced the concept of +Post ads, enabling advertisers to turn any Google Plus post into aninteractive ad, and have it run across the Google Display Ad network.

+Post ads can be used to get social users engaging. Readers can comment on ads, share with friends or join a liveGoogle Hangout On Air.

Brands can also reply to any comments, giving them a one-on-one engagement with their audiences. Anotheradvantage of Google advertising is that once your ad campaign is over, the posts will remain in the Google archive andbecome searchable on Google Search.

So you can continue advertising your product even after your budget runs out or your campaign ends.

However, it is still relatively new. People are still getting used to it and developing strategies and tactics for bothinbound and outbound marketing. It really will depend on your business whether you want to explore using GooglePlus advertising as a means for looking to the future.

Instagram and Pinterest for Images

The final two can be joined together because they are very similar in nature. The point is to add images with captionsor minimal detail. It is the images that catch the attention of followers and those using the sites, and that will encourageusers to share them.

These sites are perfect for businesses that have image-friendly products or services. You could make crafts, bakecakes or create paintings or graphics. Take photos or screenshots and share them on the sites. The images will berepinned or shared, and the name of your business gets out. This is also great if you can create images for yourbusiness needs, such as creating share-friendly thumbnails for articles.

The downside is that you do need photos and images. If you have no need for this or it doesn’t significantly apply toyour business, then this type of advertising will not be very effective for you.

The History of Social Advertising

Source: UnifiedSocial

Over To You…

Do your research into each type of social advertising platform available. Once you learn the way they work, you get toknow the benefits and drawbacks. From there, you can find the one that will work best for your specific businessneeds.

Have you used social advertising before?

What were your experiences with social advertising?

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