Simply clicking the “Boost Post” button makes running ads on Instagram or Facebook super easy… but “easy” doesn’t always equal “worth it.” While low-cost bursts of increased reach on your regular social media posts can help expose your brand to wider audiences, it’s not a reliable way to drive conversions to your actual products or services. The “boost post” strategy can be helpful, but for most business owners with a conversion goal, it is a quick way to lose money on ad spend without a return.

To run successful social media ads, you’ll need a deep understanding and up-to-date awareness of social media platforms, plus customized intentions behind the campaign’s objectives, marketing psychology, and technological settings. 

No, it’s not as simple as clicking “Boost.” But I’ve got you covered with all the info you need to get started. Here are my insights and recommended steps for running paid social media ads without wasting your money.

Planning Social Media Ads that Actually Matter to Your Brand

Most smart professionals don’t struggle with showing up, they struggle with positioning. Just being present online isn’t the same tIf you’ve visited my blog before, then you already know that your brand shouldn’t be on every social media platform if it’s not relevant to your audience. It may surprise you, though, that I also recommend not running ads on every social media platform you do have. 

It’s common knowledge that no single ad is one-size-fits-all across networks, so planning per-platform ads is key. Depending on your audience’s behavior, the local and industry seasons, current online trends, and your promotional goals, it may also be smart to focus your ad strategy on one account at a time.

For example, if your brand’s audience is primarily on Instagram and LinkedIn, it may be more useful to start your Q1 ad campaign on LinkedIn rather than Instagram during January. Not only because many people are still in their post-holiday spending recovery, but also because it’s become common for New Year’s resolutions to include taking a break from social media, especially more casual platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Once February rolls around, then you can shift your campaign onto Instagram to catch the people returning from their break.

By paying close attention to the digital landscape your brand participates in, you can better align your ad plans and ad spend for success. 

For paid ad pro-tips and best practices specific to the top social media networks, check out these articles from my team at Go Getter Marketing:

• Meta (Facebook & Instagram)
• TikTok
• LinkedIn
• Plus our latest Social Media Round-Up blog for updated insights for all the major platforms’ algorithms and audience priorities.

Designing Social Media Ads through Solution Marketing

Your social media profiles and business website are for more than listing information about your experience and promotions. TIf you’re going to spend money on a social media ad campaign, you won’t want to throw any old post up and expect it to suddenly perform significantly better because of a Boost’s increased reach alone. While it is a generally good thing to get more attention on your content, boosting standard posts won’t generate revenue as an intentionally curated ad campaign will. Make the most of your ad spend by following these steps when designing your campaign:

1. Determine the “hook” in your campaign. This is more than the purpose of your product or service you’re promoting—it’s the why behind it. What is the defining trait that your product/service has that sets it apart from competitors, and why should your customers prioritize that in their selection process? Be specific yet relatable, because this will be the solution you’re targeting in your customers’ lives. For example, let’s say your brand has developed a healthcare appointment-setting app that you’re ready to promote. Your hook might be that your app is more accessible for overworked parents than phone calls or web forms they then have to track themselves, because it can integrate with their calendar app and push reminder notifications to the whole family.
2. Create photo and video ads that highlight your “hook”. Some of your content creation will, of course, depend on what platform your campaign will run on (portrait vs. landscape visuals, static images vs. video, caption character count, etc.), but filling out the pieces within those parameters is where your team’s content creators, copywriters, and social media specialists will shine. Use their expertise to craft attention-grabbing content that focuses on the hook you solidified in Step 1. In the same example of a healthcare appointment-setting app, your ad content might include Before & After videos of a momfluencer using the app instead of calling in for appointments, and the positive effect this has on the time, mood, and workload of both her and her family.
3. Turn your “hook” into action. Use language in your Call-To-Action that speaks to your hook and tells them exactly what you are asking them to do (e.g. sign up, RSVP, purchase, etc.). This will help high-intent traffic flow into the latter stages of your marketing funnel, Loyalty and Advocacy, so that the rewards of your paid ad campaign keep paying off even after its scheduled end.

Configuring Well-Targeted Social Media Ad Campaigns

Now that your online foundation is in position, it’s time to focus on how you can actually get people to see it. You already have a Here is when the technology and psychology from the last two sections work together to send your social media ad campaign out into the online world. You’re on your social media platform of choice with your customer persona in mind; now you just need to get your ad in front of those types of customers on that platform. This is where you can do so much more than a regular Boost allows.

Use data to refine your target audience and reach customers who match both your customer persona traits and the online behaviors necessary for conversion. Depending on any national or industry regulations and which platform you’re running the ad on, there will be varied levels of specification that you can target. For that high-intent traffic goal, get as specific as possible while still hovering in the estimated Reach/Clicks range needed to turn a profit on your ad spend.

During and after your ad campaign’s run, make sure you’re measuring its success. This is especially important if you’re A/B testing your ad sets (which you should be – always be testing!). By checking the campaign’s performance throughout its lifespan, you can tweak settings as needed and gain valuable insights into placement priority, run length, and daily ad spend.

Pro-Tip: If you’re on a tight advertising budget, short run lengths targeted at high-intent audiences will be your best bet for making a good return on investment. Not only will you maximize your ad spend on this campaign, but you’ll collect useful data to make even smarter decisions for future campaigns.

By running paid social media ad campaigns, your brand can maximize visibility and turn leads into lifetime customers. And with the ease (and pushiness) of “Boost Post” across platforms these days, it seems like running profitable paid ads on social media should be easy. But without a robust strategy behind it, paid ad campaigns can start to drain your social media budget.

If your brand needs more help learning how to maximize your social media advertising spend with data-driven campaigns that deliver measurable results and growth, you can also check out my training courses on social media and digital marketing to boost your team’s knowledge and expertise in current best practices for paid advertising online.

---

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions About Running Social Media Ads

Is it not enough to just regularly Boost my social media posts?

I wish it was that easy! While Boosted posts can help garner impressions from outside your existing audience, there’s no guarantee those posts will actually be seen by users who will be actionably enticed by them. If you’re going to spend money on a social media ad, you’re better off crafting an intentional, targeted campaign designed to turn Reach into Revenue.

What if I did everything right, but my social media ads still aren’t paying off?

First, I want to remind you that “paying off” may not be about fiscal earnings. It depends on your objectives, both for the campaign’s short term and your long-term digital marketing strategy. Spending money on a social media ad campaign can yield many benefits, such as elevating your business’s reputation, growing your brand’s community, and, yes, generating leads. Plus, you’ll gain valuable insights into your audience and strategy. Always be learning!

But there might also be a deeper reason why your brand’s social media ad strategies are missing the mark with your ideal audience. To dive into the intentions, mechanisms, and results of your current social media advertising program, let’s schedule a Discovery Call to discuss a custom plan for how I can help your business reach its goals.