Social media can be a powerful tool for engaging customers and increasing brand awareness.
With so many options, however, it's not always easy for business owners to craft quality, actionable content across multiple unique channels. To better tailor your social media ads, learn a few best practices for some of the most popular platforms.
Facebook:
Effective Facebook ad copy should be informal and friendly. It should also utilize specific words in its calls to action. For instance, words like "enroll," "join" or "learn" help to create a sense of community, while also intimating that whatever you are offering brings real value. The text should also have two primary goals. Obviously, the first is to get someone to click the link. The second should center on breaking down pre-purchase barriers. For example, by adding words such as "proven," "free," "tested" or "how to," you can increase trust before the user clicks on the ad.
Twitter:
Generally regarded as a weaker advertising channel than Facebook, Twitter does offer an avenue for reaching a vast range of individuals. Funny and controversial tweets tend to get retweeted most, allowing you to reach a greater audience. When advertising on twitter, you should try to make your posts jump out and grab readers. That said, it's important to remember that every Twitter post you publish will reflect on your brand. With this in mind, you should use caution, steering clear of anything that might be offensive or misleading.
LinkedIn:
Viewed as the largest online business-to-business marketing channel, LinkedIn is a whole different animal. Effective copy should be refined to a specific target audience. You should also advertise your business in relation to new or other businesses. For example, if a new government policy or stock drop is relevant to your business, mention this in your ad. Sometimes called "news jacking," this style of advertising is especially effective on LinkedIn and can be angled to a wide range of businesses. LinkedIn copy should also be professional and display some amount of thought leadership in your field.
Things to Consider:
When creating copy, never simply copy and paste your message across multiple platforms. Instead, tailor each one, so it's more appropriate for a specific channel. For instance, it can help to think of your Facebook presence as your company on lunch break, while viewing your LinkedIn presence as your company during work hours.
Risk vs. Reward:
Sometimes called modern interruption advertising, social media ads are generally less abrasive than blaring television commercials. That said, when crafted poorly, they may go overlooked or, even worse, create a negative sentiment about a brand. Most business owners begin their social media campaigns with big hopes. Unfortunately, many fail to understand just how damaging a poorly-managed campaign can be, especially when it is inappropriate for a specific platform.
In addition to wasted money, inappropriate ads can damage your brand. With this in mind, take the time to develop unique copy that's interesting and personalized to the specific social media platform. This is the best way to make your audience stop scrolling and take notice for all the right reasons.
