A Small Business Owner’s Guide to Social Media Advertising

Ever since the dawn of Facebook, social media platforms have taken our world by storm.

And according to the advisory firm, Kepios there are more than 4 billion active social media users, which accounts for 59.3 percent of the world’s population.

So, it’s pretty safe to say that social media is here to stay and as a small business owner, you need to be on board.

The good news is that social media advertising is one of the most effective and affordable ways to reach your target market.

But how can you ensure you start the right way?

In the era of fast communication and texting, it’s crucial to have a handbook for social media advertising for small business owners.

By understanding the process and best practices, plus having the top social media advertising tips at your disposal, you’ll be able to create a social media advertising campaign that works for you and your business.

Our social media marketing agency is here to guide you through every step.

Now, let’s get started!

What is Social Media Advertising?

In the past, marketers mostly looked at Google AdWords as the primary way to advertise online.

But things have changed, and now social media advertising has emerged as a powerful player in the digital marketing landscape.

So, what is social media advertising?

Social media advertising is the process of using channels like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to promote your product or service.

This kind of advertising allows you to target a specific audience, which makes it different from traditional advertising methods like TV or print ads.

With social media advertising, you can specifically target people based on their interests, demographics, and even location.

This makes it an extremely effective way to reach your target market.

How It Differs from Social Media Marketing

It’s important to understand the difference between social media advertising and social media marketing.

Social media marketing is a marketing strategy where the process of using platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to create content will help you achieve your business goals.

This can include creating blog posts, images, videos, or other pieces of content that will interest your target audience.

Social media advertising, on the other hand, is the process of using platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to promote your product or service.

This can include creating ads, sponsoring content, or promoting a post.

So, Should You Include both Marketing and Advertising in Your Business Plan?

It’s important to understand the difference between social media advertising and social media marketing.

Social media marketing is a marketing strategy where the process of using platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to create content will help you achieve your business goals.

This can include creating blog posts, images, videos, or other pieces of content that will interest your target audience.

Social media advertising, on the other hand, is the process of using platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to promote your product or service.

This can include creating ads, sponsoring content, or promoting a post.

So, Should You Include both Marketing and Advertising in Your Business Plan?

The answer is yes!

Social media marketing and social media advertising should both be included in your business plan.

They are different but complementary strategies that will help you achieve your business goals. You just need to make sure you’re using the right platform for each strategy.

The Benefits of Social Media Advertising

More businesses are wilting under pressure to establish a social media presence. However, very few of them are using social media advertising to its full potential.

Here are some reasons why advertising in social media is worth it:

It’s Cost-Effective

One of the main advantages of social media advertising is that it’s very cost-effective. You can start your campaign with a very small budget and scale it up as you go.

For example, you can use Facebook’s ad platform to create an ad campaign for as little as $5 per day.

This is a great option for small businesses with limited advertising budgets. So you don’t have to invest a lot in gaudy print ads or costly TV commercials.

Reach a Wider Audience

Social media channels have a huge reach. For example, Facebook has over 2.96 billion active users.

This gives you the opportunity to reach a much wider audience than you would with traditional advertising methods.

Let’s say you own a small business that sells organic skin care products.

You could use social media ads like Facebook Ads to target people who live in your city and are interested in natural beauty products.

This would allow you to reach your target market much more effectively than if you were to run a print ad in a magazine.

Improved ROI

Social media advertising also has a much higher ROI than other marketing channels. This is because it’s such a cost-effective way to reach your target market.

For instance, if you spend $100 on a Facebook ad campaign and you make $1000 in sales, your ROI would be 900%.

This is a great way to grow your business without breaking the bank. This is a huge return on investment, and it’s one of the main reasons why social media advertising is so popular.

Increased Brand Awareness

Social media advertising can also help you increase brand awareness. This is because people are more likely to remember your brand if they see it multiple times.

So, if you run a social media ad campaign, you’ll be able to reach a large number of people and increase the chances that they’ll remember your brand.

For instance, let’s say you own a small business that sells handmade jewelry.

You could use Facebook Ads or Instagram Ads to target people who live in your city and are interested in handmade jewelry. This would allow you to reach a lot of people who might not have heard of your brand before.

