Social Media Advertising Archives | Sprout Social Sprout Social offers a suite of <a href="/features/" class="fw-bold">social media solutions</a> that supports organizations and agencies in extending their reach, amplifying their brands and creating real connections with their audiences. Thu, 16 Mar 2023 15:54:18 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://media.sproutsocial.com/uploads/2020/06/cropped-Sprout-Leaf-32x32.png Social Media Advertising Archives | Sprout Social 32 32 How to Unlock the Power of TikTok for Your Business https://sproutsocial.com/insights/webinars/how-to-unlock-the-power-of-tiktok-for-your-business/ Tue, 28 Feb 2023 05:19:20 +0000 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/?post_type=webinars&p=170146/ 80 million people spend an average of 24 hours a month on TikTok. Your brand can use this new opportunity to revolutionize how you Read more...

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]]> 80 million people spend an average of 24 hours a month on TikTok. Your brand can use this new opportunity to revolutionize how you interact with customers to dramatically increase your brand’s visibility. 

Brands that are truly “killing it” on TikTok are creating content that’s as entertaining as it is authentic–making the audience feel closer to the brand. This trends away from the often polished and perfect posts we’re used to seeing from businesses on other social media platforms.

This 45-minute discussion will cover: 

  • How your business can gain value from TikTok 
  • TikTok audience insights and its potential for your business
  • Impactful TikTok marketing tips you can begin implementing now

Featuring speakers from Sprout Social:

The post How to Unlock the Power of TikTok for Your Business appeared first on Sprout Social.

]]> 26 Facebook statistics marketers should know in 2023 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/facebook-stats-for-marketers/ https://sproutsocial.com/insights/facebook-stats-for-marketers/#comments Tue, 14 Feb 2023 16:10:23 +0000 http://sproutsocial.com/insights/?p=72737 Know whether your target audience is still on Facebook? Or if you should keep investing in Facebook ads? Staying on top of the latest Read more...

The post 26 Facebook statistics marketers should know in 2023 appeared first on Sprout Social.

]]> Know whether your target audience is still on Facebook? Or if you should keep investing in Facebook ads? Staying on top of the latest Facebook statistics will give you the insights you need to update your Facebook marketing strategy.

Even after all this time, Facebook continues to be the most popular social media platform. In fact, the Sprout Social Index found that it’s the top platform for both consumers and marketers. It’s the platform that 71% of consumers and 65% of marketers plan to use the most in 2023.

With that said, let’s find out some vital Facebook stats that can inform your marketing strategy.

Table of contents

General Facebook stats every marketer should know

Facebook usage statistics

Over the years, Facebook has become almost synonymous with social media. It continues to be the biggest social media platform and is widely popular on a global scale. Here are some of the key Facebook usage statistics to understand its popularity:

1. Facebook has nearly 3 billion monthly active users

By Q3 of 2022, monthly active users on the platform had grown to 2.96 billion. Although adoption has slowed down, usage is still seeing an upward trend. This puts Facebook on track to hit the 3 billion monthly user mark. So if your brand doesn’t have a presence on the platform, you’re missing out on the chance to reach billions of people.

2. Americans spend about 33 minutes on the platform daily

On average, American users spend about 33 minutes on Facebook daily. This puts it ahead of other leading platforms such as Twitter, Instagram and even TikTok. These numbers suggest that the platform is still seeing a high level of engagement from its user base.

chart comparing the average time spent daily across leading social networks, with Facebook showing at the top

Source

Facebook user statistics

Facebook may have billions of users, but how are these people using the platform? Let’s look at a few vital Facebook user statistics to find out:

3. 67.5% of monthly users are active daily

Out of the 2.96 billion monthly active users, 2 billion people use the platform daily. That’s 67.5% of users who spend at least some amount of time daily on the platform.

In other words, there are billions of people your brand could potentially reach every day. The key is to get ahead of the Facebook algorithm so you can get more organic visibility.

4. Only 18% of American users feel that Facebook protects their data and privacy

Even though Facebook is highly popular, trust in the platform has dropped drastically over the past couple of years. Only 18% of American social media users trust Facebook to protect their data and privacy. This puts it at the bottom of the list, making it the least trusted social media platform.

chart showing a 3-year comparison of the number of social media users who agree that different social networks protect their privacy and data

Source

5. Messaging friends and family is still the top activity on Facebook

Seventy-one percent of users say they use Facebook to message friends and family. This suggests that the platform’s “social” factor is still alive and kicking.     Other popular activities on the platform are posting/sharing photos and videos (62.9%) and keeping up to date with news and events (59.5%).

A significant number of users (55.2%) follow and research brands and products on Facebook. So although it’s mostly for social, your brand can still use the platform to build authentic connections.

6. It’s the most used platform for customer service

As the use of social media for customer service becomes increasingly popular, Facebook has become the go-to platform. The 2022 Sprout Social Index found that 60% of consumers use Facebook to get customer service. And 69% of marketers provide customer service through the platform.

chart comparing the number of consumers and marketers who use different social media platforms for customer service

This makes it the most used social media platform for providing and receiving customer service. In other words, you need to ramp up your customer service efforts on the platform.

Facebook advertising and marketing statistics

Is Facebook marketing still worth it? And are you getting the most out of your Facebook advertising strategy? Check out these Facebook ads statistics to understand advertising impact on the platform.

7. Facebook ads see an average click-through rate (CTR) of 0.90%

According to a WordStream study, Facebook ads get an average CTR of 0.90% across all industries. That said, click-throughs vary for industries, with retail, legal, apparel, beauty and fitness sectors seeing a CTR of at least 1%.

8. Advertising on Facebook costs $1.72 per click

The same study found that the average cost per click (CPC) is $1.72 across all industries. However, you can expect to pay much more in certain industries. For example, the average CPC for finance and insurance and customer service sectors is at least $3.

9. The average conversion rate is 9.21% across industries

Facebook sees a fairly high conversion rate for ads on the platform. On average, you can expect a conversion rate of about 9.21% for your Facebook ad. However, the specifics may vary depending on your industry. Fitness, education and healthcare sectors see a significantly higher conversion rate.

chart showing the average conversion rate of facebook ads for different industries

Source

10. Facebook generates the highest ROI

Needless to say, with such high conversion rates and low CPC, marketing on Facebook yields high returns. In fact, Facebook generates the highest return on investment among all other social media platforms.

Facebook engagement statistics

With organic visibility on Facebook on the decline, it’s only natural to see a drop in engagement levels as well. But does this put Facebook at a disadvantage over other social media platforms? Here’s a quick look at some vital stats to understand where Facebook stands in terms of engagement:

11. The median engagement rate on Facebook is 0.064%

According to a RivalIQ study, brands see a median engagement rate of 0.064% across all industries. This is about the same as the median Instagram engagement of 0.067%. In other words, Instagram isn’t inherently better for engagement than Facebook.

chart showing average engagement rates on Facebook for different industries

Source

12. Photo posts and status posts have the highest engagement

The power of visuals is still evident on Facebook, with photo posts getting the highest engagement at 0.12%. Status posts come next with an average engagement rate of 0.11%. Video posts perform fairly well with an average engagement rate of 0.08%. Link posts, on the other hand, are the worst for driving engagement. They see an average engagement rate of only 0.04%.

13. Frequent posting doesn’t result in higher engagement

Contrary to popular belief, posting frequently doesn’t necessarily result in higher engagement. As the RivalIQ study points out, influencers and sports teams see the highest level of engagement across all verticals.

However, influencers are infrequent posters, publishing fewer than 10 posts per week. Meanwhile, media companies publish almost 90 posts a week and only see an average engagement rate of 0.05%.

Rather than frequency, post timing should be your main focus. Know the best time to post on Facebook so you stand a better chance of driving engagement.

Facebook video statistics

As video marketing continues to gain popularity, it’s important to be aware of how video performs on Facebook. Here are some key Facebook video statistics to inform your strategy:

14. Live videos see higher engagement than pre-recorded videos

Compared to pre-recorded videos, live videos see a much higher engagement rate. The specific number varies depending on account size, with the gap decreasing as fan size increases. However, for accounts with at least 50,000 fans, pre-recorded videos perform slightly better than live videos.

15. People prefer to watch videos with the sound off

ChatterBlast Media found that sound-off videos tend to perform much better than sound-on videos. People are much more likely to watch a video to completion with the sound off. This stays true regardless of the advertising objective.

pie chart comparing video completion rate of sound on vs. sound off videos for different ad objectives

Source

Facebook device statistics

Are you designing your Facebook ads to look great on any device?

Check out these Facebook device statistics to understand how people are accessing the platform.

16. Most people access Facebook from any mobile phone

Almost all Facebook users (97.4%) access Facebook from any type of mobile device. Moreover, 68.7% of users exclusively use their mobile phones to access Facebook. This indicates how there’s an overwhelming preference for mobile phones to access the platform.

Brands will need to keep the mobile experience in mind when developing their content strategy and ad creative for Facebook.

17. Only 2.6% of users exclusively use computers to access Facebook

While 28.7% of users use both their phones and computers to access the platform, only 2.6% of users prefer to use only their laptops and desktops.

Facebook feature stats (Reels, Stories, Messenger)

So, what sort of content should you post? What features are growing and what’s stagnant? Let’s review some Facebook stats that break down some of the platform’s key features:

18. More than 500 million people use Stories every day

According to internal Facebook data, half a billion people use Facebook Stories each day. This speaks to the popularity of the platform’s feature, making it a useful tool for brands to engage their audience.

19. Facebook Messenger has over 1 billion users

Meanwhile, there are at least 1 billion people using Facebook Messenger. That’s a billion people you could potentially reach through ads on Messenger.

20. Reels hit 140 billion Plays per day across Facebook apps

The popularity of Reels isn’t dying out anytime soon. In fact, Reels see about 140 billion plays on a daily basis across the Facebook family of apps.

With algorithms further pushing this format, Reels could help you gain visibility and engagement. In short, brands can’t afford to put this short-form video format on the back burner.

Facebook audience and demographics statistics

Wondering if you’re reaching the right audience on Facebook? What if your target demographic isn’t even on the platform? Here are a few Facebook stats highlighting the platform’s audience and demographics:

21. Users ages 25-34 years represent Facebook’s largest audience

Despite the platform’s reputation as a seemingly “older” network, 23.7% of Facebook users in the United States are between the ages of 25 and 34. Moreover, the platform sees higher usage among people below the age of 44.

chart showing the distribution of Facebook users across various age groups

Source

22. Usage among teens has dropped sharply

That said, the platform’s popularity among teens has seen a significant drop. Only 32% of teens were using Facebook as of 2022. This is a sharp decline compared to the 71% who were using the platform between 2014 and 2015.

chart comparing how usage among teens has changed for different social media platforms between 2014-2015 and 2022

Source

23. Facebook has more male users than female

Facebook currently limits its reporting to male and female. And based on the data, the platform has a higher percentage of male users (56.6%) than female users (43.4%).

