Social media is no longer just about sharing personal photos or funny videos. Millions of people use social media platforms every day, and with that in mind, if you’re not looking into how to use PPC on social media, you’ll be leaving money on the table. Combining PPC and social media into your digital marketing strategy is no longer a luxury – it’s a vital component ensuring your product or services reach the right people. Social media ads need to be focused on their intended audience, and this guide will show you why they’re important and how to integrate them effectively into your digital marketing campaign.

Salience operates a profitability-only paid media model. Read all about it here.

 

What is PPC on Social Media?

So, what, fundamentally, is PPC on social media? Social media advertising like this is simple: you pay social networks to show your ads to specific users. It’s similar to renting a billboard or an advertising space in a train station – apart from the online advertising. Unlike with search engines like Google Ads, where you target keywords people are actively searching for, PPC marketing like this helps you get in front of your target audience without them having to search for anything. It’s a different, more proactive kind of paid advertising.

 

How Does Social Media PPC Advertising Work?

Paid advertising on social media can feel overwhelming, but once you understand it, the process is simple. Following these basic rules will show why social media is one of the best PPC platforms. Here are the main aspects to consider when building a campaign using this type of PPC marketing.

 

Defining campaign objectives

Understanding what you’re trying to achieve with this PPC campaign is vital. Are you looking to build brand awareness or focus on pushing a particular product or service? Or do you have a goal in mind regarding sales and conversion rates? Your objective dictates every other choice you make in your PPC campaigns, from ad copy to your bidding strategy. Being realistic with your goals and understanding what you can achieve with social media ads is an essential first step.

 

Target the right audience

Social media PPC only works when you identify your target audience. Before starting the campaign, consider your ideal customer and why they would be interested in your product or services. You should clearly understand who these social media ads are trying to target. You can move beyond basic demographics and target users based on their interests, online behaviours, recent life events, or job titles. By identifying the right audience, you can tailor your digital marketing campaign to them, improving your chances of generating more sales.

 

Choose the right platform

Your potential target audience won’t be on every social media platform, so you shouldn’t be either. Understanding where your audience spends their time will help you narrow down the potential social media platforms on which you want your campaign to run. If you’re a B2B software company, LinkedIn is your arena. Selling visually appealing handcrafted goods? You’ll probably find your home on Instagram or Pinterest. To reach a younger demographic, you could target Facebook or TikTok. Don’t waste your advertising spend on social networks your target audience isn’t on.

 

Create ads that catch the eye

You need to create social media ads that catch the eye—after all, you’re interrupting someone mid-scroll. You need to grab their attention and hold it as they consider what you’re advertising. This isn’t the place for bland, text-heavy display ads. You need compelling visuals, excellent ad copy that doesn’t beat around the bush, and videos that work with the sound off.

 

Optimise landing pages on your site

Going to all this effort to create a PPC marketing campaign means nothing if the landing pages aren’t optimised. You’ve wasted money if the user clicks through to a slow, confusing, irrelevant, or hard-to-navigate landing page. The user experience needs to be seamless, meaning the landing page needs to match the feel and intent of the advertisement. It needs to fulfil the promise of the advert, meaning it takes them to a relevant page that is easy to understand and incredibly simple for them to use.

 

Set up an appropriate budget

A vital part of PPC marketing is understanding your budget. Remember: you are in complete control of the costs. You can set daily or lifetime limits for your ad campaigns so you never spend more than you’re comfortable with. How much you pay per ad can depend on certain factors, like the ad formats you want to use, so always be aware of how much everything costs. You don’t need a massive budget; even a small, well-targeted campaign can deliver results. It’s about learning how to be effective with your cost per click.

 

Monitor and optimise the campaign

Social media PPC is not designed for you to set up and forget about it. Like all great PPC marketing campaigns, you need to monitor results and be open to adjusting to get the most out of your money. Which ads are performing best? What’s your click-through rate looking like? Based on how the campaign is performing, you can tweak your targeting, adjust your ad copy and reallocate your budget when needed. The campaign needs to be constantly refined to make your PPC strategy more effective over time.

 

What are the best practices for Social Media PPC?

Getting social media PPC advertising right involves consistently executing key fundamentals. These best practices are vital to building a successful social media PPC campaign.

  • Knowing your audience. This isn’t just about demographics. You need to understand what they want, why they want it, their pain points, and the content they would engage with. The more you know about them and how to target them, the more the ad spend will be worth it.
  • Create compelling ad creatives. Don’t be afraid to experiment by testing different images, videos, headlines and calls to action. A/B testing can significantly assist your campaign, helping you refine and rework your message when needed. What you think will work isn’t always what resonates. Let the data guide your content strategy.
  • Identify and use your brand style. The style of your messaging across your website, organic posts and PPC posts should be consistent, illustrating that they come from the same company. This helps give your business an identity. Consistency in tone, style, and visuals builds trust and recognition.
  • Optimise landing pages. A high-performing ad paired with a poor landing page will always result in low conversion rates. Remember to constantly check and update your landing pages to ensure that the customer journey is consistent, smooth, and easy – you don’t want any avoidable pitfalls on the page that could stop you from getting a sale.
  • Utilise retargeting. Retargeting is a vital part of social media PPC campaigns. This means showing specific ads to people who have already visited your site or engaged with your brand. It’s a great way to remind them of your company and, potentially, of that order they forgot to complete.

 

What factors impact the cost of Social Media PPC advertising?

The cost per click for social media advertising is a moving target that depends on many aspects. To fully understand how much PPC on social media could cost, it’s crucial to look at the most critical elements that determine it.

  • Campaign objectives. An ad campaign designed for brand awareness or video views will be cheaper than one designed to generate conversions or leads. The social media platform will see these actions as more valuable to your business and charge a higher premium.
  • Industry and competition. There could be a high amount of competition for these social media ads, based on the nature of your industry. If you’re in a highly competitive market, like fashion, you’ll be bidding against more advertisers with the same audience, increasing the price.
  • Ad placement and structure. Where you decide to place the ad can affect its cost. Placing an ad on someone’s main Instagram feed is often more competitive and, as a result, more expensive. Banner ads will be placed on Facebook’s Audience Network at a lower cost. Different ad formats have different costs.
  • Geographical location. Targeting your PPC ads in a high-cost area, like London, Paris, or New York, will naturally be more expensive because your ad is more likely to reach a bigger audience.

 

Let us help you create a great Social Media PPC campaign

From bidding strategy to ad placement and optimising landing pages, there are many moving parts in an efficient PPC media plan. That’s where we can help. Salience can help businesses like yours navigate the complexities of social media PPC.

We can help you build an efficient and effective campaign that puts your brand in front of the right people, meaning you avoid many common PPC issues. We’ll talk you through every step, keep you constantly updated with performance and help you adjust your campaign whenever you see fit. This means you can focus on what you do best, while we help you grow your brand on social media, leading to more clicks and, most importantly, more conversions.

We can help you align your PPC strategy to ensure the best results possible. Contact us to see how your PPC social media campaign can quickly gain momentum!