Tag: Social Media Strategy

Is it possible to achieve social media success without advertising? Sure.

Is it easy? No way.

In today’s world, gaining an organic audience on social media is nearly impossible.

Unfortunately, however, many small business owners live under the assumption that social media advertising costs way too much money or that it’s too difficult to pull off.

We’re here to tell you that’s not true. You don’t need a ton of training to pull off a successful Facebook ad – and you certainly don’t need a giant budget.

Here’s how to make it work:

Setting a social media budget

The first thing to do when determining a social advertising budget is to figure out how much you want to spend on your social media strategy overall – that includes everything from scheduling tools (like Hootsuite) to hiring outside contractors.

From there, you can determine what portion of that budget you want to spend on social media ads.

For most small business owners, a marketing budget amounts to 5% to 15% of annual revenue – so if you’re making $50,000 a year, you might spend between $2,500 and $7,500 on advertising. Out of that budget, you’ll likely want to spend about 15% on social media advertising.

The bigger picture

When planning your budget, don’t forget that the actual cost of the ad is only part of the total expense. Even if you’re handling the work entirely by yourself, there is still time spent – and when it comes to business, time equals money.

So, what exactly goes into creating a social media ad campaign?

• Research
• Copy Writing
• Design
• Strategy
• Analytics
• More

Those items need to be worked into your social media advertising budget. If you hire someone for graphic design, that cost should be lumped into your ad budget. If you’re doing the design yourself, account for that as well – for example, if it takes you one hour to design an ad, and you charge $75/hour, deduct that amount from your budget.

It’s important to not let those peripheral activities go unaccounted for. If you don’t keep track of your real ad spend, you’ll have no idea what your actual ROI is.

Bottom line? For just a nominal amount each month, you can expand your reach and attract new customers. Totally worth all that time it takes to sit down and create a budget!

Contact us if you have questions about setting a social media marketing budget. Our Social Power Program can teach you how to use ads – and much more – to grow your business on social media.

Be sure to Follow us and Let’s Engage!

Hollie Clere of The Social Media Advisor is a “#BeAwesome” Developer, Social Media, Brand Builder, Content Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+, YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram, and the tools to manage them.

Click here for Social Media Training, Speaking and Strategy Consultations.

We recently discussed the power of organic reach in social media. And, indeed, it is a powerful strategy that often results in long-term, loyal customers.

But that doesn’t mean it should be your only strategy.

Paid ads in social media can be enormously beneficial, especially for newer businesses looking to grow an audience. By incorporating ads into your online marketing strategy, you can make sure you reach the largest audience possible, along with several other benefits, including:

Gain followers

Paid social ads will help your content get in front of more people, who may then choose to follow your page. Why is this beneficial? Well, first, when someone follows your page, it increases the chance that they will see more of your content in the future. Second, as more people follow and interact with your content, Facebook will rank it higher in searches. And, last but certainly not least, a large number of followers adds to your social proof – highly beneficial in today’s society, where consumers so highly value recommendations from others.

Grow your email subscriber list

Email marketing is still one of the most effective ways to turn prospects into leads and leads into customers, but it only works if you have people to send your emails to. Paid social media ads are a great way to grow your subscribers and build a list that will work for you.

Many people entice subscribers through the use of gated content, or content that is locked behind a digital wall. For example, you could offer access to an exclusive webinar in exchange for a user’s email address. Other people use contests or sweepstakes to gain email addresses.

The strategies are nearly endless, but once someone is on your list, you can continue to send them useful information and build a quality relationship.

Get more website traffic

The ultimate benefit of paid social media ads? MORE WEBSITE TRAFFIC.

Let’s be honest: Your website is where all the magic happens. It’s where you talk about your business and values, it’s where people can browse through your products and services, it’s where they can read your blog, and (most importantly) it’s where they can make a purchase or sign up for a service.

It’s important to note that in order to increase website traffic, you have to share your own original material (blogs, podcasts, product features, etc.). If you boost a post that contains, say, a shared industry article, your audience member will end up back on that other website, not yours.

Bottom line? Paid social can work (and typically, it won’t break the bank). The key, like all other social media tactics, is to come up with a strategy that will work.

If you’d like to learn more about paid social media ads and how they can work for your brand, reach out today to set up a training session for you and your staff. We offer a variety of workshops and seminars that will get you started on the road to social media success!

Be sure to Follow us and Let’s Engage!

Hollie Clere of The Social Media Advisor is a “#BeAwesome” Developer, Social Media, Brand Builder, Content Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+, YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram, and the tools to manage them.

Click here for Social Media Training, Speaking and Strategy Consultations.