with so many options available, choosing which social media platforms to advertise on can be daunting. One of the most common questions we hear is, “What social media platform is the best for advertising?”

The truth is, each platform has its unique strengths, and the key is to determine which one aligns with your business needs. Let’s focus on which platform is best for small businesses, enabling you to make informed decisions about your social media advertising strategy.

 

In this guide, we’ll compare the key features, benefits, and drawbacks of advertising on the top social media platforms out there, making your decision-making process a whole lot easier.

Table of Contents: 

• Overview of Social Media Advertising
• Factors to Consider
• Facebook: Everything You Need to Know About Advertising
• Instagram: Everything You Need to Know About Advertising
• TikTok: Everything You Need to Know About Advertising
• LinkedIn: Everything You Need to Know About Advertising
• Next Steps
• Additional Resources

Overview

Social media advertising allows businesses to reach and engage with their target audience on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and more. At Blue Moose Media, we empower small- and medium-sized businesses in Saskatchewan to leverage these platforms to achieve their goals. With targeted campaigns, you can connect with the right people, at the right time, with the right message. 

 

With so many platform options available and new ones emerging constantly, it can be challenging to decide which one you should advertise on. Making the right choice will ensure efficient use of your budget, goal achievement, realizing a competitive advantage, and seeing maximum return on investment (ROI). 

 

 

Factors to Consider

We looked at a few of the most common platforms to see how they compare to each other. Each platform boasts a large audience, although the cost per click varies, while the cost per thousand impressions (CPM) remains relatively constant. Overall, the key factors to consider include your audience, platform capabilities, cost, business goals, and user experience. Let’s take a quick look at those factors before diving into the platforms.

 

Audience 

First thing to understand is where your target audience is hanging out. Different platforms attract different demographics. It’s important to understand where your audience spends their time and what type of content your target audience engages with. Knowing what type of content your audience enjoys will also help you determine the type of content you should create for your ads. 

Advertising Costs

When utilizing social media advertising for small businesses, every dollar counts. Each platform will have a slightly different advertising cost than the others. Look at your budget and evaluate the CPC, CPM, and the potential ROI. Some platforms might have a higher cost but a better conversion rate, so make sure you’re considering all of the variables. If you need to dive deeper into what a digital advertising budget could look like, check out this helpful article here. 

 

 

Ad Targeting Options

Consider how you want to target your audience. Make sure you’re considering platforms that offer advanced targeting options such as demographics, interests, behaviours, and custom audiences. If your business is location specific, ensure the platform allows for precise geographical targeting. 

 

Campaign Objectives

It’s important to define what you would like to achieve with your ads. Some platforms are better for brand awareness while others are better suited for web traffic or lead generation. 

Each platform offers various ad formats so it’s important to choose the platform that supports the ad format that’s aligned with your objectives. 

 

Analytics and Reporting 

Ensure you have created a campaign strategy and know exactly what metrics you’re looking to track. Then, ensure the platform provides the analytics and reporting tools you’re looking for. Ideally, the platform has actionable insights to optimize your ad strategy. 

 

Competition

It’s important to understand where your competitors are advertising as this could be an indication of where your target audience is most active. With that, do consider the level of competition on each platform— it could drive up your advertising costs but also indicate a relevant audience. 

 

Facebook: Everything You Need to Know About Advertising 

 

Facebook is one of the largest social media platforms with a very diverse user base. With its extensive targeting options and a variety of ad formats, it’s suitable for businesses of all sizes. At Blue Moose Media, we often recommend this advertising platform before diving into the others. 

 

Under the umbrella of Meta, Facebook advertising offers a versatile array of features, including various ad formats like images, videos, and carousels, along with creative tools to make your ads stand out. With 20+ placements available, the platform’s placement options across Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger ensure your message reaches a vast and engaged audience. A massive bonus, Facebook offers robust analytics provided by Meta Ads Manager, helping you track performance and optimize your campaigns for the best results. 

 

However, it wouldn’t be Facebook without some drawbacks, such as the potential for ad fatigue due to frequent exposure and high competition in popular niches, which can drive up costs. Additionally, the platform’s extensive options can be a bit overwhelming for beginners, and increasing privacy concerns might impact ad effectiveness. 

 

Here’s a quick breakdown of the factors we discussed above: 

Audience 

In terms of audience demographics, Facebook’s ad platform offers a broad range of demographics that covers a wide age range. Its reach is global but is effective for both local and international campaigns. With roughly 3 billion monthly active users, Facebook is the most used online social network worldwide. With those numbers, we would bet that your target audience is probably there!