Spreading the word about your business is essential for its success, and social media advertising is a great way to do it.

Greater Engagement with Customers

Social media advertising also allows you to engage with your customers in a more meaningful way.

You can use social media ads to start a conversation with your target market and get feedback about your products or services. This is a great way to connect with your customers and build a relationship with them.

For instance, let’s say you’re launching a new product. You can start advertising using video ads on YouTube. This will allow you to get people’s attention and give them more information about your product.

You can also include a link to your website or online store in the video so that people can buy your product right away. This is a great way to increase sales and engagement with your customers.

It’s Measurable

One of the best things about social media advertising is that it’s very easy to measure the results.

You can track how many people saw your ad, how many clicked on it, and how many converted into customers. This data allows you to fine-tune your campaign and improve your results over time.

How Do You Measure the Results?

There are a few different ways to measure the results of your social media advertising campaign.

One way is to track how many people saw your ad.

You can do this by looking at the “impressions” metric in your social media channel. This will tell you how many times your ad was shown to people.

Another way to measure the results of your social media advertising campaign is to track how many people clicked on your ad.

You can do this by looking at the “clicks” metric in your platform. This will tell you how many times people clicked on your ad.

The last way to measure the results of your social media advertising campaign is to track how many people converted into customers.

You can do this by looking at the “conversions” metric in your social media ad channel. This will tell you how many people bought something from you after clicking on your ad.

You can also track other metrics, such as how long people spent on your website or how many pages they viewed.

However, the three metrics above are the most important ones to track your social ads.

Now when it comes to planning and launching your campaign, there are some steps you need to consider. Continue reading to find out what steps you need to take.

11 Steps to Starting Your Social Media Advertising Campaigns

You don’t have to be a professional marketer to create and run a successful social media advertising campaign.

However, there are some steps you need to take to make sure your campaign is successful.

Here are the 11 steps you need to take to start your social media advertising campaign:

Determine Your Goals

The first step to starting your social media advertising campaign is to determine your goals.

What do you want to achieve with your campaign?

If you want to be on social media just because everyone else is, then your campaign is likely to fail.

You need to have a clear and specific goal for your campaign.

For instance, do you want to increase brand awareness, drive traffic to your website, or generate leads?

You need to know what you want to achieve before you can start planning your campaign. So, write down your goals and make sure they are SMART goals.

SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

For example, a SMART goal for your social media advertising campaign could be to increase sales by 20% in the next month.

It’s also crucial not to overwhelm yourself with too many goals. Focus on 1-3 goals that you want to achieve and make sure they are realistic.

Do You Need to Hire a Social Media Marketer?

If you’re not sure how to create a social media advertising campaign or don’t have the time to do it yourself, then you may want to hire a social media marketer.

A social media marketer can help you create and run your campaign, as well as measure and improve your results.

You can also consult a marketing agency that specializes in social media advertising when you’re ready to launch your campaign. But don’t forget to consider your budget when making this decision.

Know Your Target Audience

The second step to starting your social media advertising campaign is to research your target audience.

Who are you trying to reach with your campaign?

What are their demographics?

What are their interests?

Where do they hang out online?

You need to know the answers to these questions before you can start planning your campaign.

Since people have become pickier about what they want to see on their social media, take, for example, the last drama surrounding Instagram’s suggested or sponsored posts.

One tweet from the Kardashians and people were up in arms about how they were being spammed with ads. So, knowing who you are targeting is more important than ever to avoid any backlash.

The best way to research your target audience is to create buyer personas.

Buyer personas are fictional characters that represent your ideal customer. To create buyer personas, you need to gather data about your target audience.

You can do this by conducting market research, surveys, and interviews.

Once you have this data, you can start creating your buyer personas.

For example, if you are selling women’s clothing, one of your buyer personas could be “Sarah,” a 28-year-old working woman.

Once you have created your buyer personas, you will have a better idea of who you are targeting with your campaign and what kind of content to create.

Remember not to pick too many target audiences; this will only fragment your message, and you’ll have a hard time resonating with anyone.

Tip: Using Video to Capture Your Target Audience

If you’re having trouble reaching your target audience, then you may want to consider using video.

