Let’s face it. There’s a lot of competition online. There are over 80 million small businesses that have active pages on Facebook alone. If you’re someone who is just starting out, that can sound like a horrifying amount of competition.  And that’s why you should take a serious look at social media ads.

Luckily, platforms have created powerful social media ad tools that allow you to purchase ads in your demographic’s best space. And these platforms have so many options to make sure you reach the right audience for your money.

But which ad type should you use?

Here’s a brief guide to choosing the best ad type to use for your brand:

Images

A single image can deliver an entire story. If you have strong, powerful photographs or great illustrations that stand out from the crowd, this ad type is best for you.

A simple tip: don’t use your regular photographs for ads. Prepare attention-grabbing images, that stand out and focus on the unique value and performance for your products. Use striking contrast and colours to capture the attention of people who might not have heard of your work before.

Video

In recent years, the use of video on social media has been booming. With faster wireless Internet connections, more people around the world have access to this richer media format minus the buffer times of yore. 

And why not? Video is an opportunity for brands to tell their story in exceptional depth and create stronger connections with the audience. 

To succeed, it’s important to spark interest in just the first few seconds of your video content. Don’t forget to include a clear call to action.

Carousel or Collections

For brands with different interesting product categories, show them off in just one ad. Collections or carousels are compilations of your brand’s most striking imagery. This ad type sparks great interest because of the options they present.

With carousels or collections, people can quickly browse through your offerings, find something very interesting, and make a purchase, or opt to enter a funnel.

Great carousel-type ads offer variety. For example, a single carousel can feature a piece of clothing, bags, and shoes to appeal to different kinds of collectors.

Stories

Recent data shows a staggering 500 million people use Instagram stories every single day. This is because the Stories feature is usually a more casual outlet than Instagram’s notoriously curated vibe.

Instead of newsfeed ads, story ads often feel more urgent and immersive because they utilize the device’s entire screen estate. If you want to send out a message that is LOUD and CLEAR, explore ads in stories.

Remember, when using the swipe up features, keep your highly legible call-to-action near the bottom of the image.

LinkedIn in Your Social Media Ad Strategy

LinkedIn has over 260 million active users, a tiny fraction of Facebook’s 2.7 billion. But if you’re targeting industry leaders, professionals, and high-value businesses, LinkedIn’s potential is unbeatable.

LinkedIn Secret

If you have a limited budget and you are mostly targeting B2B companies, LinkedIn is your best bet.

LinkedIn gets its own category on this list because it’s far less casual. People are on the platform not to have fun, but to make meaningful business connections and find a way to move ahead of the pack. They’re ready to meet the next best thing to happen to their business or professional career so be sure to reflect that in the content.

Social Media Ads: Your Chance to Make a Mark

We’ve talked about unpaid, organic traffic before but when you reach the point where you need to be more aggressive in finding more leads and have the budget for it, spending on social media ads can reap great rewards for your businesses.

If you’re ready to launch your first campaign, feel free to get in touch and work with our team. Let’s set the bar for your social media advertising together.