Getting started with paid advertising content and paid social media can be a big step in the evolution of your business. Many brands assume they’ll be able to harness the power of social media without having to pay for it and end up disappointed when their campaigns don’t have the impact they had hoped for.
The fact of the matter is though—today’s social media algorithms are hard to pin down. There is no precise and predictable logic as to why some posts blow up while others get buried. So regardless of how valiant your optimization efforts are, reach is simply not guaranteed.
That is why more and more companies are opting for paid advertising. Paid social media ensures that your campaigns get seen, as you are essentially buying your audience’s undivided attention. And, for most companies, it is a critical step to take in order to stay competitive. A staggering three-fourths of all marketers run paid social campaigns. Even for very small businesses, paid advertising has essentially become a matter of “when” and not “if.”
From raising brand awareness to driving traffic and leads, a well-crafted paid advertising campaign has the potential to generate immediate results for your business. So, let’s take a look at a few ways you can ensure your investment has the impact you’re looking for.
Experiment with various paid advertising content formats
When it comes to paid advertising, you have more options than ever before. You can have videos, images, carousels, or even upload gifs. My experience tells me that video tends to have the most significant impact. We usually see high click-through rates, often in combination also with good conversion rates. One of the primary reasons is that you can cover a lot of ground and provide far-reaching context in a video. On the other hand, you’re quite restricted with just an image. Try to use different ad formats to see what works best for you.
Show your product being used
Allow the viewer to imagine themselves actually using or engaging with your product. It’s a good tactic to first illustrate the product being used before highlighting the details that make it unique. Providing information and a realistic demonstration also helps build trust and allows viewers to imagine themselves using your product and being satisfied with it.
Don’t underestimate the power of visuals
Visuals have a huge impact. Once you figure out which concept or form works for you, trying out different visuals is key to getting your ads to the next level. Keep in mind that the impact of the different types of visuals is highly related to your audience and your landing pages. For example, I could imagine that a female model would work better in the target group with females 20 to 35, compared to men.
Make your USP stand out
It is called a unique selling proposition for a reason. Creative text is vital. You need to explain what your product is and have a compelling USP. Beyond just describing your product, find ways to make it stand out and entice your audience with a call to action.
Use signifiers and logos to boost trust
Another underrated strategy, in my opinion, is the inclusion of trust logos. For example, if you have something like a trusted shop score, “Made in Germany,” or some other indicator of quality—be sure to include it. Small pointers that help to boost trust can go a long way to improving your ad performance. Also, adding your logo ensures that people recognize your ads across different platforms and helps with click-through rates.
Understand why it worked
You don’t only want to make good ads; you want to understand why they are good. Analyze the details of your posts that perform well—things such as headlines, description, text length, and calls to action are what I look at to test and validate what works best. I believe that the ad creation workflow should be a circle. Once you figured out what worked, you want to apply this to all the assets, keep them in the loop, and compare them going forward.
Ready to take your paid advertising game to the next level? Get in touch to discuss how our team at GANDT can help ensure your next campaign has the impact you’re looking for.