Video is one of the most popular types of content on social, and it’s a great way to capture your target audience’s attention.

You can use video to show off your products, give tutorials, or just tell your brand’s story.

And with platforms like Facebook and Instagram, you can even run video ads.

So if you’re struggling to reach your target audience on social channels, then consider using video to capture their attention.

Using Video Best Practices:

• Keep it short and sweet; people have short attention spans

• Use captivating visuals

• Tell a story that resonates with your target audience

• Use calls to action to encourage people to take the next step, such as visiting your website or making a purchase

Choose the Right Platforms

The third step to starting your social media advertising campaign is to choose the right platforms.

Not all social media platforms are created equal.

Some platforms are better than others for certain types of campaigns.

For example, if you want to increase brand awareness, you should focus on platforms with a large number of Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook users.

On the other hand, if you want to drive traffic to your website, you should focus on platforms that allow you to include links in your posts, such as LinkedIn and Twitter.

Twitter ads are fantastic for driving traffic because every time someone retweets your post, their followers will see the link to your website.

LinkedIn is also a great platform for driving traffic because you can include links in your posts, and people are more likely to click on them because they are interested in what you have to say.

You also need to consider which platforms your target audience is using. For example, if you are targeting millennials, you should focus on Instagram.

But if you are targeting baby boomers, you should focus on Facebook and LinkedIn. Once you have chosen the right platforms for your campaign, you can move on to the next step.

How to Manage Multiple Social Media Accounts

If you are running a social media advertising campaign, it’s likely that you will have more than one social media account.

Managing multiple social media accounts can be a challenge, but there are some things you can do to make it easier.

The first thing you need to do is create a content calendar.

A content calendar is a plan for what you are going to post on each social media platform.

It can be as simple as a list of topics and the date you are going to post about them.

Creating a content calendar will help you stay organized and make sure you are posting relevant and interesting content on a regular basis.

You should also make sure to use social media tools, such as Hootsuite or Buffer.

These tools allow you to schedule and publish your posts in advance, which can save you a lot of time.

They also allow you to track your analytics so you can see what kind of content is performing well and adjust your strategy accordingly.

Set Your Budget

The fourth step to starting your social media advertising campaign is to set your budget.

How much are you willing to spend on your campaign?

You need to consider how much you are willing to spend on each platform and how much you are willing to spend overall.

The amount you are willing to spend will depend on your goals and objectives.

For example, if you want to increase brand awareness, you will need to spend more money than if you just want to drive traffic to your website.

You also need to consider how much you can realistically afford to spend.

Don’t set a budget that you can’t stick to. It’s true that social ads aren’t that expensive, but if you overspend, you could end up in a difficult financial situation.

How to Plan Your Budget:

1. Make a list of your goals and objectives

2. Research how much it will cost to achieve each goal

3. Set a realistic budget that you can afford

4. Allocate your budget to each platform

5. Track your spending and adjust as needed

6. Rinse and repeat

Create Compelling Ad Creative

The fifth step to starting your social media advertising campaign is to create compelling ad creative.

Your ad creative is the content of your ad. It’s what people will see when your ad pops up in their feed. You need to make sure that your ad creative is attention-grabbing, relevant, and valuable.

Your ad should stand out from the rest of the content in people’s feeds. To do this, you need to use high-quality images and videos and write compelling copy.

Your ad should also be relevant to your target audience. It should address their needs and pain points.

Finally, your ad should be valuable. It should offer something that people want or need.

For example, if you are selling a new type of toothbrush, your ad could offer a discount on the purchase of the toothbrush.

People are more likely to click on your ad if they feel like they are getting a good deal.

Should You Use Videos or Images for Your Ads?

The answer is that it depends on your goals and objectives. If you want to increase brand awareness, using images is usually the best option.

Images are more likely to be seen and shared than videos. And when people see and share your images, your brand will become more visible.

On the other hand, if you want to drive traffic to your website, using videos is usually the best option.

Videos are more likely to be clicked on than images. And when people click on your videos, they will be taken to your website, where they can learn more about your product or service.

