Advertising on social media: Choosing the right platform for your ads

Wondering how to effectively advertise your brand on social media?

With the rise of online platforms, social media has become a hub for businesses to connect with their target audience. But with so many options available, it can be overwhelming to choose the right platform for your advertising needs. 

In this blog, we delve into the power of advertising on social media platforms and we'll explore the top four social platforms and their unique features to help you choose the right platform for your ads.

The power of social media advertising

Social media has evolved into the primary source of information, engagement, shopping, and customer support, with Gen Z leading the charge. Businesses are increasingly looking to social media advertising to connect with their audiences effectively.

In Australia, social media usage has seen an impressive surge, with 21.30 million users in 2023

The top four platforms—Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn—each offer unique opportunities for businesses to reach their target audiences.

Facebook: With 73.8% of Australians using the platform in 2023, Facebook boasts a broad demographic with the largest number of active Australian users of any platform, 18.5 million monthly active users.

Instagram: Used by 55.50% of Australians, emphasizes visually appealing content and stories, making it ideal for businesses with captivating imagery.

TikTok: With 41.5% of Australian users, TikTok caters to a younger, highly engaged audience, making it an attractive platform for brands with creative, visually appealing video content. An average TikTok user opens the app up to 19 times a day.

LinkedIn: With 6.5 million monthly active Australian users, LinkedIn excels in B2B marketing.

Unique features of each platform

Each social media platform comes with its unique features and ad formats:

TikTok
Renowned for its short video format, TikTok encourages creative and entertaining content. Users engage with the app frequently, presenting opportunities for brands that can create captivating videos. TikTok allows for demographic and interest-based targeting and is exploding in popularity.

Facebook
Offers a wide variety of ad formats, including photos, videos, and carousel ads, providing flexibility in advertising. It also offers extensive demographic, interest, and behavior-based targeting, as well as retargeting options.

Instagram
Shares the power of Facebook's targeting options and prioritises visually appealing content, focusing on images and stories, making it an excellent choice for businesses with strong visual content. It also has high levels of engagement with 1 in 3 Aussies using the platform daily.

LinkedIn
Tailored for B2B marketing, LinkedIn aligns more closely with professional networking, offering specialized ad formats suitable for this niche and targeting based on professional attributes such as job title, company, industry, and seniority. Content such as blogs, surveys, and thought leadership performs very well on this platform.

Social media advertising offers other benefits

• Cost-effectiveness: Social media advertising is often more cost-effective than traditional forms of advertising. Businesses can set and adjust their budgets as needed.

• Engagement and Interaction: Social media ads encourage user engagement by allowing likes, shares, comments, and direct inquiries, creating opportunities for meaningful customer interactions.

The Future of Social Media Marketing

Social media advertising has become an integral part of modern marketing strategies. Staying current with the latest trends and updates in the world of social media marketing can be daunting but is crucial. The digital marketing landscape is ever-evolving, and adapting can provide businesses with a competitive edge.

Over the coming blogs, we are going to dive into each platform and cover in greater detail, what makes them unique and how to create ads that work.

Are you interested in social media marketing and strategic marketing?

If you'd like to read more from Imogen, you can find more articles here.

Imogen Arnold-Dunk is an experienced marketer with over 17 years of expertise. As Client Service Director at Poignand Consulting, Imogen leverages her digital marketing knowledge to deliver outstanding results for her clients. Throughout her career, she has worked with renowned companies, like Telstra, Qantas, Apple, Samsung, Microsoft, Bose, Bayer, and NBN, gaining valuable insights into the advertising and marketing landscape.