24. India has the largest Facebook audience size

While Facebook sees significant usage across various countries, India has the greatest number of users. Latest reports show that there are 329.65 million Facebook users in India. The United States comes next, with 179.65 million users.

Facebook consumer behavior statistics

Finally, are people even buying stuff through Facebook? Here are some stats on how consumers are behaving on the platform:

25. Facebook has the highest number of social commerce buyers

According to eMarketer, Facebook boasts the highest number of social commerce buyers. Here, social commerce buyers refer to users over the age of 14 who have made at least one purchase on the platform. By 2023, the platform will see 65.7% of U.S. social commerce buyers.

26. When shopping online, 19% of U.S. consumers start their search on Facebook

The same report found that some U.S. consumers begin their online buying journey by searching on social media. Besides YouTube, Facebook is the second most popular social media platform to start their search when shopping online. So the right Facebook tools and marketing strategy could help you drive purchases through the platform.

How do these Facebook stats inform your social media strategy?

These key Facebook statistics should give you some idea of where the platform currently stands in the social media landscape. As such, you can use these to guide your strategy and understand what to prioritize. Don’t forget to look at your Facebook analytics for brand-specific performance data to further inform your decisions.

The post 26 Facebook statistics marketers should know in 2023 appeared first on Sprout Social.

]]> https://sproutsocial.com/insights/facebook-stats-for-marketers/feed/ 14 LinkedIn ads: the ultimate guide from zero to hero https://sproutsocial.com/insights/linkedin-ads-guide/ https://sproutsocial.com/insights/linkedin-ads-guide/#comments Tue, 07 Feb 2023 16:03:14 +0000 http://sproutsocial.com/insights/?p=61000 LinkedIn ads are a powerful tool for all kinds of businesses. The platform has over 810 million users, with 65 million of them in Read more...

The post LinkedIn ads: the ultimate guide from zero to hero appeared first on Sprout Social.

]]> LinkedIn ads are a powerful tool for all kinds of businesses. The platform has over 810 million users, with 65 million of them in decision-making positions.

While organic content is still the heart of any LinkedIn marketing strategy, running ads can help amplify your content’s reach and impact.

In this guide, we’ll dive into LinkedIn advertising, discussing everything from the different ad formats available, to creating a target audience, to measuring the success of your campaigns.

Table of contents

How to get started advertising on LinkedIn

Using the LinkedIn ads campaign manager

Start by signing into the LinkedIn Campaign Manager. The LinkedIn ads manager is where you can manage your LinkedIn advertising campaigns.

Before you get started with Campaign Manager, you need to create a LinkedIn account if you don’t have one yet; it takes just a few seconds to create one.

linkedin campaign manager signup

Enter your account name and select your currency. If you’re running ads on behalf of a business, link your campaign with a LinkedIn page.

Setting a relevant ad objective

Next, choose the objective for your ad campaign. Do you want more people to become aware about your business? Perhaps you want to attract more website visitors. Or maybe you want to capture more leads.

LinkedIn advertising gives you several objectives to choose from for three different stages of the sales funnel–awareness, consideration and conversions. At this stage, you can set the most relevant objective for a particular LinkedIn ads campaign.

Linkedin objectives

If you’re an employer that’s advertising for an open position, you also have the option to set an objective to promote job opportunities.

Nailing your ad targeting

You can’t run a successful ad unless you’re targeting the right people. Make sure you have a clear idea of what kind of people you want your ad to reach. You have several targeting options for LinkedIn ads–whether you want to target people based on location, industry, company size, education, job function or skills.

linkedin targeting options

You can even select multiple attributes at a time to further narrow down your targeting. You also have the option to exclude audiences with certain attributes that aren’t relevant to you.

Before you save your ad campaign, make sure you enable audience expansion so LinkedIn can expand and engage a new audience with your ad campaign. This option automatically includes people with similar attributes as the ones you’ve selected.

Choosing the right LinkedIn ad types for your campaign

LinkedIn offers several ad types and formats to help you promote your business in the best way possible. Let’s take a look at these ad types below:

Sponsored content

LinkedIn sponsored content looks just like a regular post that you’d see on your feed except with a CTA button and a “promoted” label.

You can choose from five different formats of sponsored content — single image, carousel, video, event and document. It’s better to switch between the options every once in a while to compare their performances and see which one works best with your audience.

  • Single image ads: These ads consist of a single image and are typically used to promote a product or service, increase brand awareness or drive website traffic.
  • Video ads: These ads include video and are typically used to demonstrate how a product or service works, tell a brand story or increase engagement.
  • Carousel ads: These ads include a series of images or videos that users can swipe through. Carousels are typically used to showcase multiple products, services or ideas, or tell a story in slideshow format.
  • Event ads: These ads allow businesses to promote upcoming events like webinars, conferences and meetups. They include date, time and location details, and a call-to-action to register or attend the event.
Linkedin sponsored content
  • Document ads: These ads allow businesses to promote whitepapers, ebooks or case studies by displaying a preview of the document and linking to the full version. They’re typically used to generate leads and increase brand awareness.

Lead gen forms

LinkedIn’s lead gen forms let you easily capture leads without requiring users to leave the platform. You can add these forms to any sponsored content or message to collect names, emails and job titles.

The forms are pre-populated with users’ profile data, which encourages more people to sign up. You can also include custom questions in your forms to gather additional information about your prospects.

Once a user submits a form, their contact information is sent to your business and they’re also added as a new lead in LinkedIn’s CRM.

Sponsored messaging

LinkedIn also lets you send paid direct messages to targeted users. In fact, using this ad tactic alongside sponsored content can boost your clickthrough rates by over 70%.

There are two sponsored message ad formats you can choose from:

  • Message ads: This ad format lets you send personalized and targeted messages to users with a single call-to-action (CTA.) You can also add lead gen forms to your message ads to easily capture leads.
  • Conversation ads: This ad format lets you add multiple CTAs to your messages to help prospects engage with your business and access targeted offers and links.

Quick tip: To improve your sponsored messages, you can personalize them with your audiences’ names and job titles using LinkedIn macros.

Text and dynamic ads

LinkedIn also offers special ad options that are a bit different from regular sponsored content. These include text, spotlight and follower ads. Let’s take a look at each one below.

  • Text ads: Pay-per-click (PPC) text ads appear on the right-hand side of a desktop screen. They include a small image along with a short headline and blurb. They may be less prominent than sponsored content but can still be very effective depending on your campaign goal.
  • Spotlight ads: These are dynamic ads that are personalized for each individual profile. Spotlight ads link back to your website or landing page, and are a great way to share insightful, thought leadership content.
  • Follower ads: These dynamic ads are also personalized, but the goal is to get you more followers on your LinkedIn company page.

The true cost of LinkedIn ads

The average cost-per-click (CPC) on LinkedIn is between $5-6.

But the actual cost of LinkedIn ads depends on factors like the type of ad, targeting, budget and the campaign’s performance.

The pricing system for ads can also vary.

For example, sponsored content is generally priced on a CPC or cost-per-mille (CPM) basis, while sponsored messages are typically priced on a cost-per-send (CPS) basis.

Targeting options, such as demographic and job title targeting, can also affect the cost of LinkedIn ads. The more specific the targeting, the more expensive the ad will be.

Additionally, if your campaign is performing well and achieving the desired results, the cost-per-conversion may be lower, making the campaign more cost-effective.

Keeping this in mind, it’s important to set a budget and measure the ROI to ensure your ad costs don’t add up and jeopardize your financial goals.

Setting up your ad budget and schedule

A big part of running ads on LinkedIn is setting a budget for your campaigns. This helps you control the total cost of advertising on the platform.

LinkedIn offers three budget options to control your ad spend:

  • Daily budget: This option lets you specify the average amount you want to spend on your ad per day. You can choose between a continuous schedule or a set schedule for your daily budget.
  • Lifetime budget: This option lets you specify the total amount you want to spend on your campaign from start to finish. LinkedIn will then automatically adjust the daily budget to deliver optimal results. The daily spend can vary depending on factors like traffic, seasonality and bid type.
  • Combination: You can also set both daily and lifetime budgets for your campaign. This will help you control the total cost as well as your daily spending. However, you can only select a continuous schedule for this type of budget strategy.

Once you’ve specified the budget for your ad, you also need to set the campaign schedule. The schedule will determine the lifetime of your ad and also help pace your spending.

The scheduling options you have will vary depending on your budget type.

  • Continuous schedule: Run your campaign continuously from a start date. The campaign will end once your budget has been entirely consumed. You can use this option for all three budget types.
  • Set schedule: Run your campaign from a specified start date to end date. You can use a set schedule for both lifetime and daily budget options, but not if you’re using a combination of the two.

Understanding LinkedIn bid types

LinkedIn advertising is based on an online auction system where your ad competes with other ads for placement. To win, you must place competitive bids for your ads.

You can choose from three bidding types in the Campaign Manager:

  • Manual: This bidding strategy lets you set a specific bid amount for a key result. This option can charge by clicks, sends, impressions or views, depending on your ad format, objective and goal. Manual bidding gives you more control over the bid amount, but you need to track the performance of the campaign and adjust your bid as needed.
  • Cost-cap: This bidding strategy lets you set a maximum cost per key result. This allows the system to automatically adjust your bids to achieve optimal results while staying within your campaign’s budget.
  • Maximum delivery: This is a automated bidding strategy that uses machine learning to set and adjust bids while utilizing your entire budget. The goal is to maximize key results and use your total budget most efficiently.

Measuring the success of your LinkedIn ad campaigns

You don’t run LinkedIn ads no reason. You’d do so with the hope of getting some return on your investment. This makes it crucial to monitor and measure your ad success so you can see whether your investment is paying off.

Perhaps you might even notice that some types of LinkedIn ads are working better than others and you’ll want to shift your focus towards those. You might also find that some ads aren’t delivering any results at all, so you’d want to stop setting money toward something that doesn’t work.

The LinkedIn ads manager comes with a robust reporting feature that lets you track LinkedIn analytics and metrics to understand your ad performance. This includes metrics like clicks, impressions, cost per click, click-through rate, cost per impression, conversions, cost per conversion, leads and cost per lead.

You can even track your performance with different audience demographics in the ads manager. For instance, you can view how people performing a certain job function responded to your ads in terms of clicks, impressions and click-through rate.

Looking to dive deeper? Sprout Social’s LinkedIn management tool can help you dig into the good stuff, visualize key metrics and keep an eye on performance and trends data.

Screenshot of Sprout Social's LinkedIn Report showing impressions as a line chart and table, highlighting how many times your content was seen during the reporting period.

Best practices for LinkedIn advertising

Finally, let’s walk you through some LinkedIn best practices that will help you run successful ad campaigns on the platform.

Maintain the correct LinkedIn ad specs

Your LinkedIn ads need to instantly attract and draw in your target audience and you can’t do that without outstanding visuals. When creating visuals for your ads, make sure you follow the proper LinkedIn ad specs and sizes.

The specs vary for each LinkedIn ad type and ad format. Here are the basics:

Sponsored content

Single image ads

  • Should be in JPG or PNG format.
  • File size should be 5MB or smaller.
  • Keep headlines under 70 characters to avoid truncation.
  • Keep descriptions under 100 characters to avoid truncation.
  • Images display at 1200 x 627 pixels and should be at least 400x in width.