 

Cost

Advertising on social media platforms is relatively cost effective with Facebook being no exception. The platform is flexible, offering daily or lifetime budgets and different bidding options. Keep in mind that cost can vary based on targeting, competition, and ad quality. To dive deeper, the Meta Business Help Centre has some great resources. 

 

Targeting 

One of the standout benefits is Facebook’s advanced targeting capabilities, allowing you to pinpoint your ideal customers based on detailed demographics, interests, and behaviours. This level of precision, combined with flexible budgeting options, makes it cost-effective for small businesses who are advertising on social media platforms. 

Think about who you want to connect with during your next campaign: 

• New customers: Attract new customers by refining your new audience with categories such as location, demographics, interests and behaviours. 
• Custom audiences:  If you’re looking to target people who have already shown interest in your business, then custom audiences are the way to go. Custom Audiences allow you to connect with and retarget people who have already shown interest in your business, whether they’re loyal customers or people who have used your app or visited your website.
• Lookalike audiences: Lookalike audiences are powerful in that you can reach new people who are similar to your existing customers. Lookalike audiences use your custom audience as a source, then find people like those who  share interests with your current customers. 

 

Objectives

Facebook also offers diversity in terms of goals. You can tailor any campaign to specific objectives throughout the customer journey. The ad objectives have been updated to help you choose the one that is most closely aligned with your business goal. The six objectives are: sales, leads, engagement, app promotion, traffic and awareness. It will also track various actions like purchases, form submissions, and other key activities. 

 

Analytics

The analytics offered in Facebook Ads Manager are comprehensive and detailed. It offers real-time performance data with metrics on reach, engagement, and conversations. Additionally, it’s easy to experiment with different ad elements to optimize your performance through A/B testing. Custom reports are available to measure the metrics that matter the most to your business. 

 

Competition 

Being that Facebook is one of the most popular special media platforms to date, it’s fair to expect some competition. Depending on your industry, the intense competition can drive up advertising costs. With competition comes market saturation. Popular markets can be saturated making it crucial to stand out and run some great ads. (Good thing you’re reading this!) 

 

 

Instagram: Everything You Need to Know About Advertising 

 

Being under the umbrella of Meta, Instagram offers advertising options that integrate seamlessly with Facebook Ads Manager. Instagram offers a powerful and versatile platform for businesses looking to connect with a vast and engaged audience through various ad formats like images, videos, carousels, and stories. It’s particularly effective for brands targeting younger demographics and those with visually appealing products or services. 

 

The platform’s advanced targeting capabilities, driven by Meta’s ad technology, allow for precise demographic, interest, and behaviour-based segmentation, ensuring your ads reach the right people. Flexible budgeting options and comprehensive analytics tools such as Instagram Insights and Meta Ads Manager provide cost-effective solutions and detailed performance tracking to optimize campaigns. However, businesses should be mindful of potential drawbacks, including ad fatigue due to frequent exposure, high competition in popular niches, and the complexity of navigating the platform’s extensive options. Despite these challenges, Instagram’s robust features and benefits make it a compelling choice for digital advertising.

 

Here’s a quick breakdown of the factors we’ve been discussing, as they pertain to Instagram: 

 

Audience 

 

Instagram advertising effectively reaches a broad and diverse audience, with a particularly strong presence among the 18-34 age group. Its global reach makes it suitable for both local and international campaigns, allowing businesses to target users worldwide. The platform’s advanced targeting capabilities enable advertisers to segment audiences based on detailed demographics, interests, behaviours, and even create lookalike audiences to find new potential customers similar to their existing ones. You can target audiences with Facebook data due to them being under the Meta umbrella, making Instagram a versatile tool for connecting with a wide range of users, from young adults to older demographics, ensuring tailored ad campaigns reach the most relevant audience.

Cost

 

Instagram advertising offers flexible and customizable options to fit a wide range of budgets, making it accessible for businesses of all sizes. With the ability to set daily or lifetime budgets, advertisers have control over their spending and can adjust as needed. The actual cost of an ad on Instagram depends on a number of factors such as targeting options, industry, and ad format. On average, Instagram ads can be more expensive than Facebook ads, but the visual and highly engaged nature of the platform often results in a higher return on investment (ROI). When used strategically, Instagram advertising provides a cost-effective way to reach a targeted audience, drive engagement, and achieve specific business goals.

