Facebook is the largest social networking platform today with more than 2.91 billion users per month making them an endless gold mine for marketers. In addition to posting for free, running paid ads on Facebook with a Facebook Business Account is one of the things that marketers can use to accomplish their marketing goals.
Facebook ad options:
- Image ads
- Video ads
- Instant Experience ads
- Poll ads
- Carousel ads
- Slideshow ads
- Collection ads
- Lead ads
- Dynamic ads
- Messenger ads
- Stories ads
- Augmented reality ads
How do Facebook Ads work?
Facebook Ads is a professional advertising service on the Meta Platform of Facebook. You pay to display product ads, offers, or promotions to reach potential customers on Facebook and Facebook-affiliated pages.
Any business can make money, by selling and advertising on Facebook, as long as your business or product doesn't violate Facebook's content/restricted products policy. One huge way that Facebook helps you make money, is the way they collect data from all of their users. This information can include age, race, hobbies, favorite shows, friends, and more.
The information collected helps Facebook understand to who they should show their advertising message for the best results. They specifically try to "deliver" targeted ads to the right people who are interested in events, and products, and improve purchasing ability.
How to identify ads from posts
EXAMPLE
I just visited the Fanpage, the data will be recorded and the algorithm will quickly display the Facebook advertising content on my Newsfeed.
How to know if it's an ad or just a post from Fanpage? These are some of the characteristics that every Facebook ad post has, not to be confused with a normal post.
- Posts are posted from Fanpages that you have never liked.
- The word "Sponsored" is below the name of Fanpage.
- "Like Page" button on the right corner & CTA - Signup button (If using an ad format to increase page likes).
- Sales posts will appear in the right column or News feed.
When using FB Ads, it is also possible to link ad accounts and Instagram.
Pros and cons of Facebook Ads:
PROS:
- Facebook Ads are owned and operated by Meta Technology which gives them the ability to advertise to your specific target audience. Meta uses their platforms on a daily basis to gather information such as age, gender, occupation, geographical location, interests, and behavior.
- Facebook ads allow users to deploy their ads quickly. Normally, you only need 2 hours to process and pass the review of the Meta team.
- With Facebook Ads, you can make many different types of ads to suit each goal. This is necessary for marketers to flexibly deploy their campaigns.
CONS:
- With Facebook Ads, you can't manage the frequency of impressions. This means that if your ad audience is too narrow, a person will see your ad many times and may mark your ad as spam, leading to poor ad performance.
- Facebook only shows its ads within Facebook's scope. While Google shows both on its partner sites.
- The level of competition and saturation is large. Users are dividing their time among other popular new sites like Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.
In 2012, Instagram was acquired by Facebook (now Meta). Thanks to this merger, Instagram achieved record growth numbers.
Instagram distributes content to users based on a photo and video sharing system. It is similar to Facebook and Twitter, as it has elements of both. Facebook took the idea of sharing images, while Twitter took the idea of followers and #tags. Therefore, when marketing on this platform, marketers need to create sets of photos (or videos) that attract viewers with the right # tag.
How do Instagram Ads work?
Ads are displayed on Instagram similar to those on Facebook. Running ads on this platform will require you to link your Instagram account to your Facebook business page. Every type of Instagram Ad has different specs and goals. Instagram's user base has also shown that they are better suited for beauty, fashion, and celebrity promotion ads and brands.
Types of Instagram ads:
- Single Image Ad
- Carousel ads - (multi-image)
- Video Ad
- Story Ad
- Marquee Ads - (Large Brands)
Pros and cons of Instagram Ads
Pros:
- This is an optimal tool for you to build and promote a virtual store. With about 2 billion users monthly, Instagram is a great place to target new customers.
- Instagram allows marketers to differentiate between business profiles and personal profiles. This gives marketers more flexibility in advertising activities.
- The Meta network owns Instagram, which means you get the benefit of the data collection that use for your direct marketing on Instagram.
Cons
- The user spectrum on Instagram is quite narrow - the majority of users on this social network are between the ages of 18-34. If your ad is targeting older people, Instagram is not the right choice.
- Only 32% of users on Instagram are male, which means businesses with male customers are also not suitable for the platform.
- Another drawback that you will encounter with Instagram advertising is that it does not allow marketers to use external links when running ads. This means that you are trying to promote a landing page or website, and you cannot use Instagram Ads.
As of early 2022, this social network had 397 million users. Similar to Instagram, Twitter focuses on trends and hashtag symbols. Therefore, content production on this platform also needs to focus on emerging issues and include hashtags (#).
How do Twitter Ads work?