Carousel ads

  • Use 2-10 cards per ad.
  • Individual cards should not be larger than 10MB.
  • LinkedIn recommends using 1080 x 1080 pixels with an aspect ratio of 1:1 for individual images.
  • Keep introductory text under 150 characters and two lines to avoid truncation.
  • Character limits below ads are either 45 characters maximum, or 30 characters with a lead gen CTA button.

Video ads

  • Keep it under 15 seconds for better engagement (though LinkedIn allows up to 30 minutes of video ads).
  • File size should be between 75KB and 200MB
  • Your video should be in MP4 format running at less than 30 frames per second.
  • Audio size should be less than 64KHz.

Multiple aspect ratios and quality options are available with varying requirements. Check out the full LinkedIn ad specs for video ads to learn more.

Message ads

  • Banner creative should be 300×250 pixels.
  • It should be no larger than 40KB.
  • It should be in JPG, non-animated GIF or PNG (without flash) format.
  • Add up to three links using a maximum of 70 characters for anchor text.
  • Message text should be no more than 1,500 characters.
  • Subject should be no longer than 60 characters.

Text ads

  • Ad image should be 100×100 pixels
  • It should be in JPG or PNG format
  • File size cannot be larger than 2MB
  • Keep headlines under 25 characters
  • Keep descriptions under 75 characters

Note that there are five different sizes and ad specs for text ads. There’s also a whole bunch of LinkedIn ad size and specs for dynamic ads like follower and spotlight ads that are tailored to individual users depending on which format you choose.

For even better results in lead generation through your LinkedIn ads, some experts also recommend using colors that contrast with the platform’s blue and white colors in your visuals. This will give your ad an instant pop, allowing you to effectively draw in your target audience.

Support your ads with a strong organic brand

Running ads alone does not guarantee leads and conversions.

You also need a powerful organic strategy in place to pique your audiences’ interest, build trust and boost the impact of your paid campaigns.

Along with investing in ads, regularly share valuable and engaging content to establish your business as a thought leader. Create a well-designed company page and use consistent branding to look authentic and high-quality.

Don’t forget to engage with your audience — respond to comments and messages, and welcome both positive and negative feedback.

Finally, track analytics to understand the performance of your organic content. This will help guide your ad campaigns and set your future content up for success.

Keep testing and optimizing

Based on the insights collected from your performance tracking efforts, you’ll uncover some excellent opportunities and ideas to improve your ads.

Run A/B tests on different LinkedIn ad types, ad creatives, ad copy and CTAs. Find out what resonates with your audience and use that to further improve your ad performance.

Additionally, you might even want to use A/B testing to optimize your ad targeting. Make slight alterations to your targeting criteria to identify which audiences are most responsive to your ads. This will eventually help you perfect your LinkedIn ad targeting and get more out of your advertising efforts.

LinkedIn Ad examples to inspire you

Now that you know how to run ads on LinkedIn, let’s look at some interesting examples from real-life brands to get your creative juices flowing.

Asana

Asana linkedin ad example

Asana is a cult-favorite project management tool used by businesses worldwide. This means they have some great numbers to show off and attract potential customers. This is exactly what they’re doing with this LinkedIn ad example, where they use their success in helping increase employee satisfaction as eye-catching copy.

Shopify

Shopify linkedin sponsored content

Shopify does a brilliant job of addressing one of the biggest pain points of office-based employees — the long, monotonous commute. They do so by using powerful imagery and contextual copy, enough to grab the attention of anyone looking to transition to a more flexible work setting.

TikTok

TikTok linkedin video advertisement

In this LinkedIn ad example, TikTok promotes its virtual event using an engaging video made with high-contrast, bold colors and trendy imagery — perfectly aligned with their brand identity. We also love how the copy speaks directly to the specific audience for this post — B2C startups.

Notion

Notion linkedin lead gen form

Who says event ads are just for webinars? SaaS companies like Notion can also promote product demos on LinkedIn using multiple ad formats, including event ads. Make sure to throw in a lead gen form into the mix like Notion does to encourage more people to register.

Canva

Canva linkedin ad carousel ad example

This carousel ad by Canva is everything the online design tool stands for — colorful and versatile. Using this ad format allows Canva to highlight the many ways users can benefit from the software, visually showcase the tool’s interface and abilities, as well as look beautiful and eye-catching.

Grammarly

Grammarly linkedin ad example

Grammarly’s LinkedIn ad is proof that you don’t need flashy colors and visuals to create an impactful advertisement. In the example above, the popular AI writing tool demonstrates its editing feature using a screenshot of the app itself as copy.

Does it work? You bet! And the clever bit about this ad is the sentence being edited in the screenshot resonates with the target audience (hint: freelancers and contractors.)

Grow faster with LinkedIn ads

With the right approach, LinkedIn advertising offers plenty of opportunities to connect with the right audience and grow your business. But it can get overwhelming when you’re just starting out.

Make the most of the steps above to build a winning LinkedIn advertising strategy and generate valuable leads. Interested in learning more? Check out our LinkedIn marketing guide to 10x your growth on the platform.

Or, find out how you can use LinkedIn for business beyond marketing.

The post LinkedIn ads: the ultimate guide from zero to hero appeared first on Sprout Social.

]]> https://sproutsocial.com/insights/linkedin-ads-guide/feed/ 3 How to build a Facebook business Page that attracts customers https://sproutsocial.com/insights/facebook-business-page-guide/ https://sproutsocial.com/insights/facebook-business-page-guide/#comments Wed, 21 Dec 2022 16:52:09 +0000 http://sproutsocial.com/insights/?p=75263 Facebook commands a massive user base and is still the largest social network. The latest Facebook stats show that the platform currently boasts 2.89 Read more...

The post How to build a Facebook business Page that attracts customers appeared first on Sprout Social.

]]> Facebook commands a massive user base and is still the largest social network. The latest Facebook stats show that the platform currently boasts 2.89 billion monthly active users. That’s 2.89 billion users you could miss out on reaching if you failed to maintain a proper Facebook business Page.

A Facebook business Page is central to any Facebook marketing strategy. It’s where you can share information about your business and promote your new products. Moreover, your Page serves as a channel to provide your customers with assistance. In this guide, we show you the step-by-step process of building a Facebook business Page that attracts your audience.

Table of contents:

What is a Facebook business Page

A Facebook business Page is a public Facebook account that represents a commercial organization. You can use the Page to share information about your business such as your address, contact details and hours of operation. Additionally, it’s the perfect place to share updates about your business and promote products, services and events.

As such, a Facebook business Page allows you to create a space to connect with your audience. Additionally, by setting up a business Page, you’ll gain access to Facebook Shops and advertising tools. This allows you to list your products for sale on the platform and even create paid advertisements to grow your reach.

Meanwhile, a personal Facebook account represents the individual. It can either be private or public depending on your settings. While people can Like and follow a business Page, they can only add a personal profile as a friend. Moreover, a personal profile doesn’t come with marketing and advertising tools that are available on business Pages.

How to create the perfect Facebook business Page

Ready to create your very own Facebook business Page? Follow the steps below to get started.

Step 1: Create a new Page from the “Pages” section

From your Facebook homepage, click on “Pages” in the left-hand panel. This will open up a dashboard to manage all your Pages and profiles. Click on the “Create New Page” button under “Your Pages and profiles.”

arrows pointing to the Facebook Pages button and the Create New Page button

Step 2: Enter your Page name and category

Next, enter the name of your Page. This should be similar to your official business or brand name so your audience can instantly recognize it. In other words, choose a name your customers will use when searching for your brand.

After this, you’ll need to include a business category. Type in a keyword or two in the given field and Facebook will offer a few relevant suggestions. You can select up to three options to categorize your Page. This is essential to help people understand what your business is all about.

first step of the Facebook business page creation process with fields to include page name and category

Step 3: Add your Page bio

While the bio is an optional section, including a short description of your business can be helpful. This is where you can provide more information about what your brand does and what it stands for. Your bio can only be about 100 characters so be sure to keep it clear and succinct.

The bio will show up prominently below your Page name, so it needs to be catchy and relevant. Consider using your brand slogan here instead of coming up with a new bio. Once you’re done, click on “Create Page.”

Step 4: Include your business details

Now that you’ve created the Page, it’s time to make it more complete by including additional details about your business. To finish your setup, you’ll need to include the following information about your business:

  • Website
  • Phone number
  • Email address
  • Physical address
  • Hours of operation

After you’ve filled out the details, click on “Next” to get to the next step of your Page setup. Optionally, you can skip this step for now and add those details later.

second step of the Facebook business page creation process with fields to include additional business details

Step 5: Put together your profile imagery

One of the most crucial steps is customizing your Page with high-quality imagery. Your Page’s visuals are what will help you make an impression on your audience. So it’s important that you carefully choose images that truly represent your brand and are instantly recognizable.

The first thing you’ll need is a profile picture. As highlighted in our social media image size guide, this should be at least 180 x 180 pixels. Remember that this picture will come out as a circle, so avoid including any important details in the corners.

Ideally, businesses should be using their brand logo as a profile picture. This helps the audience to instantly associate the Page with the brand they already know. Alternatively, local businesses may consider including a picture of the storefront or the owners. Some may even use a picture of their best offering instead.

As for your Facebook cover photo, the recommended size is 820 x 312 pixels. Any photo smaller than this will appear stretched and distorted. Consider using existing templates from photo editing tools like Canva to ensure that your cover photo is perfectly sized.

customize page section of the facebook business page creation process

You can also choose to include an action button to show up at the top of your Page. This will help direct Page visitors toward the action that you want them to take. Perhaps you want them to book an appointment, view your shop, call your business, send a message or even get tickets. Choose the most relevant option, click on “Next” and hit “Save.”

list of action button items for Facebook business pages

Other optional steps include connecting WhatsApp to your Page and inviting your friends to Like the Page. You can choose to skip these steps for now and hit “Done.” But keep in mind that you’ll still need to complete those steps later on to improve your Page health.

Improving your Page health is essential to create a business Page that people would want to engage with. At the top of your Page, Facebook will provide you with suggestions on what actions you can take to make improvements. Your Page health will improve as you complete these actions.

Now your Page is all set up so you can start creating posts or even run ads to promote it.

Tips to maintain an engaging Facebook business Page

Setting up your Facebook business Page is the easy part. What’s challenging is getting your Page off the ground and sustaining that growth to build an engaging business Page. Here are some social media management tips to help you out.

Keep your business info updated

Remember that people use your Facebook Page to learn about your business. They may use it to find out where you’re located or when you’re open. Make sure to include the most updated info about your business so your Page becomes a reliable source of information. If you’re changing your operating hours for the holidays, for example, make sure to add that detail.

Set specific goals

Working towards something specific can give you a sense of direction with your Facebook marketing. Start by thinking about the purpose of your Facebook page and who your target audience is. Are you looking to support a community of current customers? What about attracting new ones?