 

Targeting 

 

Instagram offers comprehensive targeting options, allowing businesses to reach their desired audience with precision. Advertisers can segment audiences based on demographics, interests, behaviours, and locations, as well as utilize advanced features like custom audiences and lookalike audiences. These capabilities enable advertisers to target users who have previously interacted with their brand or find new users similar to their existing customer base. Instagram’s integration with Facebook’s ad platform enhances targeting accuracy, leveraging extensive user data to optimize ad delivery. This level of targeting sophistication ensures that ads are shown to the most relevant users, increasing the likelihood of engagement and conversion.

 

Objectives

 

Instagram allows you to optimize your ad delivery for the following objectives:

• Brand awareness: Reach people more likely to pay attention to your ads and increase awareness for your brand.
• Reach: Show your ad to the maximum number of people.
• Traffic: Send more people to a destination on or off Instagram such as your website.
• Engagement: Get more people to see and engage with your post or Page. Engagement can include comments, shares, likes, event responses, and offer claims.
• App installs: Drive more people to your app.
• Video views: Get more people to view your video content.
• Lead generation: Collect leads for your business.
• Messages: Get more people to send messages to your business in Messenger.
• Conversions: Get people to take valuable actions on your website or app.
• Catalog sales: Show products from your e-commerce store’s catalog to generate sales.
• Store visits: Promote multiple business locations to people who are nearby.

These goals and objectives are similar to Facebook and can be optimized for what your business needs!

 

Analytics

 

Instagram provides robust analytics tools to measure the performance of your advertising campaigns. The platform offers in-depth insights into key metrics such as reach, engagement, impressions, and conversions. Instagram Insights, accessible from your business profile, allows you to track the performance of your organic posts, stories, and ads, providing valuable data on audience demographics and behaviours. Meta Ads Manager, integrated with Instagram, offers even more detailed analytics and reporting capabilities, enabling you to monitor campaign performance in real-time, conduct A/B testing, and make data-driven decisions to optimize your ads for better results. This comprehensive analytics suite helps you understand how your ads are performing and identify areas for improvement.

 

Competition 

 

As one of the most popular social media platforms, Instagram has a high level of competition, particularly in visually driven industries such as fashion, beauty, and lifestyle. This competition can drive up advertising costs, making it essential for businesses to create high-quality, engaging content that stands out in a crowded feed. Market saturation in popular niches can also make it challenging to capture users’ attention. However, the platform’s advanced targeting options and creative ad formats provide opportunities to differentiate your brand and connect with your target audience effectively. Despite the competitive landscape, Instagram’s extensive reach and engaged user base make it a valuable platform for businesses looking to increase their visibility and drive results.

Compare

 

While Instagram ads are typically more expensive than Facebook ads, engagement on Instagram is also higher. Plus, it’s the top social media platform used by consumers to follow brands, so intent is higher. It’s also an excellent advertising channel for e-commerce businesses. The general consensus at Blue Moose Media is to figure out where your audience hangs out first, then decide. 

 

TikTok: Everything You Need to Know About Advertising  

 

TikTok has rapidly become one of the most popular social media platforms, particularly among younger demographics. Its unique format and highly engaged user base make it an attractive option for businesses looking to connect with a new audience through creative and innovative ad campaigns. TikTok advertising offers a range of ad formats, including in-feed ads, branded hashtags, and branded effects, allowing brands to showcase their products and services in engaging and entertaining ways.

 

The platform’s advanced targeting capabilities enable advertisers to reach specific audiences based on demographics, interests, and behaviours, while flexible budgeting options and comprehensive analytics tools help optimize campaigns for better performance. However, businesses should be mindful of potential drawbacks, such as the need for high-quality, engaging content to stand out in a competitive environment, and the platform’s relatively new advertising ecosystem, which may require some experimentation to achieve the desired results.

 

Here’s a quick breakdown of the factors to consider :

 

Audience 

 

TikTok’s audience is younger, with a significant proportion of users aged 16-24, making it ideal for brands targeting Generation Z and Millennials. The platform’s global reach provides opportunities for both local and international campaigns, allowing businesses to connect with a diverse audience worldwide. TikTok’s user base is highly engaged, spending significant time on the platform and actively participating in trends and challenges. This level of engagement offers brands the chance to create viral content and connect with users in a more personal and interactive way. Because of the unique format of TikTok videos, advertisers who are B2B may find it more challenging than a B2C brand to create the type of engaging content that does well on the platform. 

 

Cost 

 

TikTok advertising costs vary depending on factors such as ad format, targeting options, and competition. While the platform can be more expensive than other social media channels, it offers unique opportunities for high engagement and viral reach. TikTok’s flexible budgeting options, including daily and lifetime budgets, allow businesses to control their spending and adjust as needed. Despite potentially higher costs, the platform’s ability to drive significant engagement and brand awareness can result in a higher return on investment (ROI) for businesses willing to invest in creative and innovative ad campaigns.

