You must be on Social Media with your brand this year to survive in 2023. Without a doubt! That’s where your customers are. So, your ads must be “strategically” on your brand’s platforms. But what’s an excellent way to get an idea? You need a strategy — you’ve got to craft powerful social media advertising targeted toward the right audience to drive conversions.
There is a question, and there should be an answer — this means there are some things to consider (What kind of product you have, who your specific target customers are, and what type of ad campaign you are running.)
This article will examine the four most common types of Social Media advertising. Here, we explain what they’re good at. Find out how you should look at these opportunities. And eventually, they’re also incorporated into the broader picture of your social media marketing plan.
Let’s explore these advertising types in detail.
1.Video ads
Video advertising is everything nowadays, now wholly dominate on platforms like Instagram and Facebook in 2023 – especially in response to the competition posed by TikTok. Regardless of personal opinions on this trend, it is a reality.
Higher engagement rates mean you consistently have an excellent Video ad compared to static image ads. Databox research says that videos drive more clicks than images; 59 percent of small businesses on Facebook claim it. As per Promo’s research on Instagram, organic video ads gives 38 percent better engagement when you compare it with static images.
Hubspot’s report, “What Video Marketers Need to Know in 2022,” highlights several reasons why videos are becoming increasingly popular for advertising:
More people remember and understand products from a video Ad instead of a still Image.
Videos tend to hold audiences’ attention better than any content type out there. People stop and watch videos rather than scroll through them.
Today, people watch twice as much online video as they did in 2018 and are great at generating leads.
There’s also a survey conducted by Hubspot, which shows 86% of marketers agreeing that video is best suited for lead generation.
The rationale is evident even without statistics: a video can convey significantly more information than a static image. It enables storytelling, whether a brief narrative or a series of video ads, much like Sakeru Gummy’s “Long, Long Man” campaign.
In the case of Sakeru Gummy, they introduced their 50cm-long gummy candies through a series of ads that resembled a television drama. The narrative featured characters like Chi-chan, who becomes intrigued by the enigmatic Long, Long Man with a penchant for long Sakeru gummies. Her boyfriend’s jealousy escalates, suspicions of infidelity arise, and shocking confessions unfold—a captivating story with unexpected twists.
The possibilities with video ads are vast, including:
- Crafting endearing characters, akin to Sakeru Gummy’s approach, to establish emotional connections through storytelling.
- Creating memorable jingles or tunes that stick in the audience’s minds.
- With stop-motion videos or animations; show product life cycle or its manufacturing.
- Conducting interviews with customers who are satisfied, whether through concise “man on the street” clips or traditional sit-down sessions. It heavily relies on your product, viewers, and ad objectives.
- With influencer marketing, any business can boost engagement and promote your brand.
While numerous strategies exist for video ads, only some approaches will suit your brand. To determine the most effective path, consider where your target audience will likely encounter your ads—on mobile devices or desktops.
You aren’t ready to embark on video ad production if you lack a definitive answer. Conduct comprehensive audience research to ascertain not only their demographics but also their video consumption habits. Remember that audiences spending most of their time on TikTok will have different format and duration expectations than those primarily on YouTube. For ads destined for smaller screens, minimise visual intricacies in each shot to ensure they don’t go unnoticed.
Which platforms is Useful For video ads?
Every central social media platform now accommodates video advertisements, albeit with specific constraints unique to each platform.
Instagram and Facebook, for case in point, upkeep numerous kinds of video ads (interactive video ads, carousels, in-feed video ads, stories video ads, and collection video ads). In contrast, LinkedIn and Twitter exclusively support in-feed video ads.
When crafting video ads, it’s essential to bear in mind the duration limits imposed by each platform. Different ad placements may come with distinct video length restrictions even within a single platform. For instance, video ads within Facebook Messenger (up to 240 seconds). And on Instagram, video ads (up to 120 seconds).
Consequently, creating multiple versions of the same core ad may be necessary to cater to different platforms – it entails producing a full-length version and a concise “abridged” rendition that encapsulates the essential points, particularly for platforms with shorter time limits.
2. Static image ads
With social media advertising, there is no requirement to invent something entirely new. While seemingly unexciting, the classic static image ad can be quite effective. Unlike videos, static image ads don’t move or produce sound and can’t weave intricate narratives, but they still have their merits.
Indeed, numerous ways exist to elevate static image ads and infuse them with vitality. For instance, you can utilise an image carousel to showcase diverse contexts in which buyers might employ your products. This could encompass images of your insulated water bottle at the gym, on a hiking excursion, placed on a student’s desk during a lengthy exam, or accompanying an adventurer during activities like skydiving.
Alternatively, you could employ a carousel to display various styles or product types you offer, such as different hoodie designs or an array of gardening tools, each illustrating how to use them.
A compelling narrative can also be woven through a carousel, enticing followers to keep swiping until they reach a satisfying conclusion, akin to the storytelling approach employed by Sakeru Gummy in their “Long, Long Man” series, where each video unveiled the next chapter. You could employ a collection of static images to narrate a story in a comic book-style format.
