Social networks play a large part in the advertising industry. It’s likely that the majority of you get plenty of advertisements shown to you once logging in to Facebook or Twitter. As the industry continues to grow, be prepared for even more advertising platforms.
In 2015, advertisers will want to focus on non-Google opportunities. Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are currently the largest social network advertising platforms but there are others starting to follow their footsteps: Pinterest, Instagram and more.
Twitter is beginning to gain speed and will continue to do so into 2015. In the next year, we can expect to see direct purchases through Twitter. Currently, a limited audience is testing this feature but once this feature is live, we can expect ad spend on Twitter to increase. Another potential contributor to this expected increase are “Offers.” “Offers,” allow users to claim a discount (15% off) on their debit or credit card and automatically have this discount applied when they make a purchase. This type of promotion encourages future conversions from these Twitter advertisements. These are just two changes currently in the works, they could have a large impact on advertising budgets for Twitter.
As many know, Facebook advertising continues to grow as well. One main benefit to using Facebook is the targeting methods. These methods include:
- Custom Audiences
- Location
- Age & Gender
- Interests
- Behaviors
- Education
- Connections
Facebook can be a bit more difficult in attracting users because you’re attempting to target users who have no intent on shopping as opposed to Google where that is there intent. One way to jump this hurdle is through the use of dynamic retargeting. You can display customized messages to users who have viewed specific products on your site but have yet to make their purchase. This will make each ad unique to the user, which makes the ad more appealing. Go a step further and throw in a discount code or compelling reason to return to your site. This reasoning is great motivation to return and complete their purchase. This is only one possibility for gaining conversions through Facebook. Using the targeting methods above, there are a number of ways to gain new customers and increase traffic.
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Like Facebook, LinkedIn is all about targeting. Visitors utilize LinkedIn to focus on improving their profile, connecting with others in their industry, researching potential job opportunities or employers, and more. The great thing about advertising on this platform is the fact that you can get very specific with who you are targeting. Your targeting options include the following:
- Location
- Job Function
- Job Title
- Company
- Industry
- Schools
- Skills
- Groups
- Gender
- Age
You can be as broad or specific as you wish but the one requirement is that you select a geographical location targeting method. When selecting each of your targeting methods, LinkedIn will give you an estimated size of your audience. You want to ensure you’re sending the right message to the right people. As LinkedIn continues to grow, we can hope for even more improvements and capabilities.
Conclusion
These are just a few ways to advertise utilizing social networks but as these networks and the advertising industry grow, we will want to continue to focus our efforts in this direction.