Just like Facebook, Twitter collects user behavior and data and analyzes it, putting users into different demographic groups. Once a marketer sets up paid advertising, Twitter analyzes the ad content and delivers the display ad content to the appropriate user group.
In addition, Twitter also has an ad personalization function, this platform will deliver ads to users according to criteria such as email hash tag, mobile device, or some other information related to the browser.
Types of Twitter Ads:
- Image Ads.
- Video Ads.
- Carousel Ads.
- Moment Ads.
- Text-only Ads.
- Image Ads.
Pros and cons of Twitter Ads?
PROS:
- You can target in great detail by selecting #Hashtags and interests.
- You can even use your target CRM list for targeting.
- Twitter Ads keyword targeting functionality. Marketers can easily distribute their content to users who are searching for a product.
- Twitter Ads are cheaper than Facebook Ads.
CONS:
- Twitter's analytics data return quite late, which sometimes leads marketers to incorrectly judge their marketing campaigns to be ineffective.
- The ROI of Twitter Ads is vague.
- Twitter's news feed structure is a continuous timeline. This can cause your ads to be easily lost and unnoticed by users.
Pinterest is a social network for sharing images from different sources, helping you to keep group photo information. Not only that, but Pinterest is also one of the most effective SEO support tools for article websites.
Pinterest had 495 million monthly users as of 2022. The content format on this platform is mainly images, with a small number of videos mixed in. A special feature of this social network is that it allows users to attach external links to their posts (transparently). Pinterest is suitable for any industry, as long as marketers know how to create beautiful images, and focus on keywords.
How do Pinterest Ads work?
Pinterest's way of displaying promoted content is no different from normal pins. It's just that your pins are seen more often and by more users than usual. To run ads on Pinterest, you need a Business account. You can then choose to promote existing best-performing pins, create a new image or video, or even promote a pinned image from a website. Once an ad is set up in Pinterest Ads Manager, it will appear in the user's Home feed and related search results.
Pinterest ad types:
- Standard Pins
- Carousel Ads
- Video Pins Ads
- App Install Pins
Pros and cons of Pinterest Ads
Pros:
- Intuitive images, easy to showcase your products.
- Pinterest is a fairly even playing field for everyone. Since the platform distributes content based on interest, whether you are a new marketer or a large enterprise there is an equal marketing opportunity.
- The cost of advertising on Pinterest is quite cheap. On average you only need to pay $2-$5 for 1000 impressions and around $0.1-0.15 for each of your post interactions.
Cons:
- The Pinterest platform is heavily female-focused, so if your product is specifically geared towards men, the ads above won't work.
- Content quality requirements on Pinterest are generally higher than on Facebook. Your images must be high quality, professional, and extremely engaging.
LinkedIn is a professional social networking site designed to help people connect in business. Founded in 2002, LinkedIn transformed into a social service website in 2003. The users are mainly professionals seeking to expand their business contacts, search for employment or employees, share experiences, and stay connected with other professionals.
When you join LinkedIn, the registration process asks for all of the information you would enter on a resume. When employers are looking for job candidates for a position, they will often go to LinkedIn and they will perform a be targeted search to find bright candidates suitable for the business. Therefore, equipping a profile on LinkedIn is a very important job, you must show your characteristics, strengths, and experience so that recruiters can be impressed and connect with you.
How do Linkedin Ads work?
Overall, LinkedIn is a great platform for businesses to reach out to other businesses. Marketers can use Linkedin Ads to recruit, recommend businesses, gather user information, or promote events. LinkedIn distributes advertising that is based on target audience demographics.
Types of ads on LinkedIn:
- Sponsored Content
- Sponsored Messaging
- Text Ads
- Dynamic Ads
Pros and cons of Linkedin Ads
PROS:
- Good conversion rate - LinkedIn's conversion rate is 4 times higher than other platforms.
- LinkedIn Ads allow marketers to opt for PPC (Pay-Per-Click). This makes it easy for them to manage their budget.
- LinkedIn has more than 800 million professional users. This means it is providing marketers with a high-quality audience for both education and business roles. If you are a B2B customer and need to target executives and CEOs, then LinkedIn is a great choice
CONS:
- LinkedIn Ads are more expensive than other platform advertising. This is because it provides a high amount of valuable users. Each click on LinkedIn costs an average of $8, which isn't cute for small businesses.
- The format of LinkedIn Ads is also quite limited. You cannot make video ads on this social networking platform.
WhatsApp is a multimedia messaging platform owned by Meta Technologies. Data security and end-to-end message encryption are prominent features of this social network. Currently, there are more than 2 billion active users on WhatsApp every month.
How do WhatsApp Ads work?