Twitter Advertising: Using Image Ads

• Go to your Twitter Ads account

• Click on the “Create new campaign” button

• Choose the “Website clicks or conversions” option

• Enter your campaign name, objective, and start and end date

• Select the “Tweets” option

• Upload your image

• Write your copy

• Select your target audience

• Set your budget

• Click on the “Launch campaign” button

Things to Keep in mind when using image ads on Twitter:

• Your image should be 1200×627 pixels

• You can use up to 5 images in your ad

• The file size of your image should be under 5MB

• The aspect ratio of your image should be 2:1

Using Video Ads on Facebook:

• Go to your Facebook Ads account

• Click on the “Create new campaign” button

• Choose the “Website clicks or conversions” option

• Enter your campaign name, objective, and start and end date

• Select the “Video views” option

• Upload your video

• Write your copy

• Select your target audience

• Set your budget

• Click on the “Launch campaign” button

Things to Keep in mind when using video ads on Facebook:

• The length of your video should be between 15 seconds and 3 minutes

• The file size of your video should be under 4GB

• The aspect ratio of your video should be 16:9 or 1:1

• You should use high-quality video and audio

Write Effective Ad Copy

Writing content for blogs or articles is different than writing effective ad copy.

Your goal with ad copy is to get people to take action, such as clicking on your ad or buying your product.

To write effective ad copy, you need to use persuasive language. You need to make people feel like they need your product or service.

Your ad copy should also be clear and to the point. Don’t try to cram too much information into your ad.

You should also use powerful words, such as “free,” “guaranteed,” and “new.” These words will help to increase the chances that people will click on your ad.

Tips on Not Sounding Too Salesy:

• Use positive but not overly enthusiastic language

• Focus on the benefits of your product or service rather than the features

• Use first-person pronouns such as “I,” “me,” and “we” to make your ad more relatable

• Be clear about what you want people to do, such as “click here to learn more”

Example: What kind of Ads Work Best on Instagram?

When you think about Instagram, the usual thought that would come to your mind is the dominance of IMAGES.

It’s true that Instagram started out with images, but things have changed over the years.

Now, there are a few different types of Instagram ads.

The first type is the Image Ads.

Image ads are effective because they are eye-catching and can be quickly scanned.

People are more likely to stop and look at an image than they are to watch a video.

The second type of ad that works well on Instagram is Video Ads.

Video ads are effective because they are attention-grabbing.

People are more likely to watch a video than they are to read a text-based ad.

The third type of ad that works well on Instagram the Carousel Ad.

Carousel ads are effective because they allow you to show multiple images in one ad. This can be helpful if you want to show different products or services.

It can also be helpful if you want to tell a story with your ad.

The fourth type of ad that works well on Instagram is the Stories ads.

Stories ads are effective because they are located at the top of the feed, where people are more likely to see them. They are also less interruptive than other types of ads.

The fifth type of ad that works well on Instagram is the IGTV Ads.

IGTV ads are effective because they allow you to show longer videos. This can be helpful if you want to show a product demonstration or an instructional video.

The sixth type of ad that works well on Instagram is the Shopping Ads.

Shopping ads are effective because they allow people to buy your products without leaving Instagram. This can be helpful if you have an eCommerce store.

The seventh type of ad that works well on Instagram is Lead Ads.

Lead ads are effective because they allow you to collect leads without interrupting the user’s experience. This can be helpful if you want to grow your email list.

The eighth type of ad that works well on Instagram is Dynamic Ads.

Dynamic ads are effective because they allow you to show relevant products to people who have expressed interest in your products. This can be helpful if you want to increase your sales.

To sum it up, the best types of ads on Instagram are image ads, video ads, carousel ads, Stories ads, IGTV ads, Shopping ads, lead ads, and Dynamic ads.

Target Your Ads

The seventh step to starting your social media advertising campaign is to target your ads.

You need to make sure that you are targeting the right people with your ads.

If you don’t, you will waste a lot of money on ads that no one will see. To target your ads, you need to know who your target audience is.

Once you know who your target audience is, you can target them with your ads using various methods, such as demographics, interests, and behaviors.

For example, if you are targeting women aged 25-34 who live in the United States and are interested in fashion, you would use those parameters to target your ads.

