The growth of social media advertising was one of my digital marketing predictions for 2015. We’re only halfway through the year, but we’re already seeing that come to fruition. In the past two weeks, both Pinterest and Instagram announced additions to their advertising platforms. And, earlier this year, we saw Snapchat enter the social media advertising game.
Social media advertising budgets are increasing too. According to
AdWeek,
70 percent of marketers plan to spend more on social media advertising this year.
All of this signifies a massive shift in how social media is used. They are no longer purely organic, social platforms. They are robust advertising tools with huge opportunities to reach your target audience in a way that was never possible before. The possibilities are really exciting!
And yet, the rapid growth and addition of social media advertising platforms can be downright overwhelming.After all, social media advertising is far more complicated than
using the
social channels for organic sharing. There are so many options available that dissecting the options and determining the best route can be challenging.
If you’ve wanted to embark on social media advertising, but feel stuck or confused, today’s episode of The Marketing Huddle is for you! In this episode, Stan and I explain
how social media advertising works, give you some pointers on how to get started and offer up
the key steps you need to take to use it to drive success for your business.
Here is what we covered in this week’s episode:
- Top ways businesses can use social media advertising (and it’s not just about selling your stuff).
- The six essential ingredients you need to get started with social media advertising.
- A rundown of how each channel — Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn — handles advertising.
- Why you shouldn’t just hit the “boost” button on your Facebook page (and what to do instead).
- The different ways to buy social media advertising and the key terms you need to know.
- The biggest mistakes businesses make with social ads and how you can avoid them.
This Week in Marketing:
As I mentioned at the top of this post, there were two big developments in the social media advertising space earlier this month. Both Pinterest and Instagram rolled out a version of a “shop now” button in their respective apps.
Here are the two articles we mentioned:
- Pinterest Wants You to Go Shopping with New ‘Buyable Pins’
- Instagram Unleashes a Fully Operational Ad Business
Marketing MVP: Ragnar Relay
Every week, we highlight a person or business that is really rocking their marketing efforts to give you some inspiration on how you can level up with your marketing.
This week, Stan shares his experience from running in the Ragnar Relay and why their social media efforts have helped turn him into an ambassador for the race. Check out our post on The Marketing Huddle to see photos of Stan in action!
Listen to the Show
Ready to dive into social media advertising? Listen to this week’s show right here.
For additional show notes and resources, visit The Marketing Huddle website. And, don’t forget to leave a review on iTunes to snag The Marketing Huddle playbook! These will likely go quickly, so leave your review today and then go here to tell us where to send it.
We hope this week’s show helps you dip your toe into the social media advertising waters. Still have questions for us? Leave a comment below or send us a tweet at @MktgHuddle and we’ll answer your question on an upcoming show!