 

Targeting 

 

TikTok offers robust targeting options, allowing advertisers to reach specific audiences based on demographics, interests, and behaviours. The platform’s advanced targeting capabilities enable brands to segment their audience effectively and ensure their ads are shown to the most relevant users. TikTok also provides custom audience features, allowing advertisers to target users who have previously interacted with their brand or create lookalike audiences to find new potential customers similar to their existing ones. This level of targeting precision helps businesses maximize their ad spend and drive better results from their campaigns.

 

Objectives

 

TikTok advertising allows you to optimize your ad delivery for the following objectives:

• Brand awareness: Increase the visibility of your brand by reaching a large audience.
• Reach: Maximize the number of people who see your ad.
• Traffic: Drive users to your website or app.
• App installs: Increase downloads of your mobile app.
• Video views: Boost the number of views on your video content.
• Lead generation: Collect leads and customer information.
• Conversions: Drive specific actions on your website, such as purchases or sign-ups.
• Catalog sales: Promote products from your e-commerce catalog to drive sales.

These objectives help businesses align their ad campaigns with their specific goals and achieve the desired outcomes.

 

Analytics

 

TikTok provides comprehensive analytics tools to measure the performance of your advertising campaigns. The platform offers detailed insights into key metrics such as reach, engagement, impressions, and conversions. TikTok’s analytics dashboard allows advertisers to track the performance of their ads in real-time, conduct A/B testing, and make data-driven decisions to optimize their campaigns. This level of transparency and actionable insights helps businesses understand how their ads are performing and identify areas for improvement, ensuring they get the most out of their advertising budget.

 

Competition 

 

TikTok’s rapid growth and popularity have led to increased competition, particularly among brands targeting younger demographics. This competition can drive up advertising costs and make it challenging to capture users’ attention. However, the platform’s unique format and highly engaged user base provide opportunities for creative and innovative content that stands out in a crowded feed. Brands that can create engaging and entertaining content have the potential to go viral and achieve significant reach and impact. Despite the competitive landscape, TikTok’s extensive reach and engaged audience make it a valuable platform for businesses looking to increase their visibility and drive results.

 

Compare:

 

You may have noticed one key difference between TikTok and Instagram. TikTok leans more into authenticity-driven content in comparison to Instagram, where users tend to show off their best selves. If planning to advertise on TikTok, your brand has the opportunity to participate in TikTok’s authenticity which should lead to success if executed correctly. 

 

Another factor to consider when contemplating TikTok advertising is that creating video content isn’t always easy, and expectations are higher on video-only platforms. TikTok ads also require a minimum $50/day per campaign or $20/day per ad group. Compared to Meta’s minimum daily spend of $1/day, this is important to know. 

 

Contrarily, given the popularity of the platform, and the 45+ minutes a day that users spend on it, TikTok advertising can still be a great option for businesses that have a TikTok-inclined audience. Additionally, when you compare TikTok ads vs Facebook ads, the cost per click is about the same at $1.00.

 

If you’re sold on the idea of advertising on TikTok, check out this in-depth article from our pals over at Sprout Social.

 

LinkedIn: Everything you need to know about advertising 

 

LinkedIn is the premier platform for B2B advertising, providing unique opportunities to connect with professionals, decision-makers, and businesses. With its highly targeted advertising options and advanced analytics, LinkedIn allows businesses to reach a specific and influential audience. The platform offers a range of ad formats, including sponsored content, sponsored InMail, and display ads, enabling brands to showcase their products and services in a professional context.

 

LinkedIn’s targeting capabilities are particularly robust, allowing advertisers to segment audiences based on job title, industry, company size, and more. This level of precision ensures that ads are shown to the most relevant users, increasing the likelihood of engagement and conversions. However, businesses should be aware of potential drawbacks, such as higher advertising costs compared to other social media platforms and the need for a well-defined strategy to achieve the desired results.

 

Here’s a quick breakdown of the factors to consider when it comes to advertising on LinkedIn:

 

Audience:

 

LinkedIn’s audience consists primarily of professionals, decision-makers, and businesses, making it the ideal platform for B2B advertising. The platform’s user base is highly engaged, with users actively seeking industry news, networking opportunities, and professional development. LinkedIn’s audience demographics include a wide range of industries, job titles, and company sizes, providing businesses with the opportunity to connect with a specific and influential audience. This makes LinkedIn particularly effective for brands looking to build relationships with other businesses, generate leads, and drive conversions in a professional context.