Decide on specific goals that are achievable and can contribute to your Page growth. These goals will ultimately inform every aspect of your Facebook strategy. This includes the resources you put behind your Facebook business Page to your overall content strategies.

Create a Facebook content strategy

Given what we know about the Facebook algorithm, brands must be cautious of being over-promotional. Knowing when and how often to post on Facebook is critical.

Based on our research on how often to post on social media, most brands post at least a few times per week.

Moreover, it’s not enough to just keep creating content that you want to create. Think of what your audience wants to see from you so you can come up with a content strategy that delivers results.

Here’s what consumers want to see from brands on social, according to the latest Sprout Social Index.

chart showing the different types of content consumers want to see from brands on social

Engage with your customers

It’s important to realize that your Facebook page is not something that you can “set and forget.”

You may get customers commenting on your posts and asking you questions via Messenger. Failing to respond to customers promptly could result in lost sales or followers.

So you have to be present on social media and be ready and willing to engage. This doesn’t mean you have to answer every single question posted to your timeline or in your inbox immediately. It does mean you need to keep a close eye on notifications and conversations.

This would involve investing in social media management tools that can help you stay on top of those messages. For example, Sprout offers a Smart Inbox where you can keep track of all your incoming messages, comments and social media mentions in one place. From here, you can quickly see and respond to your Facebook messages and comments.

Sprout Smart Inbox

Use analytics to chart your path forward

Your Facebook Page Insights can tell you a lot about how your current Facebook strategy is working. It can show you how people are engaging with your posts and how your Page is growing. Use these insights to inform your decisions and make improvements to your existing strategy. For example, you may want to share more videos because your analytics tell you that people are engaging a lot with your video posts.

Once you start running ads from your Page, you’ll be able to see how your promoted posts are performing. Experiment with different variations of your ad copy, placement and creative to see what has the biggest impact. This will allow you to build a Facebook advertising strategy that keeps evolving.

Start growing your Facebook Page

The tips highlighted above can help you get the ball rolling and build an engaging Facebook business Page. Make sure you use them alongside a solid marketing strategy to grow your audience. Check out our guide on how to use Facebook business manager for more tips and tricks to help you out.

The post How to build a Facebook business Page that attracts customers appeared first on Sprout Social.

]]> https://sproutsocial.com/insights/facebook-business-page-guide/feed/ 3 Sponsored posts: How to create effective sponsored content https://sproutsocial.com/insights/sponsored-posts/ Thu, 15 Dec 2022 15:00:34 +0000 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/?p=167566/ If you’re tired of reading generic advice on how to create effective sponsored content, you’re in the right place. You already know that the Read more...

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]]> If you’re tired of reading generic advice on how to create effective sponsored content, you’re in the right place.

You already know that the first step for creating sponsored posts is to know your audience. There’s no need to repeat it. It’s time to expand your knowledge into something more actionable.

In this comprehensive guide about sponsored posts, you’ll learn best practices, discover strategies, get resources and find inspiration for your social media campaigns.

What are sponsored posts?

A sponsored post is a piece of content used as an advertisement in any of the major social media networks to increase your brand exposure by targeting a specific audience. Sponsored posts look like native content on the social network, blending with organic content in the user’s feed.

There are two different sponsored posts, which are:

  • Promoted or boosted posts: Amplifies the reach of your content by paying the platform to “boost” the post’s visibility to a larger audience.
  • Paid sponsorships or paid partnerships: Promotes your brand through a creator or influencer’s account on their social network(s). Their audience will see a post similar to organic content, except it will be tagged or indicate in the copy that it’s being sponsored by a brand.

With sponsored content, you can create a better experience for your audience by leveraging these less intrusive ads for your influencer and paid social strategies. Plus, sponsored posts expand your reach by tapping into new audiences.

Tips for creating effective sponsored posts

Whether you’re a small business trying to put your name out there or an established brand seeking to boost engagement, here are some tips to help you get on the right track.

5 tips for creating effective sponsored posts in colored boxes

Outline goals

This is one of the most difficult—but crucial—steps to get started with your sponsored content campaigns. That’s why you need a clear direction for what you want to achieve with your sponsored posts.

You can define specific campaign KPIs based on your target audience, past campaign performance and potential reach. To evaluate this potential reach, have in mind if you’ll be working with influencers or not.

Here are a couple of questions to help outline your goals:

  • What are your business goals? Determine the overall business goals that you’re trying to achieve. If your leadership expects to generate leads or $$$ from social media marketing efforts, start breaking that down into smaller goals.
  • What are your objectives? You know this one too well. Use the SMART goals framework to make sure your goals are attainable within a timeframe.

Set a budget

To figure out a budget for your sponsored posts, look at your social media marketing budget as a whole. Knowing how much you can spend helps you allocate your resources wisely. Download our custom budgeting spreadsheet to start outlining your expenses.

Remember, the money you spend on your social media strategy depends on the amount of sponsored content you want to incorporate. Or if you’re willing to work with influencers.

For sponsored content efforts, here’s what you need to consider:

  • Define your strategy: Determine if you’re going to use sponsored posts for a single marketing channel or as a pillar of your social media strategy. Knowing this will allow you to determine the investment you need to make for sponsored content.
  • Research the costs: The cost of sponsored posts is determined by your social media advertising strategy. These costs can involve creating new content, boosting existing content or hiring influencers. Have in mind that the cost of influencers varies, depending on their audience size (micro vs. celebrity), caliber of their influence, experience and more.
  • Compare your budget with your expected ROI: Think of your budget as an investment. Naturally, your return on investment (ROI) should be suitable enough to justify the cost of your sponsored content.

Determine your ROI

The goals you outline can be translated into key metrics (think: reach, engagement and conversions) that calculate ROI.

In the case of sponsored posts, justifying your marketing budget based on likes and comments may seem like a difficult task. But ROI isn’t just measured by bottom-line profit.

You can measure ROI by money saved or used efficiently to expand reach, brand awareness or conversions (think: clicks to your website or sign-ups). However, through social shopping, you can impact the bottom line through direct sales or influencer endorsements (think: influencer discount codes).

Here’s our take on figuring out your ROI:

  • Identify your metrics: Reach, engagement and conversion metrics are a good rule of thumb for your sponsored content.
  • Track those metrics: Keep track of your sponsored post as soon as it is live. This will help you understand what content and which influencers are performing well.
  • Communicate your key metrics to influencers: Make sure you tell influencers what metrics you want to track from the beginning so you can monitor performance and social media ROI efficiently.

Note: Focus on relevant metrics when measuring your sponsored post performance. Tracking too many metrics can distract you from your initial goals. More information isn’t the same as better information.

Create quality content

Sponsored posts can take on a variety of formats, such as videos, testimonials, infographics or static images. Regardless of the type, you can follow best practices to create effective posts.

4 elements found in high-performing sponsored post shown in numbered white boxes against green background

The anatomy of high-performing sponsored content consists of:

  1. Addressing your target audience: You don’t have to directly mention your audience, but a slight reference to them can help capture their interest.
  2. Writing strong copy: Put yourself in your audience’s shoes by highlighting benefits or pain points they care about. What’s in it for your audience? Why should they be interested? The same applies to video scripts.
  3. Balanced design, visuals and colors: Make sure your sponsored post catches your audience’s eye while being true to your brand and the creator’s identity.
  4. A call-to-action: This is how you generate conversions. If you don’t tell your audience what action to take next, you’re losing opportunities.

Decide if you’re working with Influencers

Sponsored content doesn’t have to be paid partnerships. But influencers are a highly effective way to expand your reach and build trust. They’re experts in their niche with an engaged, loyal audience. So, if you partner with them to generate sponsored content, it’s likely some of that trust is going to rub off on you.

Here’s what you need to have in mind for your influencer marketing efforts:

  • Find an influencer that belongs to the same niche you’re targeting. This ensures the influencer aligns with your target audience.
  • Review your marketing budget to choose the right influencer for you. Influencer rates vary across platforms. But the more influence and followers they have, the more expensive their services will likely be.
  • Make sure the influencer understands the message you want to transmit. You don’t want them to post something that doesn’t align with your brand values. Give clear directions but leave room for collaboration. Influencers are also content creators that want to stay true to their audience.

Use tools to look for influencers or do your own research on social media. They’ll usually have their contact info for paid collaborations on their profile.

Instagram sponsored posts

Sponsored posts on Instagram enable you to promote a post from your business profile or partner with an influencer for a paid sponsorship. Additionally, you can promote Instagram story ads.

Instagram sponsored posts have a “Sponsored” tag below your brand name and call-to-action buttons like “Shop now”, “Learn more” or “Sign up”.

This is what a promoted post on Instagram looks like:

what promoted posts look like on instagram

For paid partnerships, sponsored posts on Instagram have a “Paid partnership” tag under the influencer’s name, and sometimes also lists your brand’s name.

This is what a paid partnership on Instagram looks like:

what paid partnership posts look like on instagram

How to create a sponsored post on Instagram

To create a promoted post on Instagram, you’ll need to boost an existing post:

  1. Go to your profile and select the post you want to promote.
  2. Press the Boost post button.
  3. Select your goal (whether that be more profile visits, website visits or messages).
  4. Choose your target audience (it can be automatic or you can create your own).
  5. Set your Budget and Duration.
  6. Pay and you’re done.

To manage your Instagram advertising efforts and see how your sponsored post is performing, go to your profile, select your post and press on View insights or Ad insights. From there, you can view your engagement and goal metrics.

With paid partnerships, the influencer will create and post the content. It’s up to you to approve the influencer as a content creator associated with your brand. To achieve this, you:

  1. Go to your Settings and press Business.
  2. Select Branded content and then Approve content creators.
  3. Enter the username of the influencer you’re working with.
  4. Press the Approve button that’s next to their username.

With your approval, the influencer will be able to tag you as a business partner in their sponsored post. And you’ll be able to see the reach and engagement metrics from the influencer’s post.

Facebook promoted posts

Facebook only gives you the option to do promoted posts (no influencers here).

Facebook promoted posts have a “Sponsored” tag below the name of your brand and include a call-to-action button that can be “Shop now”, “Learn more” or “Sign up”.

This is what Facebook promoted posts look like:

what promoted posts look like on facebook

How to create a promoted post on Facebook

These are the steps to create a promoted post on Facebook:

  1. Go to your Facebook page.
  2. Select the post that you want to promote and press Boost post.
  3. Choose a campaign goal based on the stages of Awareness, Consideration or Conversions.
  4. Select a recommended audience or create your own custom audience.
  5. Enter your Budget and Duration of the campaign.
  6. Pay and boost your post.

To view the results of your boosted post, you can go to your Facebook page, select Ad Center, choose your boosted post and press the View results option. The Ad Center lets you track all your paid posts, so you can see the performance of your entire Facebook advertising strategy.

TikTok sponsored posts

Sponsored TikTok posts have both promoted posts and paid partnerships as options for your TikTok ads.

Much like the others, a “Sponsored” tag appears below your brand’s name and the captions, along with a CTA button.