However, sometimes simplicity reigns supreme. Occasionally, a static image ad can excel with a striking image and engaging copy, or even just one of these elements.
Static images manifest in various forms, depending on your platform. There’s the conventional post format, a proven success in social media advertising. Yet, on platforms that offer stories, a feature almost ubiquitous at this point, you can also utilise static images in your stories, which grab viewers’ attention quickly and secure a prominent position on their feeds.
Irrespective of the specific type of static image ad you select, whether it’s an illustration versus a photograph or a collage, remember that the image itself is the most necessary or powerful piece in a situation or period. Even if your ad boasts compelling copy, precise targeting, or an irresistible product, poor image quality can hinder its performance.
Therefore, when employing image ads, you must invest in professional photography and graphic design to present your visuals in the best possible light. For tangible products, high-quality photos are imperative.
For services that may appear complex or challenging to potential buyers, such as financial advising or tech systems, opting for illustrations can make the concept more approachable, as they convey a softer and simpler feel.
Regardless of your design choice, always pay attention to alt text, typically accessible by clicking on your image and selecting ‘options’ or locating the three-dot menu icon. Here, you provide a concise yet vivid description of the image, shore up content accessibility for users with visual impairments who may choose to experience the images through a screen reader. As a bonus, alt text contributes to SEO. One caveat: it’s usually not supported in stories, so refrain from adding it in this format.
Which Medium is Useful For static Picture ads?
With one glaring exception: nearly all social media platforms support clickable and retargetable product ads. Specifically, these platforms include Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Twitter, and TikTok.
Due to their simplicity relative to other ad formats, static image ads can find placement on virtually any platform that accommodates advertising. You can seamlessly deploy image ads in messenger services, stories, and feeds. However, it’s crucial to stay updated on the diverse size dimensions required for each style of image ad across these platforms.
3. Text ads
Do not underestimate the potency of text advertisements. You are correct if you’re pondering that people might not be inclined to engage with extensive text blocks. However, text ads need not consist of sprawling text blocks. Consider this example:
Text ads are typically concise. Lacking attention-grabbing visuals or arresting videos, they must immediately captivate the audience with an exceptional offer. This necessity is even more pronounced on platforms with brief content like Twitter.
You also come thru longer text ads on Facebook and LinkedIn. These function akin to editorial-style ads found in magazines and newspapers. It’s a more traditional form of advertising, relying heavily on adept storytelling abilities.
Since text ads depend entirely on the written word, selecting a legible, stylistic font is imperative. This font choice should align with your brand’s style guide and prioritise accessibility considerations.
If you aim to integrate text ads into your social media advertising strategy, a good option is that you can collaborate with a proficient ad copywriter. With this, you can see that you your brand’s visual identity can be easily converted into compelling copy with this ad copywriter.
Which Medium is Useful For text ads?
Facebook
4. Interactive ads
Let’s dip into something different — the world of Interactive ads, another category. Advertisements have gone from simply displaying data to actively encouraging user action — i.e., taking part in surveys, answering questions, submitting their image, or interacting with the ad somehow.
Not only do they provide entertainment value, but interactive ads are also an incredible way to gauge your audience’s likes and gather important information for upcoming campaigns. That’s because they tell you how many followers and non-followers are even seeing your advertisements, which lets you adjust future campaigns appropriately for better interaction.
Plus, you can determine what they like and want and use this information to plan the following products, launches, and marketing efforts.
Hence, it is imperative to establish a specific objective when crafting an interactive ad. Do you seek reposts, answers, or votes? Like, when targeting reposts, go for filters like “Which ____ suits you best?” can be highly enjoyable. Meanwhile, polls and questions facilitate A/B testing of products and concepts.
It’s essential to note that while specific platforms, such as Instagram and TikTok, gives convenient tools like stickers and filters to create such ads, others may have a more straightforward, low-tech feel, as exemplified by LinkedIn. A LinkedIn poll, for instance, typically consists of a plain question—still valuable, yet lacking the flair found on more visually engaging platforms.
Interactive ads also serve as an effective lead generation tool called lead form ads. The main goal of a lead form ad is to assemble viewers’ contact info, typically in the form of email addresses and, rarely, phone numbers. This simplifies adding them to email lists and sending text message ads.
Which Medium is Useful For interactive ads?
- Snapchat
- TikTok
Regarding lead form ads, you can implement them across various platforms, excluding YouTube and Snapchat.
Conclusion
Social media advertising is a bit overwhelming and intricate—determining the perfect sets for your brand can be puzzling. There are abundant options. To ease this complexity, take a step back with focus on one or two types of ads.
Begin by revisiting the research you conducted on your target audience. Identify the platforms where they are most actively making purchases. Once pinpointed these platforms, collaborate with a seasoned social media advertising designer.
Together, you can craft ads tailored to the selected platform and designed to resonate with your audience effectively. This approach allows you to streamline your efforts and gradually expand your advertising strategy as you gain confidence and experience.
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