We previously told you just how much a marvellous paid social campaign can benefit your digital marketing. We’re assuming, right after you spat out your coffee and yelled “Eureka!”, that you rushed off to start planning that campaign… So today, we’re sharing five clever ways to help you power it up.
Utilise the following tips for a next-level paid social campaign that’ll captivate your online audience, and see click-throughs that convert like there’s no tomorrow.
Choose the right channel to promote on
Just like Google, Facebook has got sneaky with algorithm changes. Soon, so will Twitter, and marketers the world over are breaking out into a cold sweat. It’s not that we can no longer reach people for free with our witty, creative content – if our audience is engaged enough, we can – but these days, it makes sense to scrape a bit of budget together to promote our content through paid posts.
Whether you’re planning a small spend or a splurge, you need to make sure your paid social campaign is going to end up in front of the right eyes. Ask yourself, where is my audience? Which social networks do they spend their time scrolling? Study data on your existing content and see which platforms generate the most engagement or traffic.
Marketing expert Joe Chervov says: “Assuming you know which social networks your prospects prefer is a reliable way to misallocate your advertising budget. As part of a social media marketing plan, you need to spend time researching which networks your potential buyers frequent for community interaction and information. This step will save you money and improve performance later.”
Remember, when you assume, you make an ASS out of Ur MarkEting. Or something like that anyway.
Choose the right content to promote
Sounds simple, right? Head back to the data you dug out when you were checking which platforms to promote on. This same data will help you determine which types of content resonate most with your audience. Did your following go crazy for a certain video? Or what about a whitepaper? By finding out which posts performed well, and which maybe not so much, you should be able to create stronger content strategies in future – by replicating whatever it is that earns engagement.
Once you know which pieces of content are likely to perform well organically, you’ll also be able to see which posts might need a little push in the right direction… In the form of some paid promotion. Or, if they’re not 100% necessary, get rid – and save yourself a few quid.
Don’t forget to mix it up a bit
When it comes to social media, particularly a paid social campaign, remember that creative quickly becomes stale. Give your audience credit – it’s proven that new, fresh creative boosts conversion rates. By mixing it up a little, marketers have been able to lift conversions back up to initial launch levels, all by changing an image, a banner, or a compelling bit of copy.
Craft yourself a calendar of ‘creative rotation’. This should include a varied stock of images, headlines and descriptions that you can quickly put together or switch around to build some refreshing new creative to support your paid social.
Do yourself a favour – don’t over-promote
Picture the scene. You’re scrolling on Facebook or Twitter and your feed is littered with ads, ‘Wow!’ ‘Special offer!’ ‘You won’t believe how brilliant this deal is…’ You get the picture… And you throw your phone down in disgust. Ugh, ads.
Let’s face it, nobody likes ads. Which is why it’s our job as marketers to makes these ads as minimally invasive-and-irritating as possible. Any content you’re planning on promoting needs to be useful, relevant, interesting or informative. Or, all of the above, if you can.
Consider this; your paid social campaign is likely to reach a much wider audience than your existing followers or fans. If this audience it to be found on Facebook or Twitter, they’re probably there to share memes, read the news, watch videos or engage in conversation. They’re not there to be sold to – and by popping up with an uninvited, overly promotional paid post, you’re probably just going to put them off.
Sponsored content is designed to look like it belongs in the newsfeed, so leave your sales spiel at the door.
Don’t forget to analyse ANY and ALL of your data!
As with any successful marketing campaign, data is most definitely your friend. Collate it, report on it and consider what your findings mean… Are your efforts working? What can you do to improve? Past data should always influence future strategy… As shown in this handy graphic!
Once you get into the habit of following this process, it’s highly likely that you’ll find your online marketing more fruitful. Assessing, reporting on, then implementing action plans should be your go-to structure for any campaign – not just paid social, but PPC, SEO and content too.
What to take away…
Starting your paid social campaign can seem like a daunting task – but it doesn’t have to be. All you need to do is the find the right channel, the right audience and the right type of content. Then, pop a few pounds behind it. Remember not too be too salesy, and try to find the right balance of shareable, enjoyable and educational for your paid posts.
Without all this, your brand will probably find itself at best ignored by potential customers. At worst, your poor social media manager might be on the receiving end of some rather unwanted feedback – and your brand could be damaged!