Here’s what promoted TikTok posts look like:

what promoted posts look like on tiktok

TikTok sponsored posts have a “Paid partnership” tag under the influencer’s username and captions.

Here’s what paid sponsorships on TikTok look like:

what paid partnership posts look like on tiktok

How to create a sponsored post on TikTok

Sponsored posts are just one of the many ways you can make money on TikTok. Since TikTok users are 1.4x more likely to research brands or products on the platform, these types of posts can be especially effective.

Here’s how you create promoted TikTok posts, assuming you already created the sponsored content and posted it on your account:

  1. Go to your Profile and tap on the three-line menu.
  2. Select Creator tools and then Promote.
  3. Pick the TikTok video you want to promote.
  4. Choose your goal: more video views, website visits, followers, messages or profile views.
  5. Choose your audience (it can be a default or custom audience).
  6. Set your Budget and Duration.
  7. Pay and start your promotion.

To monitor your post’s performance, go to your Profile, tap on the three-line menu, select Creator tools and check your Analytics.

On the paid partnership side, you can contact a TikTok influencer to collaborate with you by following these steps:

  1. Log into the TikTok Creator Marketplace.
  2. Click on Explore and use the filter to find TikTok creators that you want to reach out to.
  3. Select Create campaign and fill in your campaign details.
  4. Click on Upload Message to initiate contact with your chosen TikTok creators or influencers.

Later on, when you reach an agreement with an influencer and the sponsored TikTok post is live, you can check how your post is doing. For this, log into your TikTok Creator Marketplace account and click on Reporting to see your Campaigns, Views and Engagement rate.

LinkedIn promoted posts

For LinkedIn promoted posts, the format remains similar, with a predominant “Promoted” tag along with a CTA.

what promoted posts look like on linkedin

How to create a promoted post on LinkedIn

These are the steps you need to follow to create a LinkedIn ad:

  1. Sign in to the LinkedIn Campaign Manager.
  2. Select an objective from Awareness, Consideration or Conversions.
  3. Build your audience by selecting multiple attributes.
  4. Choose an Ad format.
  5. Set a Budget and a Schedule.

To manage the results of your sponsored content, go back to your LinkedIn Campaign Manager and click on the Performance Chart to see clicks, impressions, conversions, leads, the average cost per lead, etc. You can also click on Demographics and display information like job title, company, company size, location, country and more information about the people who have interacted with your ad.

Twitter promoted Tweets

Twitter promoted posts have a “Promoted” tag at the bottom left with a little arrow pointing upwards. Twitter doesn’t have defined CTA buttons, but once you press the ad, it redirects you to the associated landing page.

what promoted tweets look like

How to create promoted Tweets

This is how you create promoted Tweets for your Twitter advertising campaign:

  1. Go to Twitter’s ad platform.
  2. Input your Country/Region and Time zone.
  3. Choose your objective: Reach, Engagement, Followers or Website traffic.
  4. Write your ad text and add media.
  5. Select the demographics of your audience.
  6. Add targeting features like keywords your audience uses, followers of similar accounts and even their operating system.
  7. Set a Budget and Schedule.
  8. Add your payment method and launch your campaign.

To monitor the performance of your promoted Tweets, go to Twitter’s ad platform once again and click on Analytics. Then select Tweet activity to see the impressions, engagement, engagement rate, likes and other metrics for your Top and Promoted Tweets.

Boost your presence with sponsored content

Now that you leveled up your sponsored content knowledge, it’s time to explore how sponsored posts fit into your social media strategy.

As you test sponsored posts and learn what works best for you, also consider how they can be a part of your larger creator marketing strategy. Working with creators has become a must, so check out our article to learn how you should be integrating creators into your social strategy.

The post Sponsored posts: How to create effective sponsored content appeared first on Sprout Social.

]]> How to sell on Instagram: A guide for businesses (2023) https://sproutsocial.com/insights/selling-on-instagram/ https://sproutsocial.com/insights/selling-on-instagram/#respond Wed, 19 Oct 2022 16:51:05 +0000 http://sproutsocial.com/insights/?p=97891/ Selling on Instagram isn’t as simple as posting product photos and calling it a day. If you want to turn your fans and followers Read more...

The post How to sell on Instagram: A guide for businesses (2023) appeared first on Sprout Social.

]]> Selling on Instagram isn’t as simple as posting product photos and calling it a day. If you want to turn your fans and followers into actual customers, you’re going to need a strategy.

In this guide, we break down how to sell on Instagram, starting with the fundamentals and moving on to advanced Instagram selling strategies. You’ll learn how to use Reels, Stories and other Instagram features to capture the attention of Instagram users and drive sales of your products.

Why businesses should sell products on Instagram

Not convinced Instagram is where you need to be? These three compelling reasons should be motivation enough to start selling products on Instagram:

People are researching products on Instagram

Because Instagram is a visual medium, it’s no surprise that 70% of shoppers research products on the platform. Having a business profile is a good first step, but you’ll also want a store that people can visit to research your products.

Younger consumers expect you to be on Instagram

When it comes to marketing to Gen Z, these younger consumers rely on Instagram to discover and engage with brands. And your presence (or lack thereof) on Instagram can have a big influence on Gen Z buying behaviors.

Your competitors are selling on Instagram

With more than 200 million businesses on Instagram, it’s wise to assume your competitors are already selling products on the platform. So don’t delay in setting up your Instagram shop (which we’ll tell you how to do in the next section).

How to set up Instagram shopping

To start selling on Instagram, you’ll need to have an Instagram business profile. You can convert your personal Instagram account to an Instagram business account in just a few steps. Only then you can create your Instagram shop (we recommend taking a look at Instagram’s commerce policies first).

Next, head over to the Meta Commerce Manager to set up your Instagram shop. You can choose to create a shop for both Instagram and Facebook, or only one of those platforms.

Screenshot from Meta Commerce Manager showing three mobile screenshots of selling on Instagram.

What are the best practices for selling on Instagram?

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to selling your products on Instagram.

That said, some strategies make more sense than others depending on your target audience and what you’re selling.

Below we’ve highlighted best practices for selling on Instagram.

Sell yourself in your bio

Your Instagram bio is valuable real estate, especially if you’re interested in sales.

After all, your bio link represents the sole avenue from your follower to your storefront if you’re not connected to Instagram Shopping.

Make sure that your bio includes a combination of the following:

  • A call-to-action directing followers to your shop
  • A mention of your branded hashtags to encourage user-generated content
  • A trackable link (think: SproutLink or a shoppable Instagram tool) to monitor traffic to your storefront

Post regularly

Instagram is a crowded medium, and if you want people to notice your brand, you need to post regularly. How often is “regularly”? According to Sprout Social Index™ data, the average number of posts on Instagram is 1-2 times a day. If you also share two Instagram Stories per day, you’re likely to improve your engagement.

Post more than just products

This might seem counterintuitive, but hear us out: One of the most effective strategies for selling on Instagram is to not focus on selling. Not all the time, anyway.

If you’re an up-and-coming brand or you’re trying to grow your audience, some non-sales-related content is a great way to warm up potential customers. After all, today’s shoppers expect brands to show off their personalities in various ways.

For example, Suavecito Pomade regularly publishes photos of its products but also sprinkles lighthearted content like memes and dog photos throughout its feed.

These types of posts score tons of engagement and can be a gateway for new followers to discover your brand. As noted in our guide to social media for retail, it’s crucial for brands to create content for every step of the customer journey. That includes folks who are warming up to you or might not even know you yet.

As a side note, this illustrates the importance of creating a social media content calendar. With the help of social media management tools like Sprout Social, you can find a balance between promotional and non-promotional content. Doing so ensures that your followers are consistently engaging with your marketing messages.

These types of posts score tons of engagement and can be a gateway for new followers to discover your brand. In our social media for retail guide, we saw that it’s crucial for brands to create content for every step of the customer journey. That includes folks who are warming up to you or might not even know you yet.

As a side note, this illustrates the importance of creating a social media content calendar. With the help of social media management tools like Sprout Social, you can find a balance between promotional and non-promotional content. Doing so ensures that your followers are consistently engaging with your marketing messages.

Screenshot of the Sprout Publishing Calendar in a weekly view, showing posts across multiple platforms and profiles.

Publish people-centric product photos

Research shows that of four types of brand images (customer-centric, employee-centric, product-centric and symbolic visuals), Instagram users spend the most time engaging with customer-centric images.

Instagram users want to see how people are using products in a real-world setting. For example, Camelbak shows off their products in the great outdoors rather than in a photo studio or on a kitchen counter.

Frequently featuring photos of people, specifically user-generated content, creates a snowball effect. That is, customers will want to take their own snapshots with your product so you’ll feature them on your feed, too. This results in more engagement and reach, creating even more opportunities to win customers.

Make your product photos pop

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Creativity counts on Instagram—especially if you’re trying to sell products.

Remember that you’re fighting for your customers’ attention, and they’re more than likely following competing brands on Instagram.

Here’s an awesome example from IL MAKIAGE. Although the brand has plenty of customer photos to choose from, they keep their content strategy fresh with eye-popping product shots, as well.

You don’t need to be a master photographer to create engaging images. Just review how to capture and format Instagram photos and explore creative filters and apps that can give your snapshots some pizazz.

Use video to showcase your products in action

Depending on the types of products you’re selling, you might want to post more videos than static images. For example, if you’re selling performance bicycles or high-end watches, customers probably want to see those items in action.

Craft compelling captions

Want to avoid bombarding your followers with sales offers? There are plenty of ways to write Instagram captions without coming across as too promotional.

For example, consider how you can show off your products while asking your followers a question. Here’s a great example from Paper Mate.

Meanwhile, check out how JOAH manages to put their products front-and-center by asking for a comment.

See how that works?

There’s some debate about whether salesy captions restrict your reach as part of the Instagram algorithm. To be safe, experiment with different call-to-action phrases.

How to start selling on Instagram

You’ve set up your shop, created engaging images and fine-tuned your CTAs. Now it’s time to start selling!

Enable checkout on Instagram

You can use Instagram to drive people to your website’s online store, but some users may expect to shop entirely within the Instagram app. You can deliver on that expectation by using checkout on Instagram.

Available for eligible US businesses, checkout on Instagram makes it easy for users to quickly complete a purchase and track order updates within the app. And once they’ve made a purchase, Instagram stores their information for an even faster checkout experience with subsequent purchases.

Three screenshots of what shopping for a product from Colourpop Cosmetics on Instagram page looks like.

Publish shoppable posts

If you’re a seller based in an eligible country with a product catalog and Instagram shop, you can create Instagram shoppable posts. All you need to do is tag products in your image or video, then share the post. Users can click on the tags to view information about each product.

If you’re running a promotion for one of the products in your image or video, Instagram will tag it automatically, and the CTA bar will be “View Offer” or “View Sale.”

You can also tag your products if you use a social media management tool such as Sprout. Once you compose your post and add an image, select Tag Image followed by the Product Tagging tab. You can search for your product by SKU or name.

Screenshot of tagging Instagram products through Sprout Social.

