Referring to Social Media Marketing , SMM represents all marketing strategies using social media platforms such as Facebook , LinkedIn , TikTok , Twitter , Instagram , etc., with the aim of promoting a product or brand. An SMM campaign combines organic and paid publications in order to further engage the targeted audience, increase brand awareness and stimulate conversions.
In this chapter, we present to you, in a few lines, the main advertising platforms available via social media , as well as their major characteristics.
Meta Ads: in summary
Being the advertising platform for Facebook and Instagram , Meta Ads is undoubtedly one of the most frequently used. In particular, it offers the advantage of being able to choose from various targeting possibilities, as well as numerous ad formats.
- Targeting : Options to target the display of advertising according to certain criteria based on age, gender, location, interests, behavior, etc.
- Ad Formats : Ad formats available on Meta Ads include images, videos, carousels, collections, and more.
- Placement : Several display possibilities, whether in the news feed, the right column, Instagram (owned by Facebook / Meta), etc.
- Analysis and monitoring : Tools to monitor campaign performance and thus adjust the strategy along the way, if necessary.
LinkedIn Ads: in summary
As its name suggests, LinkedIn Ads is the advertising platform of the professional social network LinkedIn . Often used for B2B (commercial relations and business exchanges), advertisements displayed on this medium must take this reality into account.
In this sense, the main marketing features of LinkedIn Ads include:
- Professional targeting : Ability to target an ad based on criteria such as field of work (type of industry), position held, level of experience, and more.
- Ad formats : Available options include text ads, video ads, dynamic advertising, sponsored InMail, and more.
- Monitoring and measurement : The functionalities of LinkedIn Ads also make it possible to easily measure the effectiveness and performance of your online advertising campaigns carried out via this social network.
TikTok Ads: in summary
This TikTok advertising platform , best known for its short and engaging video content , also offers some interesting options to consider for a complete advertising campaign integrating Social Media Marketing (SMM).
Here then, in turn, are the main characteristics of TikTok Ads :
- Targeting : Various targeting options allowing you to choose to broadcast your advertising according to specific criteria such as age, gender, interests, geographic area, etc.
- Ad formats : Short videos, hashtag challenges, brand ads, Top View format , Spark Ads, and more, depending on the advertiser's goals.
- Placement and audience : Allows you to reach a rather young and dynamic audience. Companies that advertise on TikTok Ads therefore tend to adapt their message accordingly.
A comprehensive approach to an effective social media marketing strategy
In addition to the platforms mentioned above, you should know that other social networks such as Twitter (X) , Pinterest , Snapchat , and others also offer certain opportunities to complement your SMM advertising strategies . We will come back to this later in this Ultimate Guide to Online Advertising .
Let us already remember, however, that regardless of the advertising platforms chosen, the strategy must always remain aligned with the target audience, the brand image, as well as the marketing objectives of the company. It should also be remembered that the creation of relevant and quality content is a crucial element for a successful advertising campaign .
Situation of Social Media Marketing in the strategic funnel
Let's revisit the concept of the strategic marketing funnel here to present more concretely how SMM can be applied to your next advertising campaign on social media.
- TOFU : Raising audience awareness and soliciting interest via informative content, video or even attractive images representative of the message to be conveyed.
- MOFU : Engagement and more specific interest driven by special offers, webinars, guides, or other similar strategies.
- BOFU : Conversion, with direct calls to action integrated into advertisements in order to get the prospect to take a desired action: buy, register, contact, etc. Retargeting techniques can also be used at this stage .
