While there are various marketing strategies you can implement for your business, only one can bring in consistent sales from day one: social media advertising.

Every marketer would prefer to reach a new target audience on social media through organic means, but if you hope to reach them faster, you have no choice but to do some social media advertisement.

It is not easy to go from the organic reach strategy to social media advertising since it involves spending money, which everyone naturally avoids. But depending on your social media goals, you’ll need to make the shift. And while doing so, ensure you take careful steps to prevent waste of money and to get a high return on your investments.

These are the best places to invest your ad money right now.

1. Facebook.
2. Instagram.
3. Twitter.
4. Linkedin
5. Pinterest.
6. Snapchat.
7. Youtube

If you’ve never advertised on social media before, we are going to explain the different types of social media ads and how to get effective results from them.

Types of social media advertising

We have different types of social media ads like we have various social media platforms. Each of the platforms has ads they offer to their users who wish to use the platform for business. And to use the ads, most platforms will prefer you use their business profile rather than the regular personal profile every other person uses.

We have Facebook ads, Instagram ads, Twitter ads, LinkedIn ads, Pinterest ads, Snapchat ads, and YouTube ads. However, we are going to look at the Facebook and Instagram ad, and then the remaining platform ads will come up in the next article. Let’s go!

Facebook ads

If you are looking to build brand awareness, get a new target audience, increase engagement, drive traffic to your website, generate leads, conversions, or boost sales, Facebook ads are one of the best types of ad to use.

You can also encourage people to download and install your apps through Facebook ads or even visit your offline store if there is any. Facebook also allows extensive coverage for your advertisement by analyzing demographics and providing detailed targeting options.

There are different types of Facebook ads, and each of them performs different functions. We have photo ads, video ads, stories ad, carousel ads, slideshow ads, collection ads, instant experience ads, messenger ads, and lead generation ads. You can use the Facebook advertising guide for more information.

Photo ads

You can choose to create a photo ad using Facebook Manager, or you can choose a post with an attached image on your Facebook page to promote. Photo ads are useful when you have new products or services you want your audience to know.

Video ads

Videos bring more engagement, so if that’s what you are looking for, go for the video ads. When using it, ensure your videos are short, straight to the point, and compelling, so your viewers don’t drop off halfway.

Stories Ad

This ad comes as an inclusion to your primary ad campaign; you’ll be running on Facebook if you select the automatic placement option when creating the ad. When choosing videos to include in your stories ad, ensure it is short and clear as it will not last more than 15 seconds, and you want your viewers to understand the message you are trying to pass across.

Carousel ads

If you have more than one image or video to display in your ad, use the carousel ad since it lets you add up to ten. It’s useful if you have different features of a new product to show your audience.

Slideshow ads

If you use an iPhone, you’ll be familiar with a slideshow. It’s a video created from a series of images. You can create a compelling slideshow ad from your pictures or Facebook’s stock images.

Collection ads

If you don’t want your audience to leave Facebook when checking out your offer, use the collection ads. You can add all the information they’ll need, including the price in it.

Instant experience ad

If you need information such as contact details from your customers or leads, use this ad. You can include up to 20 images or a 2-minute video when using this ad. There is also an option of adding the call-to-action button to get viewers to take action. You have only 39 characters of text to convince them to do so.

Messenger ads

If you need to reconnect with people who have viewed your ad in the past but took no action, messenger ad will do the job. You can either connect to them on Messenger or lead them to your website.

Lead generation ads

Sometimes, all a marketer wants is to get sales leads; if that’s what you prefer, lead generation ads will cater for you. With this ad, you can get people to request for a quote or free trial. They can also sign up for your newsletter through this means. And then, you can use the details as leads for your online sales funnel.

Instagram Ads

Instagram Ads are the same as Facebook ads since they are under the same corporation. However, one key difference is that more of Millenials and Generation Xers use the platform.

With the Instagram ad, you’ll get almost the same types of advertisement as Facebook, which are a photo, video, carousel, and collection. You can decide to use both platforms if you want a wider reach.

To get more information about advertising on Instagram, check out our Instagram advertising guide. But before then, let’s look at each type of Instagram ad:

Photo and video ads

You can use either a photo or video when placing your ad on Instagram. But before that, you should determine which is more effective by using the same content for both ads to see, which would bring more engagement. Consistently use the ad that brings more engagement to get a high return on investment.

Carousel ads

Add more images to pique your audience’s interest in your brand by using the carousel ad. When adding the images, ensure they all features of the same product you are showcasing to tell a consistent story. They will also permit 90 characters of text in the ad, write something compelling with it.

Instagram Stories ads

Get your product on people’s stories through the Instagram stories ad, which allows pictures and videos to show for up to two minutes. But also make sure that the elements in the stories are interactive enough to increase the completion rate and get call viewers to action.

To learn more about the remaining five effective Social media advertising platforms here.