Cost:

 

LinkedIn advertising tends to be more expensive compared to other social media platforms, with higher cost-per-click (CPC) and cost-per-impression (CPM) rates. However, the platform’s ability to target a specific and influential audience often results in a higher return on investment (ROI) for B2B businesses. LinkedIn offers flexible budgeting options, allowing advertisers to set daily or lifetime budgets and adjust their spending as needed. Despite the higher costs, LinkedIn’s precision targeting and professional audience make it a valuable platform for businesses looking to achieve specific marketing objectives.

 

Targeting:

 

LinkedIn offers unparalleled targeting capabilities, allowing businesses to reach a specific and influential audience. Advertisers can segment their audience based on a wide range of criteria, including job title, industry, company size, seniority, skills, and more. LinkedIn also provides custom audience features, enabling businesses to target users who have previously interacted with their brand or create lookalike audiences to find new potential customers. This level of precision ensures that ads are shown to the most relevant users, increasing the likelihood of engagement and conversions.

 

Objectives:

 

LinkedIn advertising allows you to optimize your ad delivery for the following objectives:

• Brand awareness: Increase the visibility of your brand by reaching a large professional audience.
• Website visits: Drive traffic to your website or landing page.
• Engagement: Boost engagement with your content, including likes, comments, shares, and follows.
• Video views: Increase the number of views on your video content.
• Lead generation: Collect leads and customer information through LinkedIn’s lead gen forms.
• Website conversions: Drive specific actions on your website, such as form submissions or purchases.
• Job applicants: Attract potential candidates to your job postings and company page.

These objectives help businesses align their ad campaigns with their specific goals and achieve the desired outcomes.

 

Analytics:

 

LinkedIn provides robust analytics tools to measure the performance of your advertising campaigns. The platform offers detailed insights into key metrics such as reach, engagement, impressions, and conversions. LinkedIn’s campaign manager allows advertisers to track the performance of their ads in real-time, conduct A/B testing, and make data-driven decisions to optimize their campaigns. This level of transparency and actionable insights helps businesses understand how their ads are performing and identify areas for improvement, ensuring they get the most out of their advertising budget.

 

Competition:

 

LinkedIn’s niche focus on professional networking means that competition is primarily among B2B brands and businesses looking to connect with professionals and decision-makers. This competition can drive up advertising costs, making it essential for businesses to create high-quality, relevant content that stands out in a professional context. Market saturation in popular industries can also make it challenging to capture users’ attention. However, LinkedIn’s unique audience and advanced targeting capabilities provide opportunities to differentiate your brand and connect with a specific and influential audience. Despite the competitive landscape, LinkedIn’s professional focus and engaged user base make it a valuable platform for businesses looking to achieve specific B2B marketing objectives.

 

Next Steps:

 

1. Select Your Platform: Evaluate the audience demographics, costs, targeting capabilities, and competition on each platform to determine which one aligns best with your business goals and target audience. 
2. Define Your Objectives: Clearly outline your advertising objectives, such as brand awareness, lead generation, or conversions, to ensure your campaigns are aligned with your business goals.
3. Create Engaging Content: Develop high-quality, engaging content tailored to the platform and your target audience. Consider using a mix of ad formats to capture users’ attention and drive engagement.
4. Set a Budget: Determine your advertising budget and allocate it across platforms based on your objectives and expected ROI.
5. Monitor and Optimize: Regularly monitor the performance of your campaigns using the analytics tools provided by each platform. Make data-driven decisions to optimize your ads for better results, and conduct A/B testing to refine your approach.

 

Choosing the best social media platform for advertising depends on your business needs and target audience. Each platform has unique strengths:

• Facebook offers extensive targeting options and a broad, diverse user base, making it versatile and cost-effective for most businesses.
• Instagram, part of Meta, is ideal for visually appealing products targeting younger demographics, though it can be more expensive.
• TikTok excels in reaching Gen Z with creative, short-form videos, but requires higher daily ad spend and more effort in video content creation.
• LinkedIn is perfect for B2B marketing, providing access to a professional audience and advanced targeting, though at a higher cost.

Factors to consider include your audience’s demographics, advertising costs, targeting options, campaign objectives, analytics, and competition. Ultimately, the right platform aligns with where your audience is most active and what your specific business goals are.

 

Additional Resources

 

If this was of interest to you, here are some more articles you might want to check out!

• 5 Great Examples of Social Media Ad Campaigns
• Facebook Ads Average CTR + Industry Averages
• What is the Learning Phase on Facebook: The Ultimate Guide

 

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