You can also use lookalike audiences to target people who are similar to your current customers. This is a great way to reach new people who are likely to be interested in your product or service.

An Example: Creating a Targeted ad for Your Facebook page

• Go to your Facebook page and click on the “Create a Page” button in the top right-hand corner.

• Select the “Business or Brand” option from the drop-down menu.

• Enter your business name and click on the “Get Started” button.

• On the next page, you will be asked to select your business category. Select the option that best describes your business.

• On the next page, you will be asked to enter your business address and phone number. Enter this information and click on the “Continue” button.

• On the next page, you will be asked to select a profile picture and cover photo for your page. You can either upload your own photos or select photos from Facebook’s stock images.

• After you’ve selected your photos, click on the “Continue” button.

• On the next page, you will be asked to write a short description of your business. Keep it under 155 characters so that people can see the whole description when they visit your page.

• After you’ve written your description, click on the “Continue” button.

• On the next page, you will be asked to add a call-to-action button to your page. Select the “Sign Up” option and enter the URL of your sign-up form.

• After you’ve added your call-to-action button, click on the “Finish” button.

• Your Facebook page is now created!

• Now that your page is created, it’s time to start creating targeted ads. To do this, go to the “Create an Ad” tab and select the “Page Likes” objective.

• On the next page, you will be asked to enter your ad’s information, such as the headline, text, and call-to-action. Make sure to include persuasive language and a strong call-to-action so that people will want to like your page.

• After you’ve entered all of your ad’s information, click on the “Continue” button.

• On the next page, you will be asked to select your audience. You can either create a new audience or use a saved audience. If you’re not sure who your target audience is, you can use Facebook’s targeting options to help you narrow it down.

• After you’ve selected your audience, click on the “Continue” button.

• On the next page, you will be asked to set your budget and schedule. Set a budget that you’re comfortable with and select the “Daily” option for your ad schedule.

• After you’ve set your budget and schedule, click on the “Continue” button.

• On the next page, you will be asked to review your ad and make sure that all of the information is correct. Once you’ve reviewed your ad, click on the “Place Order” button.

• Your ad will now start running, and you should start seeing results within a few days!

Monitor and Refine Your Campaigns

Once your ads are running, it’s important to monitor their performance and make changes if necessary.

To do this, go to the “Ads Manager” tab and click on the “Campaigns” tab. Here you will see all of your active campaigns and their performance metrics.

If you see that a campaign is not performing well, you can make changes to it by clicking on the “Edit” button. You can also pause or delete campaigns that are no longer relevant.

It’s also a good idea to A/B test your ads so that you can see which ones are performing the best. To do this, create two similar ads and run them at the same time.

After a few days, compare their performance metrics and keep the one that performs better.

By monitoring and refining your campaigns, you can ensure that you are getting the most out of your Facebook advertising budget.

How Many Campaigns Should I Plan for the First Time?

When you’re first starting out, it’s a good idea to create 3-5 campaigns with different objectives. This will give you a chance to test out different strategies and see which ones work best for your business.

As you become more familiar with Facebook advertising, you can start scaling your campaigns and increasing your budget. But for the first time, it’s best to start small and gradually increase your spending as you see results.

Facebook Advertising Best Practices

Now that you know how to create a Facebook ad campaign, let’s take a look at some best practices that you should keep in mind:

1. Keep Your Ads Relevant

Your ads should be relevant to your target audience and the products or services that you’re selling. If your ads are not relevant, people will tune them out, and you will not see results.

2. Use Eye-Catching Images

The images that you use in your ads should be eye-catching and attention-grabbing. Remember, people are scrolling through their newsfeeds quickly, and you need to make sure that your ad stands out.

3. Use Persuasive Language

The language that you use in your ads should be persuasive and convince people to take action. Use strong calls-to-action and make sure that your ad copy is clear and concise.

4. Target Your Ads

Make sure to target your ads so that they are only being shown to people who are likely to be interested in them. Facebook offers a variety of targeting options that you can use to narrow down your audience.

5. Test, Test, Test

Always be testing different versions of your ads so that you can see which ones are performing the best. A/B testing is a great way to do this. Try out different images, headlines, and calls-to-action to see what works best.