Use stickers in Instagram Stories

While you can’t add product tags to Stories, you can add a sticker with a clickable Instagram shopping link that takes users to a product page or other content on your site.

Set up product collections

If you’d like to group similar products, you can create collections. Go to Commerce Manager, then:

  1. Choose your shop and click Edit.
  2. Click +Add New, then Collection.
  3. Choose Create new collection.
  4. Click Confirm.
  5. Add these details to the Featured Collection section:
    • Images — Add at least one product image (4:3 ratio, with minimum dimensions of 800 x 600 pixels).
    • Title — Choose a name for your collection (30 characters max).
    • Text — Add a title and subtitle (30 characters max)(this step is optional).
  6. Click Publish.

If you have a checkout-enabled Instagram store, you can then add your collection to your Instagram profile shop:

  1. From your Instagram profile, click Edit Shop.
  2. Tap Collections, then Add.
  3. Choose the collections you want to display on your profile, then click Done.

Users won’t be able to see the collection until Instagram reviews your shop and collection (usually within 24 hours).

Engage with Live Shopping streams

If you have a US-based business with Instagram checkout, and your products have been in your catalog for at least three days, you can use Instagram Live Shopping to sell products in real time and interact with customers.

Here’s how to set up a Live Shopping post:

  1. Open Instagram and click Your Story on the top left.
  2. Scroll right and tap LIVE.
  3. Tap the shopping bag icon, then click Add next to the products or collections you want to add.
  4. Tap LIVE again when you’re ready to launch your Live Shopping broadcast.
  5. During your broadcast, you can tap the shopping bag icon, then Pin to highlight a product.
  6. When your broadcast ends, click Download so that users can still make purchases through that post.

Showcase products with Reels

You can create dynamic product videos with Reels. Just shoot your video, upload it to Instagram and tag any products you want to add. Then create a cover photo and a call to action.

Promote with Instagram ads

Many brands have found success selling through Instagram ads.

Taking advantage of creative ad types such as Stories and carousels, ads offer tons of flexibility and targeting options to reach customers shopping on Instagram. Plus, you can add an eye-catching CTA that changes from white to a color as users scroll through their feed.

Screenshot of a sponsored Instagram posts from Vicks with a "Shop Now" banner below the image that matches the brand color palette.

In the Vicks example above, the CTA banner coordinates with colors in your ad.

Boost conversions with user-generated content

Many brands are making user-generated content a cornerstone of their Instagram social selling strategies.

Customer photos go hand-in-hand with high engagement rates and let your customers serve as your brand ambassadors. Given how eager consumers are to share product photos, scoring user-generated content is often just a matter of asking.

For example, Grove Collaborative encourages fans and followers to share how they use Grove products on Instagram through their branded hashtags.

Screenshot of Grove Collaborative's Instagram bio that includes a branded hashtag #GroveHome.

Grove Collaborative regularly uses customer photos to highlight their latest products with a sense of authenticity—and to show their appreciation for their customers.

User-generated content shows your customers what your products look like in action. This also gives you a break from traditional planned posts and lets you show your products from different angles, so to speak.

Use influencers to amplify your posts

Influencer marketing has exploded as a way for brands to get their products in front of their target audience through a more compelling and relatable manner.

The concept is simple: Partner with someone who has a highly engaged audience to raise awareness for your brand and potentially discover new customers.

Influencer promotions are effective because they don’t feel as “salesy.” Also, some influencers might have more followers than you do.

Forming relationships with relevant influencers is a cost-effective way to get your Instagram social selling promotions in front of people who could become customers.

Promote upcoming product launches with Instagram Drops

US-based businesses with checkout on Instagram can use Instagram Drops (formerly “product launches”) to promote new products.

Two mobile screenshots of Instagram: the one of the right shows a green arrow pointing to the Shop tab and the screenshot on the left shows cover images for different Instagram drops launching soon.

Instagram users can click the Shop tab to search for view featured drops.

Create Instagram product Guides

You can use Instagram Guides to provide an in-depth look at your products and share them in Stories, in direct messages and in your shop.

Select the + on your Instagram profile and select Guide.

To get started, click the + at the top of your profile and follow the prompts.

Provide support and sell through Instagram Direct

Eligible business accounts can sell products through Instagram Direct. Access your Instagram professional dashboard via mobile only and tap Get paid in chat. Then, when you’re chatting with a customer who wants to buy your product, you can click Request Payment.

You’ll need to enter your bank account information and other details when you accept your first Instagram Direct payment, and the platform will save it for future transactions.

Two side-by-side mobile screenshots of what it would be like to sell through Instagram Direct messaging.
Source

Monitor your sales performance via Instagram analytics

Lastly, don’t forget about your data.

So much of selling on Instagram revolves around your analytics.

For example, which product photos score the most engagement? How do your Instagram shopping posts perform versus non-promotional ones? How much of a direct ROI are you seeing from Instagram?

Sprout’s Instagram analytics can answer those questions and then some. Our comprehensive reporting makes it a cinch to track paid and organic campaigns all in one place, including those happening beyond Instagram.

Screenshot of the Sprout Social Analytics Cross Channel Group Report.

What are you selling on Instagram?

Hopefully, this guide provided some much-needed motivation and inspiration to score sales on Instagram. As long as you stick to Instagram’s best practices and keep a close eye on your analytics, you’re on the right track.

Learn how Sprout can help you take your Instagram selling strategy to the next level with a free 30-day trial today.

The post How to sell on Instagram: A guide for businesses (2023) appeared first on Sprout Social.

]]> https://sproutsocial.com/insights/selling-on-instagram/feed/ 0 Instagram advertising: The 8 step guide for your brand https://sproutsocial.com/insights/instagram-advertising/ https://sproutsocial.com/insights/instagram-advertising/#comments Tue, 27 Sep 2022 16:01:51 +0000 http://sproutsocial.com/insights/?p=87882 If you’re looking to get more out of your Instagram marketing, it’s time you tried Instagram advertising.  Instagram has 2 billion active Instagram users Read more...

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]]> If you’re looking to get more out of your Instagram marketing, it’s time you tried Instagram advertising. 

Instagram has 2 billion active Instagram users each month, and the average user scrolls through the platform for 53 minutes each day. With usage like that, Instagram ads can help you expand your reach significantly.

If you’re new to Instagram ads, this guide will help you get started.

Read on to learn more about what Instagram advertising is, why it’s a great strategy for your business and how to create your first Instagram ad campaign.

What is Instagram advertising 

Instagram advertising is a paid service that businesses use to promote their content. Instagram started offering ad spots to select businesses after Facebook acquired it in 2013. In 2015, Instagram opened advertising to all businesses, and by 2017 had 1 million advertisers on the platform.

Why you should advertise on Instagram 

Organic social media strategies might seem cost-effective at first, but they rely on a lot of trial and error, and can only get you so far when you’re up against ever-changing social media algorithms.

This is why it’s so important to focus on a social media strategy that incorporates both organic and paid tactics. This way, you get the best of both worlds. You’re actively engaging with your audience through your Instagram posts, and, with ads, you’re reaching out to an even larger audience that might not know about your brand.

As a visual medium, Instagram ads give you a great way to show off your product. And with Instagram shopping, you can make it easier than ever for Instagram users to convert to customers.

How much does Instagram advertising cost 

The cost to advertise on Instagram depends on several factors like the mobile device you’re targeting, demographics, day of the week and whether your ad is running during a major televised event.

It all comes down to your target audience, which is why it’s so important to know your Instagram demographics.

To make the most of your marketing budget, dedicate money to ads and campaigns only if they’ll help your bottom line.

Put money behind posts and content that you already know perform well organically. Test everything to see what performs best, and dedicate most of your ad spend to that. Make sure to measure your ad success and take note of anything that didn’t do as well as you’d hoped.

How to create Instagram ads 

You create your Instagram feed ads and Instagram story ads inside the Facebook Ads Manager.

To get started creating your first Instagram ad, log into your Facebook Ad Account, head over to your ads manager and start a new campaign.

Step 1. Choose your ad objective

Once you create a new campaign, the first step to creating an Instagram ad is to choose your objective.

If you choose an objective that doesn’t make sense, like creating a traffic ad for a video or a sales ad for an Instagram placement, Facebook will likely deny your ad.

Step 2. Name your Instagram ad campaign

After selecting your ad objective, you’ll name your campaign. This is the best way to keep track of your ads within the ads manager.

You’ll then select any special categories that apply and specify campaign details.

Instagram ad campaign

You can also get started on a split test for different ad variations, as well as decide whether to optimize your budget across ad sets.

If you select Advantage Campaign Budget, the platform will automatically distribute your ad budget across your ad sets. Or you can manually allocate spending for each ad set.

Step 3. Decide how to design your ads

You can design your ads, or choose “Dynamic creative,” if you want the ads manager to create your ads. If you go that route, you’ll upload the various ad elements—images, CTAs, and ad copy, for example—and the ads manager will test different designs.

Step 4. Choose your optimization and delivery

Now, decide how you’ll be charged when you run ads.

IG ads - optimization and delivery

Step 5. Define your ad budget and schedule

When you advertise on Instagram, you have full control over when you’ll run ads and how much you’ll spend on them.

IG ads - optimization and delivery

First, choose between a daily budget and a lifetime budget. Daily budgets allow for your ads to run indefinitely while spending up to your allotted amount each day (you can still set start and end dates), while lifetime budgets will run for a set amount of time.

If you choose a lifetime budget, you can also select a specific schedule for your ads. Perhaps you want them to appear only on weekdays or weekends. You’re able to manually choose the days and times your ads will appear for your target audience.

Instagram Ad Scheduling

Step 6. Target your audience

Ah, now the good part! Targeting your audience is how you’ll optimize your Instagram advertising strategy.

You don’t want to waste money by trying to target anyone and everyone. This is your opportunity to really nail down the demographics, interests and behavior of your brand’s target audience.

Step 7. Choose your ad placements

This is where you’ll decide where to display your ad.

IG ad placements
Instagram ad placements

To advertise on Instagram only, uncheck Facebook and check Audience Network.

Step 8. Choose your Instagram ad format

Once you’ve completed the last three steps, click continue to head over to your ad creation dashboard. This is where you’ll upload your content, write your ad copy and publish your ad.

This is also a good time to give our Instagram ad sizing guide a second look to ensure you’re uploading the correct sized ad assets.

Different formats are available based on the ad objective you chose, but the basic Instagram ad formats are:

  • Photo ads: These include a single image, so you want to make sure it’s a good one.
  • Carousel ads: These allow users to horizontally scroll through multiple images or videos on their mobile device.
  • Slideshow ads: These are similar to carousel ads, only the images “play” automatically (no scrolling required).
  • Instagram video ads: These are video clips that can be from 3 seconds to 60 seconds long.

Visualize your Instagram ad performance with Sprout

You’ve created your ad, but it’s essential to check up on performance.

With Sprout’s Paid Performance Report for Instagram, you can track any number of Instagram advertising campaigns for the metrics that matter most.

Sign up for a free trial today and let Sprout take care of the rest.

