Are paid ads considered social media?
We’ve all seen it: scrolling our feed, enjoying posts from family and friends, a reel or two from our favorite celebrities, and then in the middle of it all: a paid ad.
Big, gray letters spelling out “ADVERTISEMENT” or “SPONSORED” are a common sight in today’s social media landscape. Mixed in with your regular feed, the untrained eye might not notice a difference in these paid advertisements, but once you start to see the signs of targeted marketing you’ll see it everywhere.
These advertisements are seen by many as feed disrupters. But they work - and there’s a reason brands continue to cough up the big bucks to get their message out to more internet surfers.
First, it’s important to understand that these mega-platforms like Instagram, TikTok and Facebook are making tons of cash off of these sponsored posts. They would be thrilled to offer your company a high-traffic spot for your ad in exchange for a check. Social media is a business. But first, let’s dig a little deeper in the landscape of social media.
“Social media” refers to applications and sites where people can share, connect, collaborate and find inspiration from others. It is used to keep up with loved ones and celebrities, brands and companies.
Organic posting is a term used to describe your average, everyday social media post. Nothing sponsored, paid for or promoted. The majority of your feed is made up of organic posts: this is what people are expecting to see when they open up the apps. This is where we showcase our brand in the most authentic way possible from educational content to behind-the-scenes.
Organic posts receive significantly less reach than sponsored posts since they aren’t being pushed out at the same rate as promoted posts, but they are crucial for establishing your brand's feed, voice and authenticity. Without a healthy mix of organic content in your social media strategy, it isn’t social media at all. At the end of the day, your organic content should be driving conversation around the topic of your expertise.
Paid ads, on the other hand, are the key to creating your follower base and reaching new audiences. When it comes to promoting a new product, gaining new followers, creating engagement and targeting specific demographics, promoting your content is the way to go.
Paid ads use strategies like keyword targeting to nail down your specific audience. This way your content can reach audiences that don’t follow you yet or might not be prone to seeing your posts. This is a fantastic way to grow your community and reach new audiences who might not have seen your posts or account before.
Some major benefits that come with paid advertising on social media include the analytics, the ability to target certain demographics, reach larger audiences and maximize your outreach. By posting one promoted ad with a well thought-out strategy, brands can more than double their conversion rates.
While this sounds nice and it may be tempting to post entirely sponsored content on your feed, it is important to remember that by only posting paid ads you are not creating a brand voice or a connection with a follower base.
Most paid advertisements on these platforms blend seamlessly into feeds and can be produced in many different formats to fit the social media site in question; they don’t quite meet the authenticity standards users have come to expect from organic social media. This doesn’t mean that paid advertising isn’t important, it just means that it shouldn’t be the only method you are using to approach digital marketing. Think of your social media page as an editorial magazine. Will you purchase a magazine that is strictly ads without any content?
As you continue to grow your social media presence and digital marketing strategy, it is important to strike a balance between paid and organic marketing. Establish your brand voice and aesthetic through your organic content and target a new audience through sponsored posts and your feed will thank you!