Paid social ads can increase a business’s sales as well as its ROI. But if you don’t know how to run any of them, then you are just wasting money and time.
Social Media Ads share 33% of all the digital ads money spent. But are you using it the way it should be? Also, are you making enough money from spending thousands of dollars on paid social ads? If not, then there must be something wrong with your social media ads campaign.
But don’t worry! You have come to the right place.
The step-by-step guide below will tell you how to run paid social ads in 8 easy tips, what it is, and its importance in growing your business. So, let’s make it happen for you now!
What is paid social?
Paid social means running ads on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Twitter. You pay to show ads to specific people based on their interests. It helps businesses reach the right audience quickly and easily.
How Does It Work?
- You choose your audience (e.g., age, location, interests).
- You create an ad with text, images, or videos.
- You set a budget (even $5 a day can work!).
- The platform shows your ad to the right people.
- You track results to see how many people clicked, liked, or bought.
Example:
Imagine you sell sneakers. You can run an Instagram ad targeting young athletes who follow sports pages. Your ad will show up in their feed, and if they like what they see, they might click and buy.
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Why Paid Social Ads Worth Investing?
If you are a marketer and want to grow a business, reach more customers, and increase the ROI of any business, then consider running paid social ad campaigns.
However, the below reasons will further explain this point:
1. Target the Right Audience with Precision
If you want to target your target audience better, then paid social ads are your tools. Unlike traditional advertising, paid social media ads allow you to target highly specific audiences based on demographics, interests, behaviours, and online activity.
Example: If you’re selling fitness gear, you can target users who follow gym pages, engage with fitness content, or have purchased sports apparel before.
Want to grow on social media? Read our social media growth hacks.
2. Get Immediate and Measurable Results
You should not wait for weeks to see if your ad campaign is working. Instead, you should get immediate insights from the platform ads manager.
For example, Facebook Ads Manager provides real-time analytics on impressions, clicks, conversions, and engagement.
However, if an ad isn’t performing well, you can tweak the audience, change the creative, or adjust your budget immediately.
3. Less Expensive As Compared to Traditional Ads
Paid social ads offer better control over budget and ROI compared to TV, radio, or print ads. You can start with as little as $5 per day and scale based on performance.
Example: A small business can run an Instagram ad campaign for $50 and reach 10,000+ potential customers, while a TV ad with a similar reach could cost thousands.
Also, the average CPC (Cost-Per-Click) on Facebook is $0.50–$3.50 per click, making it one of the most affordable ad platforms.
4. Increases Brand Awareness & Engagement
Even if users don’t buy immediately, seeing your ad repeatedly increases brand awareness and trust. People are 70% more likely to remember brands they see on social media compared to other platforms. Also, 54% of users research products on social media before making a purchase.
For example, Nike runs engaging video ads on Instagram, and even if the user doesn’t buy, they will remember the brand and might convert later.
5. Drive High-Quality Traffic & Conversions
If done right, social ads drive visitors who are already interested in your product or service, increasing the chances of conversion.
For example, if a user adds an item to their cart but doesn’t check out, you can retarget them with a discount offer through Facebook or Instagram ads.
Why? Because retargeted visitors are 70% more likely to convert.
6. Helps in Scaling Your Business
As you optimise your ad strategy, you can scale your campaigns to reach millions of potential customers worldwide. Social media allows small businesses to compete with more prominent brands on an equal playing field.
For example, a local clothing brand in New York can use lookalike audiences to find new customers across the U.S. and expand its reach. Similarly, Facebook’s Lookalike Audiences help businesses reach new potential customers with traits similar to those of their current customers.
How to Run Paid Social Ads in 8 Easy Steps
You can run paid social ads by following the below simple steps:
1. Define Your Goals
Clearly outline what you want to achieve with your ads. However, your goals can include increasing brand awareness, driving website traffic, generating leads, or boosting sales. Having specific objectives will guide your strategy and help measure success.
For this, you can use Facebook Ads Manager, which helps you set your objectives directly in Facebook Ads
2. Understand Your Target Audience
Once you’ve set your goals for running paid social ads, the next step is to figure out who your perfect customers are. Think about their age, gender, location, interests, and what they do online.
Remember, the more you know about your audience, the better you can create ads that speak directly to them and grab their attention.
For this, you can use tools like Facebook audience insights, which help you understand audience demographics, interests, and behaviours.
However, you can also use Google Analytics, which tells you where your website traffic is coming from.
3. Choose the Right Platforms for Running Ads
Select the social platform that aligns with your goals. But wait! You should also select the social media platform where your target audience is most active.
For instance, LinkedIn is effective for B2B marketing, while Instagram and TikTok are popular among younger demographics. Focus your efforts on platforms that align with your audience.
You can use tools like Sprout Social, which helps you manage your ads on different platforms. With this, you can find out where to target your ads.
4. Set a Budget and Bidding Strategy
If you want to know how to run paid social ads, then you must know your budget as well. It means you must know how much you’re willing to spend on your campaigns. Decide between different bidding strategies, such as cost-per-click (CPC) or cost-per-impression (CPM), based on your objectives and budget.
But why should you do this? Because a clear budget ensures you do not overspend.
5. Create an Attractive Ad Copy
How to run paid social ads is not only about knowing where to target; instead, it is also about your content and ad copy. If your ad copy and visuals are not good, then it will not bring any sales for you.
But how can you write content that converts your readers? By Aligning your copy with your goals, your target audience’s pain points. You should also use clear, concise, and persuasive language to encourage your readers to take action.
For this, you must hire a professional social media copywriter who knows how to write engaging content.
6. Monitor and Optimize Your Campaigns
Regularly track the performance of your ads using analytics tools provided by the platforms. For example, Facebook Ads Manager lets you Monitor key metrics like click-through rates (CTR), conversion rates, and return on ad spend (ROAS). Use this data to make informed adjustments to your campaigns for better results.
7. Test Different Ad Variations
You create an ad and then run it for a whole month, but it does not bring any sales or leads. Then you think, “I should leave it”. No! Instead, conduct A/B testing by creating multiple versions of your ads with slight variations in visuals, copy, or CTAs.
This will help you understand what resonates with your audience. But remember, always try to use your target audience’s language in your ads.
8. Analyze and Report Results
The work is not done yet. You should consistently analyse your social media ad campaign to determine its effectiveness. But how can you do this?
Prepare reports that highlight key insights and areas for improvement. This will not only improve your ads campaign but will also bring better results in future.
Final Words
If you want to increase the ROI of your social ad campaign, you must understand how to run paid social ads, which is essential. By following the above steps, you will not only learn how to run ads on social media platforms, but also you can scale and grow your business quickly.
Would you like help setting up your first campaign? Then you must contact our team to handle everything on your behalf.
FAQs Related to Paid Social Ads
How much does it cost to run social media ads?
Running social media ads can vary widely in cost, typically ranging from $850 to $2,000 per month for small to mid-sized businesses. However, this can go up to $20,000+ per month for larger campaigns or more comprehensive services. But you should consider factors like the platform, target audience, and ad type, as they play a significant role in determining the final cost.
Do paid social media ads work?
Yes, paid social media ads still work when growing your business. They can increase your brand awareness and increase sales as well. However, their effectiveness depends on factors like ad quality, targeting accuracy, and overall strategy.