To prevent spam, WhatsApp does not allow businesses to initiate chats with customers. WhatsApp users must first send a message to your business to initiate a conversation. Luckily, WhatsApp has features that encourage your existing and potential customers to send you the first message. This includes WhatsApp Click to Chat Links and Click to Chat ads.
Pros and cons of WhatsApp Ads
PROS:
- Help brands connect with customers better. Through messages, WhatsApp marketers have more opportunities to create long-term relationships with their customers, from which they can sell more products or create more offers for them.
- High Conversion Rate - The conversion rate on WhatsApp reaches 40% - which is quite an impressive number. This means marketers will not waste much money on WhatsApp Ads.
- Cost savings - Compared to Facebook or Linkedin, WhatsApp Ads have a lower cost.
Cons:
- Content on WhatsApp can only be simple messages or multimedia files. Marketers can't spread as many ideas as they can when advertising on Facebook.
- Low Proactivity - You may not be able to present as many messages to your customers as you would when advertising on Facebook or Instagram. If the customer does not click on the chat box then you cannot continue the story and fulfill your marketing goals.
- Up to now, WhatsApp's coverage is still not widespread. So if you are a global business and want to reach out to a worldwide audience, WhatsApp is not an effective channel.
In 1998 Google became the most popular website in the world and has always held the position to this day. It can be said that any online marketing campaign must have Google inside because it is the link, coverage, and content storage for brands. In 2000, Google Adwords was born (now known as Google Ads) and became the preeminent advertising channel for all brands. There are more than 24.5 billion searches on Google every week. It can be said that where there is the internet, there is Google. Google Ads is a sustainable and omnipotent ecosystem that every marketer cannot ignore.
How does Google Ads work?
Google Ads focuses on impressions and clicks (PPC). When a user sees your ad and clicks on the link, your Google ads will be charged. This is one of the most effective ways to drive traffic or promote a brand.
Types of Google Ads:
- Google Search Ads
- Google Display Network
- Video Advertising Campaign
- Google Shopping Ads
- App Ads
Pros and cons of Google Ads:
PROS:
- Quick display, wide coverage
- Easy success. As long as you carefully research the keywords and search goals of your customers, it is easy to implement an effective Google Ads campaign.
- Easy to adjust. Google makes it easy to customize your target audience parameters and content on existing ad campaigns as you analyze your data.
- Great reporting and analysis. The data returned by Google is always timely and detailed. Therefore, marketers can easily assess the effectiveness of advertising content and make accurate judgments.
- The spending budget for Google Ads is also very flexible. You can spend thousands or tens of dollars depending on your budget and goals.
CONS:
- The market is very competitive. There are many popular keywords on Google Ads that are very expensive. For small businesses that want to save money, they need to do more research on niche keywords
- No budget = no ads. You can market on Google for free by leveraging SEO. However, this is a long road. To increase website traffic quickly, you need to use Google Ads.
TikTok
TikTok is a music video and social network platform that was born in 2017. Despite being born late, TikTok has had amazingly rapid growth, so much so that both Facebook and Google have to be wary. Currently, TikTok has 1 billion monthly users, including 50 million daily active users in the US.
Unlike other social networking platforms, TikTok's content format is a video or photo slideshow in the background of music. To make viral content on TikTok, businesses need to focus on 3 factors: Video content, trending music, and hashtags.
How do TikTok Ads work?
With TikTok Ads, you can target, create ads, report insights, and manage ads. This is a powerful platform for you to spread your brand to customers around the world.
TikTok Ads has the same way of working as Facebook. You can target demographics or set up various parameters. Livestream sales on TikTok are growing with millions of people selling products weekly. However, the return rate on Tik Tok is also alarming.
Types of TikTok Ads:
- In-feed ads
- Image ads
- Video ads
- Spark ads
- Pangle ads
- Carousel ads
- Branded Hashtag Challenge
- TopView ads
- Branded Effects
- TikTok Shop
Pros and cons of TikTok Ads?
Pros:
- 70% of TikTok users are under 30 with over half of them being female. If this is your target audience, then TikTok is a goldmine for your brand. This generation of users is spending hundreds of billions of dollars a year in the U.S.
- Great for a small-budget business! With only a $50 budget, you can set up your marketing campaign. Currently, Tiktok has a program to provide $300 credits to support businesses because of Covid - this is a sizable upfront loan for small businesses to start advertising on the platform.
Cons:
- Advertising interaction on TikTok is quite low. This social network provides an endless stream of content. Users often surf videos rather than interact with them. This shows that marketers have to invest in excellent content to master the game.
- The content format for TikTok Ads is limited. You can only post videos, not text or photos. This is extremely difficult for businesses that want to diversify content.