Although print advertisements will always have their place in marketing schemes, there is little doubt that online advertising could be even more necessary for companies to find long term customers, which then leads them to success. What started as a website and then moved to search engine optimizing is now firmly rooted in a social media presence. Social media advertising is one of the most popular ways to get the word out about anything: campaigns, new products, a newly opened restaurant, and, of course, sales promotions. Your business can greatly benefit from a paid for social media advertising campaign; here is why.

What is social media advertising?

By definition, social media advertising, paid for or free, is exactly how it sounds. You create a social media platform by using profiles geared toward your target audience. The purpose is to bring in more customers and explain why your product or service is the best available to meet your consumers’ needs. You create content on various social media pages through pictures, videos, surveys, memes, and stories. Online advertising is the way of the technologically savvy world, so it is a great option for startup and existing businesses to gain more traction and hopefully more profits.

How is it different than creating free social media ads?

Paid social media advertising is extremely similar to free social media advertising, but it has one fundamental difference that often spells success for your business: strategic planning. Although social media algorithms are not always reliable, your use of the many available planning tools on social media sites is invaluable to advertisements. The paid ads are also targeted for specific demographics, such as age, interests, and online usage. Paid social media advertising will also run promotions for you based on your target audience or online browsers who have just clicked on your profile. Data analytics can do so many things to generate interest in your products that free ads cannot.

What can you accomplish with paid for advertising on social media?

The most obvious answer is that social media advertising should get you more direct sales, especially if the ad links directly to your website and sales page. Beyond that, social media advertising seeks to bring more brand awareness to consumers. Whether the customers targeted are existing or potential, you can show them what your business is all about, encourage them to learn more about you, and also incentivize them to purchase. Social media advertising should be used to create meaningful content that appeals directly to your target customer.

Do your research, create your campaign, pay for the expertise, and you will be on your way to more success.