Name something that takes a little more than two hours to do. Watching a movie? Sure. Sitting through a college class? Yep. Going out for a fancy three-course meal? Certainly.
What if we said you spent that same amount of time on social media daily? On average, Americans spend about 145 minutes a day on social media.. That’s two and one-half hours spent connecting with friends, catching up on news and gossip, finding out which “Friends” character they most resemble – and seeing ads.
This year, it’s estimated that social media ad spending in the US will top $72 billion, and projections for 2027 are over $85 billion. Clearly, there’s something here worth paying attention to.
Social media has become a significant player in the marketing world, with more than 90% of all social media users following at least one brand and more than 75% reporting that they have made a purchase based on something they saw on social media.
So, how can your business leverage this colossal marketing tool to grow and develop your customer base? Here are some social media advertising tactics that can help.
1. Social Media Ads Can Be Seasonal
Adams Exterminators is a large pest control company that was started in Albany, Georgia, and now serves several communities in southwest Georgia and southeast Alabama. For their social media advertising campaigns, the team at M&R examined the seasonal nature of their services:
- Mosquitoes and crawlspace moisture issues are primarily a summertime concern for those homeowners and businesses based in the hot, humid South Georgia climate.
- Rodent control tends to be more of a cold-months issue for those same homeowners, as mice, rats, shrews, and other furry pests seek warmer winter shelter indoors.
To that end, Adams’ social media strategy is highly seasonal, not only putting their services in front of the right audience (through geographic and demographic targeting) but also doing it at the right time, when the particular pain points those services address are most apparent.
When planning your social media advertising, consider when things will sell. Social media is a constant fight for the audience’s attention, and advertising services they don’t need right now is a surefire way to see your ads scrolled past without a second glance.
Even if you don’t think of yourself as running a seasonal business, you likely see a sales rhythm over a specific period. Remember that it may not be an annual cycle, as some companies see a monthly or quarterly rhythm, such as the inevitable spike that car dealerships see at the end of every month.
Whatever your sales rhythm is, make sure your advertising reflects that. People usually tend to buy things when they need them, so your sales records can give you a pretty good insight into when people need each of your products and services – build your social media campaigns to match.
2. Social Media Ads Should Be Targeted
Adams Exterminators’ home base is in Albany, Georgia, but their market has expanded to include a large area covering parts of two states. In their home market of Albany, they’re already an established, well-recognized business with a strong reputation. However, in some of the more distant reaches of their service area, they don’t enjoy that same brand recognition.
Rather than spending valuable advertising dollars connecting with a community that already sees them as a household name, M&R’s team has focused Adams’ social media budget on targeting outlying communities:
- Tifton, Georgia
- Thomasville, Georgia
- Americus, Georgia
- Valdosta, Georgia,
- Moultrie, Georgia
- Cordele, Georgia
- Dothan, Alabama
- Eufaula, Alabama
- And other surrounding communities.
In some cases (Valdosta, Tifton, Dothan), these are large towns and small cities home to dozens of different pest control services. Others are smaller towns that may only have one or two local companies providing exterminating services.
Regardless, by targeting these communities, M&R is putting the Adams Exterminators name, logo, and value propositions in front of people who may not be familiar with the brand already, expanding the company’s name recognition into these new target markets and continuing to grow their audience.
As you decide on your social media ad tactics, remember that social media platforms provide incredibly robust targeting options. Geography is just one of many criteria you can target. You can get extremely granular with your targeting options, choosing specific geolocations, demographics, and even psychographics to target.
This granularity will allow you to target based on your goals – campaigns designed to focus on engagement may target users who already know of your brand to capitalize on their recognition. New product lines or service offerings may need to target new audience segments you’ve never considered before.
No matter your campaign’s focus, some audiences need to hear from you more than others, so make sure you identify those audiences and target them with your advertising.
3. Social Media Ads Should Be Clear
Your ad should be explicit in what you want your audience to do. For Adams Exterminators, our social media ads all contain a well-defined call to action (CTA). If the ad is designed to solicit phone calls, we use a large, bold “Call Now!”
People are notoriously bad guessers. They’re even worse mind readers. So don’t ask them to do either – make sure your social ad campaigns are clear and explicit in what you’re asking the customer to do.
If you’ve put together an ad, and there’s no clear call to action, you need to add one before you push your ad out. Whatever you want your ad to accomplish, as you pen your CTAs, keep the following points in mind:
- Keep it casual and personal -include “you” and “your” statements to make the call more conversational. (“Download your free eBook today!”)
- Verb it up – CTAs must include a verb, and most should include an imperative (command word). (“Sign up for a free trial!” “Subscribe to our newsletter!”)
- Specific is better – the more information, the more likely you will get results. (“Shop Our Golf Shoe Selections Now!” versus “Shop Now!”)
- Focus on results over services – tell your audience what pain point you will solve, not how you will solve it. (“Save Time With Our Healthy Meal Kits!” instead of “Sign Up For Our Meal Kit Service!”)
- Stay on-brand – let your CTAs reflect your brand voice just as much as the rest of your ad copy. (For an investment company: “Discover How FinCo Can Grow Your Portfolio!” For the hip, tongue-in-cheek boutique: “Glow Up Your Autumn, Fam!”)
- Most importantly, only use one CTA per ad. It can appear multiple times, but never confuse your audience with differing CTAs in a single promotion.
By ensuring your ads are timely and targeted and giving your audience explicit guidance on their next steps, you’ll be well on your way to getting the most out of your social media advertising dollars – just like Adams Exterminators.
M&R’s Got All the Seasons Covered, All the Targets in Sight, and CTAs for Days!
Call Us at 478-621-4491 and Put Social Media to Work for You!
Our talented designers, copywriters, and digital strategists understand the importance of targeting and timing ads with compelling calls to action to get your audience engaged, involved, and coming back to you for the products and services they need. If you’re ready to put Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn in your marketing toolbox, contact one of our friendly account managers today – they’re ready to help!
Other related articles:
- Which Social Media Platform Should I Advertise On?
- Why Your B2B Business Should be Using LinkedIn Ads
- Does Social Media Marketing Work? KPIs to Watch
- How to Define & Reach Your Target Audience on Social Media
- Your Business’s 8-Step Guide to Social Media Advertising
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