With billions of people around the world actively using social media every month, advertising across the platforms presents a huge opportunity to reach audiences at any stage of the customer journey. Targeting can be precise and cost-effective, and the barriers to entry are low, with simple-to-use, self-serve ad planning and management tools available.

This best practice guide is for businesses looking to enhance or develop a cohesive social media advertising strategy from the ground up. It provides an overview of the opportunities and challenges involved, with guidance on how to create, optimise and measure campaigns. It covers:

  • Context and challenges: The numbers of active social media users make a compelling case for advertisers. How can brands navigate the challenges such as greater privacy regulations and brand safety risks?
  • Planning and strategy: From setting overarching objectives and KPIs to segmentation, targeting and bidding, what are the strategic elements that brands should work through when designing and executing social media campaigns?
  • Campaigns and creative: Ad creative and copy are the bedrock of any social media campaign, and advertisers now have a larger than ever range of formats and visual styles to choose from across the key platforms. What can brands do to maximise impact and engagement?
  • Optimisation and measurement: Once the core strategic and creative elements of a campaign are in place, how can brands manage and optimise ads to boost performance?
  • Platform strategy: With a wealth of options available, what key considerations can help brands decide which platforms to advertise on, and what are the various ad formats on offer?