Start your free Sprout trial

Advertise on Instagram today

Ready to start creating Instagram ads on your own? We can’t wait to see what you put together.

If you’re looking for more tips to manage your entire Instagram strategy, check out our comprehensive guide for improving your Instagram marketing strategy.

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]]> https://sproutsocial.com/insights/instagram-advertising/feed/ 1 How to Explain the Business Value of TikTok to Your Boss [Webinar] https://sproutsocial.com/insights/webinars/how-to-explain-the-business-value-of-tiktok-to-your-boss/ Wed, 17 Aug 2022 16:41:37 +0000 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/?post_type=webinars&p=163707/ 80 million people spend an average of 24 hours a month on TikTok. Your brand can use this new opportunity to revolutionize how you Read more...

The post How to Explain the Business Value of TikTok to Your Boss [Webinar] appeared first on Sprout Social.

]]> 80 million people spend an average of 24 hours a month on TikTok. Your brand can use this new opportunity to revolutionize how you interact with customers to dramatically increase your brand’s visibility. 

When users scroll through TikTok, the brands that are truly “killing it” are creating content that’s as entertaining as it is authentic–making the audience feel closer to the brand. This trends away from the often polished and perfect posts we’re used to seeing from businesses on other social media platforms.

Join Sprout Social’s Jonathan Zuluaga and Sarah Corley as they discuss: 

  • How valuable TikTok can be for your business 
  • The TikTok audience
  • Top TikTok marketing tips for brands

The post How to Explain the Business Value of TikTok to Your Boss [Webinar] appeared first on Sprout Social.

]]> YouTube ads for beginners: All you need to know about YouTube advertising https://sproutsocial.com/insights/youtube-ads/ Wed, 03 Aug 2022 17:01:29 +0000 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/?p=162548/ If you’re looking to increase brand awareness and reach for your business through online advertising, there’s no better platform to turn to than the Read more...

The post YouTube ads for beginners: All you need to know about YouTube advertising appeared first on Sprout Social.

]]> If you’re looking to increase brand awareness and reach for your business through online advertising, there’s no better platform to turn to than the Internet’s second largest search engine. Owned by Google, you’ll be working with the Google Ads network to create your YouTube ads.

You may be familiar with YouTube ads in your own viewing. They are video ads that appear on or next to your videos or on partner websites. It’s one of the most prominent ways you can maximize your reach on the network — and beyond.

But if you’re new to the process, this guide will help determine the best types of ads for your YouTube channel and how to make them as effective as possible based on your objectives.

Let’s begin!

Types of YouTube ads

There are six main types of YouTube ads that your brand might consider running on the video platform.

Skippable in-stream ads

A GIF depicting what an in-stream skippable ad is.

Skippable in-stream ads are longer ads that users can skip after watching the first five seconds. Many of these ads last up to an entire minute and are a great way to introduce new audiences to your business. This means you’ll want to really pull a viewer in during those first five seconds to get them to watch the remainder of your ad before skipping to their actual video.

When to use: This ad type can be used to generate sales, leads, website traffic, brand awareness or product consideration

Non-skippable in-stream ads

A GIF depicting what a non-skippable in-stream ad is.

Non-skippable in-stream ads also appear at the beginning or during a video, just like skippable ads do. However, these are much shorter ads and users are unable to skip them to get to their videos. Maxing out at 15 seconds, non-skippable ads are quick commercials that share what the business does and how it solves pain points as concisely as possible.

When to use: These types of YouTube ads are best used for brand awareness campaigns.

In-feed video ads

An illustration depicting what an in-feed video ad is.

An in-feed video ad appears at the top of YouTube search results as well as alongside related YouTube videos. These ads appear when viewers search for relevant keywords on YouTube, allowing new audiences that are already interested in their products or services to discover their business.

When to use: Use this ad for product or brand consideration campaigns.

Bumper ads

A GIF depicting what a bumper ad is.

A bumper ad is similar to a non-skippable in-stream ad but much shorter. At 6 seconds or less, a bumper ad is a great way for a brand to broadcast a quick message to potential new customers.

When to use: Use this type of ad for brand awareness campaigns.

Outstream ads

An illustration depicting what an outstream ad is.

Outstream ads appear online on mobile devices and are placed on websites and apps that run on Google video partners. These start without sound, though viewers can unmute the video if the ad grabs their attention well enough. This means you need to create a captivating ad where volume isn’t required, either by adding captions or by using visuals to pull the viewer in.

When to use: Use this ad type when working to expand your mobile reach. This is great for generating sales, leads, website traffic and brand awareness.

Masthead ads

An illustration depicting what a masthead ad is.

A masthead ad appears at the top of the YouTube homepage on both desktop and app. It plays soundless for 30 seconds on desktop and for the full time on mobile, before defaulting to a thumbnail. Masthead ads also include an information panel on the right-hand side (desktop-only), giving viewers more details and leading them to your channel. This type of ad is only available on a reservation basis when working with a Google sales rep.

When to use: Because you have to work with the Google advertising team on this to reserve your spot, save this ad type for major campaigns, product launches and generating sales.

How to create YouTube ads (step-by-step)

Now you know the main types of ads and when to use them. But how do you go about creating your own YouTube ads?

Step 1. Create your video ad

Before you can set up a video ad, you’ll need to create the actual video! First, decide the goal or objective of your ad. Do you want to:

  • Introduce people to your brand, product or services
  • Send viewers to your website
  • Generate new leads to nurture
  • Increase sales

The type of video ad you create is going to be based on the overall objective. For a brand awareness video, you’ll want to create a basic explainer video sharing information about your product. To generate sales, you’ll need to showcase how your product can solve a problem.

If you have an in-house video production team, enlist them to help create an awesome video ad. If not, you can take advantage of online video makers like Biteable, InVideo or Visme.

Step 2. Upload your video ad to your YouTube channel

Log into your business YouTube channel and upload your newly created video ad.

A screenshot of the upload box on YouTube.

Once you’ve uploaded your video, optimize it for organic YouTube search. This way you’ll get more bang for your buck—people will see your ad after you launch your campaign, but they can also find it by searching.

This includes optimizing the video title, description, tags and even adding hashtags.

Step 3. Create or sign into your Google Ads account

Because YouTube is owned by Google, you’ll be creating your ads through the existing Google Ads dashboard. This is similar to Facebook and Instagram, where you have to use Facebook Ads Manager to create your Instagram ads.

If you’ve never run Google or YouTube ads before, you’ll need to create a Google Ads account. It’s easy to do with your Gmail Workspace email address. Simply head to the Google Ads page and click the Start Now button.

The Google Ads homepage.

Step 4. Start a new campaign

When you create a new Google Ads account, you’ll be prompted to create a new campaign immediately. Start by selecting Get more views and engagement on YouTube.

Google ads campaign goal for a YouTube ad

Otherwise, you’ll head to your existing Google Ads account and click the blue plus sign icon under the All Campaigns tab to create a new one.

Step 5. Optimize your campaign

Next, you’ll need to optimize your YouTube campaign. Start by selecting your goal. You can choose to set a goal for sales, leads, website traffic, product and brand consideration, brand awareness and reach, app promotion, or local store visits.

Screenshot of the 8 goal options for your YouTube ad.

Then you’ll need to select your campaign type. Since we’re creating a YouTube ad, you’ll choose Video. Then, under campaign subtype, you have a few options:

  • Drive conversions
  • Custom video campaign
  • Video reach campaign
  • Influence consideration
  • Outstream
  • Ad sequence
  • Shopping

After you choose your subtype, click Continue to get started on your budget.

First, you need to decide what type of bidding you want to use for pricing. Your options are:

  • CPV (cost per view) — pay after someone has watched your video for 30 seconds)
  • CPM (cost per impression) — pay after your ad has been viewed 1,000 times)
  • CPA (cost per action) — pay when someone takes an action, like clicking on your ad or website)

Then it’s time to talk about costs. How much are you planning to spend on the ad? You can set a campaign budget so your ad runs until your budget is spent, or you can decide how much you want to spend on the ad each day and run continuously.

The next step is to set up targeting. Who do you want to view your ad? You’ll set this up by choosing:

  • Networks: Where will your ad be placed? Search results, in-stream videos, or outstream on the Display Network?
  • Language: Select the language(s) that your ad works for.
  • Location: Select the geographical locations that your ad should run in.
  • Exclusions: Input information that will keep your ad running alongside videos that may not be appropriate for your ad.
  • Additional Settings: Like choosing which devices your ads can run on and more.

Once you set up your target, you can create ad groups (if applicable) that let you dig even deeper with targeting, choosing audience demographics and interests.

Step 6. Launch and monitor your YouTube ads

Finally, it’s time to launch! However, that’s not your last step. It’s important to log into your Google Ads account daily to make sure you’re not spending too much and that your ads are showing to a relevant audience.

Four key metrics you’ll want to pay attention to include:

  • Total views and impressions
  • Audience
  • View rate
  • Conversions

How much do YouTube ads cost

Your YouTube ad costs will vary based on the bid strategy you choose. However, Influencer Marketing Hub’s analysis states that on average, CPV bidding costs around 1-3 cents per view. They also share that brands can expect to pay around $2,000 to reach 100,000 people.

Start running your own YouTube ads

Start ramping up your presence on YouTube by creating and launching your own ads. Use these for brand awareness, product consideration, lead generation and conversions. Learn how to get even more out of your YouTube marketing with our guide.

The post YouTube ads for beginners: All you need to know about YouTube advertising appeared first on Sprout Social.

]]> TikTok ads 101: How to get started with TikTok advertising https://sproutsocial.com/insights/tiktok-ads/ https://sproutsocial.com/insights/tiktok-ads/#respond Wed, 22 Jun 2022 19:52:39 +0000 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/?p=141853/ In a span of just a few years, TikTok has seen massive growth in popularity and app usage. By April of 2022, it managed Read more...

The post TikTok ads 101: How to get started with TikTok advertising appeared first on Sprout Social.

]]> In a span of just a few years, TikTok has seen massive growth in popularity and app usage. By April of 2022, it managed to reach 1 billion active users worldwide. And in our previous post on TikTok basics, we explored some of the reasons for the app’s popularity as well as how brands can market on the platform.

Besides those marketing tactics, you could also invest in paid advertising on TikTok to further boost your brand’s impact on the app’s audience. With the app’s immense popularity, TikTok ads could be a great addition to your social media advertising strategy.

But advertising on TikTok isn’t the same as advertising on other social channels. This post gives you a detailed overview of how to advertise on TikTok and what kind of ads you can use.

Which brands should use TikTok advertising?

A wide range of brands advertise on TikTok—Chipotle, Guess and Fenty Beauty, for example. What these brands have in common is that their products are a natural fit for TikTok’s video format.

TikTok advertisers can show their products in action and pack a lot of information into a short video clip. While this format may be challenging for B2B brands that sell difficult-to-illustrate services, it’s ideal for B2C brands that want to move away from static ads and share engaging content.