This was just a snippet of information on Facebook Advertising to get you started.

Analyze Your Results

After your ads have been running for a while, it’s important to analyze their results and make changes if necessary.

You can accomplish this through Ads Manager. This is a tool that Facebook provides that lets you see how your ads are performing.

To do this, go to the “Ads Manager” tab and click on the “Reports” tab. Here you will find all of the data for your ads, such as reach, impressions, clicks, and conversion rate.

Learn about 20 Tested and Proven Ways to To Increase Your Conversion Rate.

You can use this data to see which ads are performing well and which ones need to be improved. Based on your analysis, you can make changes to your ad campaigns so that you can get better results in the future.

By analyzing your results and making changes, you can ensure that your Facebook advertising campaigns are as effective as possible.

How Many Times Should I Analyze My Results?

You should analyze your results at least once a month. However, if you are running a large campaign or if you are seeing a lot of changes in your results, you may need to analyze your results more often.

The most important thing is to make sure that you are constantly monitoring your campaigns and making changes when necessary.

Stay Up-To-Date on Social Media Advertising Trends

Social media is always changing and evolving. New features are being added all the time, and best practices are constantly changing.

That’s why it’s important to stay up-to-date on the latest social media advertising trends. This way you can make sure that your campaigns are using the latest techniques and strategies.

There are a few ways that you can stay up-to-date on social media advertising trends:

1. Read blogs

There are many social media marketing blogs out there that provide helpful information on the latest trends and best practices.

Find those that speak to you the most, and make sure to check them regularly.

2. Follow influencers on social media

There are many social media marketing experts that you can follow on social media. By following them, you will be exposed to the latest trends and ideas.

But remember that just because someone has a huge number of followers doesn’t necessarily mean that they are an expert. Make sure to do your research before following anyone.

3. Attend conferences and webinars

There are many social media marketing conferences and webinars that you can attend to learn about the latest trends.

You can connect with other social media marketers and learn a lot of useful information.

4. Join social media marketing groups

There are many social media marketing groups on sites like Facebook and LinkedIn where you can learn from others and share your own knowledge.

Joining these groups is a great way to stay up-to-date on the latest trends.

5. Keep up with the news

The social media world is always changing, so it’s important to keep up with the latest news. You can do this by following social media news websites and subscribing to newsletters.

Don’t forget to follow bloggers that you trust to get their take on the latest social media news.

By staying up-to-date on social media advertising trends, you can make sure that your campaigns are using the latest techniques and strategies. This will help you to get better results from your campaigns.

Have a Plan for What to Do Next

Let’s say you have mapped out your content, you have set up your social media channels, and you have started creating and publishing content.

Now what?

You need to know what content you will create, when you will publish it, and how you will promote it.

Creating a content calendar can be helpful for this. Having a content calendar will help you to stay organized and ensure that your content strategy is being executed effectively.

Also, when you start running your first social media advertising campaigns, it’s important to have a plan for what to do next. This way, you can continue to improve your results and get better ROI from your campaigns.

There are a few things that you can do to plan for your next social media advertising campaign:

1. Set goals: The first step is to set goals for your next campaign. What do you want to achieve? How will you measure success?

2. Analyze your results: After your current campaign has ended, take some time to analyze the results. What worked well? What could be improved?

3. Make changes: Based on your analysis, make changes to your next campaign. Try new things and see what works best.

4. Set a budget: Finally, set a budget for your next campaign. How much are you willing to spend?

By having a plan for your next social advertising campaign, you can make sure that you are constantly improving your results.

Start Generating Leads with Social Media Advertising

Social media advertising is a powerful way to reach your target audience and achieve your marketing goals. However, it’s important to keep a few things in mind if you want to be successful.

1. Make sure that you are using the right platform for your target audience.

2. Set up your campaigns correctly and track your results so that you can make improvements.

3. Stay up-to-date on social media advertising trends so that you can use the latest techniques.

4. Have a plan for what to do next so that you can continue to improve your results.

By following these social media tips, you can be sure that you are getting the most out of your social media advertising strategy and campaigns.