How to determine the right social channels for your campaign.

In 2023, social platforms will account for 25.5% of digital ad spend^[1]. Given the high amount of time consumers spend on these platforms and the high level of engagement that can occur, we know social can be a critical component of a successful digital campaign. But how can advertisers determine the right social channels for their objectives?

There are three key factors to consider when deciding where to focus your paid social budget:

1. Target audience
   Knowing where your target audience spends their time is key, but considering how specific you want to be in your targeting is equally important. Not all social platforms have niche data on their users. Meta tends to have the most comprehensive data, allowing advertisers to target detailed interests at scale. Whereas many other social platforms offer interest-based targeting at a broad level (e.g., an interest in hotels and accommodation, household products, or home improvement. It’s also important to consider any specialized platforms for audiences, such as LinkedIn when targeting specific professions or job titles. For many of our clients, we want to target narrowly specific interests, which means those campaigns often prioritize Facebook above other social platforms.
2. Campaign goals
   Video-first placements, like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram Reels, can be great for campaign engagement (shares, likes, comments, and page follows) and building awareness about a brand’s products or services. However, if your goal is to drive website traffic or generate leads, you will want to focus on platforms where users are more willing to move away from the content they are consuming and click on an ad – such as on Facebook or Twitter.
3. Creative assets
   A successful social campaign has creative assets that are custom developed for each platform. Ad content should look and feel organic to the platform and take into consideration what users expect to see there. On TikTok, users are looking for information to be presented in an entertaining way. This is a great platform to have a bit of fun with and showcase your brand personality. Ad creative that utilizes static images is better suited for platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly known as Twitter).

Speaking of social platforms, you can find Crowley Webb on Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, and now Threads. Be sure to give us a follow and reach out when you’re looking to launch your next successful social media campaign.

 

^[1] Source: eMarketer Q1 2023 Paid Social Forecast and Trends