Types of TikTok ads

TikTok provides you with plenty of options to advertise on the platform. So you can choose what will be most effective in reaching your target audience and getting your message across. Here are the different types of ads you can run with the TikTok ads platform:

  • In-feed video – These are ads that appear among the native news feed of TikTok users on the “For You” page.
  • Brand takeover – This type of ad allows you to dominate the conversation as your message takes over the whole screen for a few seconds. It then turns into an in-feed video ad.
  • Spark ads – TikTok rolled out this ad type in 2021, giving brands the ability to sponsor popular organic content that relates to their products.
  • Image ads – Brands can place image ads in videos that appear via TikTok’s news feed apps: BuzzVideo, TopBuzz and Babe.
  • Video ads – These ads are full-screen videos of 5 to 60 seconds that appear in a user’s “For You” feed.
  • Pangle ads – Pandle’s video platform integrates with TikTok to offer video, native and banner ads, but this feature is available to only specific countries.
  • Carousel ads – These ads include up to 10 images and appear in TikTok’s news feed apps.
Example of a TikTok carousel ad.
Source
  • Branded AR content – Your ads can also appear as branded stickers, lenses and other types of AR content so TikTok users can use them in their videos.
  • Hashtag challenge – This type of ad shows up in the “Discovery” section of the app and can encourage user participation.
  • Sponsored influencer content – For this type of TikTok advertisement, you get your message across through sponsored content from an influential TikTok user.

How to set up ads on TikTok

Now that you know about the different types of TikTok ads, let’s take a look at how to set them up from your TikTok ad account.

Step 1: Create your TikTok ad account

The first step is simple: start by creating an account on the TikTok Ads Manager.

Choose your billing country or region and then select whether you’re using the account for a business or individual. Then click on “Next.”

tiktok ads manager first step signup

Enter some basic information such as your email address and password. Then enter a verification code sent to your email. If you choose to sign up with your phone number, then you’ll need the verification code sent to your phone.

Confirm that you agree to the terms and conditions, then click on “Sign Up.”

tiktok ads manager second step signup

Once your brand is approved, log in to your dashboard and finish the initial account setup according to the instructions. Then you can follow the steps below to create TikTok ads:

Step 2: Create and install the TikTok Pixel

Now you’ll need to install the TikTok Pixel—a snippet of code on your website that gathers information about site events (such as how users arrived on your site, what device they’re using and where they’re located).

After selecting “Standard Mode” or “Developer Mode,” you’ll create your Pixel by first setting up a “Web Event” in your TikTok Ads Manager. Remember to review your cookie consent settings before deploying your Pixel. Then download or copy the Pixel code and paste it into your website header.

Step 3: Create a new campaign

Create an ad campaign under the “Campaigns” tab and clicking on the “Create” button.

tiktok campaign creation first step

This will give you the option to choose your campaign objective — whether you want to drive traffic, conversions or app installs.

campaign objective selection

Then give your campaign a name and set a campaign-level minimum budget. You can set a lifetime budget to quickly reach as many people as possible. But if you set a daily budget, you can gradually and steadily reach out to your target audience.

campaign budget settings

Step 4: Create an ad group

Create an ad group to define audiences, campaign budgets and placements for your ads.

Choose the promotional type or goal:

Select either “App Install” or “Website” as your promotion type.

Select the ad placement:

Your choice of ad placement will determine where your ads appear on TikTok and its partner platforms. If you’re just getting started with TikTok ads, you can choose “Automatic placement” to have TikTok place your ads for maximum reach and value. You can also manually place ads across TikTok and its news feed apps.

tiktok ad placement selection

Select your creative type:

Turn on the “Automated Creative Optimization” feature, and TikTok will create variations of your content and test its engagement. You can turn off this feature at any time.

Define your target audience:

Choose the audience for your ad by selecting location, gender and age group. You can also specify user languages, add users with specific interests and include people who have previously interacted with your content.

tiktok ad targeting options

Select a delivery type:

Choose either standard or accelerated delivery. Standard delivery ensures your ad will appear during high-traffic times throughout your ad delivery period, with your ad budget spread consistently across that time frame. Accelerated delivery means your ad budget is dedicated to getting the most eyes on your ad as quickly as possible.

Step 5: Create a new ad

After setting up your ad group, you can configure your first ad. TikTok gives you the option to upload either a video or an image file as your ad creative. For best results, make sure you follow the recommended ad specs. This will ensure that your ad looks great on TikTok and across all the partner platforms.

ad creative customization page

After creating an ad to your liking, you’ll have the option to preview it and get an idea of how it’ll appear to TikTok users. At this point, you can also find out whether your ad needs some tweaking before you submit it for review.

You can further customize your ad by naming it so it’s easier to distinguish between different ads within the same ad group. Then enter your ad text using 12-100 characters to get your message across even more effectively. This text will appear above your ad.

Next, you’ll have the option to choose between different calls to action depending on what you want your audience to do. So you can ask your audience to “Sign Up,””Download Now,” “Contact Us,” “Book Now,” “Shop Now,” “Apply Now” or “Learn More.” Then click on “Submit” to finish creating your ad.

Use TikTok Promote to boost existing ads

TikTok Promote is a paid feature that lets you choose a goal—video views, website visits or new followers—and promote your video content. Select an audience, define your budget and schedule the duration of your ad, then start your promotion.

Step 6: Measure your ad performance

The job isn’t done after launching your ad; you should also measure your performance to see how the campaign is paying off. TikTok provides native analytics that can show you how your ad is doing in terms of impressions, clicks, conversions and more. You can even test and compare the performance of different ad creative and placements to see what works best for you.

TikTok ad specs

TikTok in-feed video ads must follow formatting guidelines in order to display correctly and generate engagement. Start by creating a video in TikTok’s suggested range (9 to 15 seconds), that’s less than 500MB and is one of these file types: .mp4, mov., mpeg, .3gp or .avi.

Then consult TikTok’s list of ad specs for additional formatting guidance.

How much do TikTok ads cost?

TikTok closely guards its pricing algorithm, which is based on a bid model. At a minimum, campaign-level budgets should be $50/daily, and ad group level budgets must be $20/daily.

7 examples of TikTok advertising done right

Besides learning the basics, it’s just as important to see how other brands are using TikTok ads. This will give you a few ideas on how to run your own campaign. Check out these four examples of brands that launched brilliant advertising campaigns on TikTok:

1. Chipotle

Chipotle has been dominating the TikTok platform with fun and creative video content. It also nailed their influencer advertising campaign to promote their annual “Boorito” offer for Halloween. The brand roped in top influencers known for their creativity such as Brittany Broski and Zach King.

influencer brittany broski promoting chipotle's halloween offer on tiktok

2. Kroger

Kroger was among the first companies to test out the TikTok “Hashtag Challenge Plus” feature. This allowed TikTok users to shop directly on the app for Kroger products tagged with the campaign hashtag. This not only encouraged user participation and brand visibility but also enhanced user experience by providing a smooth shopping functionality.

kroger hashtag challenge showing user videos

3. Experian

Experian launched an in-feed TikTok ad that’s straightforward and easy to understand. It showed a simple text conversation between two friends to highlight the benefits of Experian Boost for your credit score. It also came complete with a “Download” button. Everything about this ad is great because it puts directness and simplicity at the center.

experian ad featuring text conversation

4. IHOP

IHOP (International House of Pancakes) used TikTok ads to target millennials and generate buzz about its limited-time offers. It temporarily rebranded as the “International Haunted House of Pancakes” for its Halloween 2021 campaign, promoting “Scary Face” pancakes and other spooky menu items.

The campaign reached more than 33 million users, and IHOP used behavior targeting to find the right audience. The result was a CPM that was 26% lower than TikTok’s national average.

5. Partymachines

Partymachines began using TikTok marketing in 2019 to expand its reach and generate more B2B sales of its foam-generating machines. (Entrepreneurs who buy the machines can then lease them to local customers.).

One of the company’s initiatives was to use Spark Ads to find popular content featuring their product. In at least one video, the company added a voiceover about their product and invited users to comment about how they would use a Partymachine. Thanks to Shopify integration, TikTok users could click on the video, land on the Partymachines website and buy the product.

@partymachines uses TikTok Spark Ads to drive sales and revenue.

The Spark Ads campaign increased website traffic from TikTok by 620%. And by using existing content, Partymachines kept their advertisting costs low—just 10 cents per click.

6. eBay

Online marketplace eBay is a go-to destination for sneaker enthusiasts, so it launched a TikTok campaign to drive engagement with that audience. Using three different Spark Ads with Voting Sticker overlays, eBay’s “Sneaker Showdown” campaign invited users to pick the winning shoes in a bracket-style tournament.

The campaign—which coincided with the NCAA basketball tournament— resulted in a 54% increase in eBay’s comment rate, and 1.2 million users participated in the poll.

7. Kooapps

Kooapps wanted to increase awareness of its mobile game “Snake.io” and drive installs in the United States. It found two TikTok users who had created content showing how the game is played and partnered with them to produce Spark Ads.

Within two weeks of launching the campaign, Snake.io app installs increased by 67% among US users.

TikTok advertising best practices

To get the best results from your TikTok ad campaigns, follow these best practices:

Stay on brand

TikTok users respect authenticity, so make sure your ad content is true to your company’s values and conforms with your branding.

Be direct

Yes, TikTok allows you 60 seconds to make your point, but videos of 21 to 34 seconds are best for boosting conversions.

Keep it vertical

Videos with vertical orientation outperform the square or horizontal format, with a 40% boost in impressions.

Promote at the right time

The success of eBay’s “Sneaker Showdown” campaign was due in part to its timing in alignment with the NCAA basketball tournament. Look for trending topics or events that can help you generate buzz for your ad campaign. And don’t forget that TikTok analytics will show you the best time to run your ads for maximum audience reach.

Use sound and text

According to TikTok, “audio of any kind” boosts ad impressions. Captions and text overlays also improve the impact of ads.

Incorporate hashtags

Help users find you by including relevant hashtags. You can see trending hashtags on the TikTok discovery page and choose the ones that make the most sense for your ad and your brand.

Incorporate interactive add-ons

TikTok’s interactive features encourage interaction with ads. For example, you can use the Gesture add-on to encourage users to swipe or tap on an ad to reveal a reward. Or use the Voting Sticker overlay to seek input from your audience.

Partner with influencers

TikTok influencers already have a following, so partnering with them on an ad campaign can greatly expand your reach. Search for influencers that are either already using your product or are among your target demographic. You might be able to launch a new campaign with an influencer to build buzz for your brand, or find an influencer with existing content that would work well for a Spark Ad.

Test and optimize

Review your TikTok analytics often to see how your content is performing. Look at metrics such as views, interactions and click-through rates, and adjust your content strategy if you’re not seeing the engagement you’d hoped for.

Winning at TikTok advertising

TikTok advertising may feel completely different from the other social platforms you’re advertising on. But once you understand how to run ads on TikTok, you could see impressive results for your business. Put directness and simplicity front and center so you can easily get your message across to the app’s wide-ranging and fast-moving audience.

And if you’re still not convinced about whether to use the platform, check out some of the top reasons why brands should use TikTok.

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