How to run a successful Social Ads campaign?

There’s nothing better than a well-crafted social ads campaign to boost your visibility on social networks. All businesses—small, medium, or large—set up Social Ads campaigns for various reasons. But with constantly evolving platforms, mysterious algorithms, and increasingly demanding audiences, navigating this world can sometimes feel like juggling flaming balls. Here are the essentials to ensure a successful Social Ads campaign.

‍

What are Social Ads?

‍

✅ “Social Ads” are the ads you see on Facebook, Instagram, and the like: Facebook Ads, LinkedIn Ads... Companies use them to promote their products, useful services, or simply to introduce their universe.

Imagine you’re scrolling through your vacation photos on Instagram, and bam—a cleverly placed ad pops up, showing you the ultimate travel gadget. That’s what “Social Ads” are. Companies pick these strategic spots to grab our attention, hoping we’ll be intrigued enough to click on their offer.

Marketers can fine-tune their sponsored ads to target specific groups based on interests, location, and other criteria. Well, maybe not sock color—but you get the idea.

‍

1 – Understand your target audience

‍

The first step for any ad campaign is to understand your target audience.

➛ Who are they?

➛ What are their interests, preferences, and online behaviors?

‍

By analyzing this data, companies can create ad content that resonates with their target audience. Using social media analytics tools is super helpful for gathering valuable insights about current followers. Then, this data is used to refine ad targeting. 🎯

‍

2 – Set objectives for your Social Ads campaign

‍

Before launching a campaign, you need to set clear and measurable goals.

➛ What does the company want to achieve with this campaign?

➛ Increase sales, generate leads, raise brand awareness?

Clearly defined goals will help measure the campaign’s success and adjust the strategy as needed.

‍

🔎 Here are some examples of Social Ads campaign objectives:

• A Social Ads campaign to raise awareness:

Boost your brand image by sharing content that reflects your values, expertise, and identity.

• A Social Ads campaign to engage your audience:

Build authentic connections with your audience to grow a loyal and engaged community around your brand.

• A Social Ads campaign to convert:

Inspire your audience to take action—whether it’s signing up on your site, making a purchase, requesting a quote, or downloading an app.

3 – Choose the right social platform

‍

Just like an actor chooses their stage, it’s important to select the ideal social platform to broadcast your ad content. Each platform has its own audience and unique advertising features. You must consider your target audience and campaign goals when choosing the platform.

Here’s an analysis of each social network’s relevance:

• Facebook

A well-known and widely used platform, suitable for all advertising strategies—whether targeting consumers or other businesses.

• YouTube

Perfect for video ads and influencer marketing, offering a great opportunity to reach a large audience easily.

• Instagram and Pinterest

Popular with young people under 35 looking for inspiration. These platforms are ideal for campaigns based on impactful visuals.

‍

• Snapchat and TikTok

Favorites among teenagers and young adults, dedicated to entertainment. They’re perfect for creative and fun video ads.

• LinkedIn

Primarily used by a professional audience, making it an ideal platform for running B2B ads targeting decision-makers and upper-income profiles (CSP+ and CSP++).

• Twitter

Preferred by 25–49-year-olds and professionals. Particularly suitable for B2B campaigns.

4- Create engaging content

‍

Content is king in the world of social media. By creating attractive ads, brands manage to capture the audience’s attention. To do so, use high-quality visuals, punchy captions, and clear, concise messages. The content should align with the brand identity and spark audience interest. Most brands collaborate with influencers to boost visibility of their advertising content.

5- Use advanced ad targeting

‍

Social media platforms offer advanced targeting options to refine your audience. Brands use these features to specifically reach people most likely to be interested in their product or service. They can target by location, age, interests, online behavior, etc.

6- Choose the right ad formats and placements

‍

This step helps effectively reach your audience and generate engagement. Each social platform offers its own ad setups and designated spaces for social ads.

Some of these formats are compatible across multiple platforms simultaneously, such as video ads on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.

There are various options for ad formats: stories, news feed, sidebar, shopping formats, carousel, events, text ads, etc.

7- Allocate an appropriate budget

‍

It’s important to set a realistic budget for a social ads campaign. The goal? Find the right balance between a sufficient budget to reach your audience and affordable costs. Once this is done, closely monitor performance in relation to the budget and adjust as needed.

8- Test and adjust

‍

The key to success in a social ads campaign lies in constant iteration. To run a successful campaign, test different versions of your ads and modify visuals, copy, and calls to action. Analyze performance for each variation and adjust strategies accordingly. This allows continuous optimization to achieve the best results.

When designing a Social Ads strategy, it’s crucial to select key performance indicators (KPIs) based on your goals. For example:

Visibility: How many people did the sponsored post reach?
‍Click-through rate: How many users engaged with the content or followed the call to action?
Ad interactions: How many shares, comments, or likes did the ads receive?
Follower growth: Was there an increase or decrease in followers during the campaign rollout?