{"id":27671,"date":"2021-07-30T22:00:26","date_gmt":"2021-07-30T22:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/?p=27671"},"modified":"2021-08-06T00:06:39","modified_gmt":"2021-08-06T00:06:39","slug":"social-media-advertising-trends","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/blog\/social-media-advertising-trends\/","title":{"rendered":"Boost Your Social Spend: 2021 Social Media Advertising Trends"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s time to get down to the brass tacks of your social strategy. Underneath all of the glitz and glamour of memes and live streams, the truth is that social media is a tool for your business to build brand awareness, drive traffic to your website, and win over new clicks and conversions. Organic just won\u2019t cut it anymore to reach the audiences and results you\u2019re looking for. That\u2019s why it\u2019s crucial that you stay up to speed on all of the latest social media advertising trends.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve done some digging and found the numbers that\u2019ll make the case for these trends. Some of these trends are new, while others are a continuation of past trends with slight updates.<\/p>\n

So let\u2019s jump into it!<\/p>\n

Best Social Channels to Maximize Ad ROI<\/h2>\n

How do you measure which social channel is best for ad buys? I believe the end result is the most important when determining which channel is best suited for your money, so in the end, I have to go with conversion rates as the premier benchmark. If we\u2019re looking solely at conversion rates, according to Priceonomics and Heap<\/a>, Facebook is your best bet for getting the results you want.<\/p>\n

\"Social<\/p>\n

As you can see in this chart, search engines dominate conversion rates, but once you get into the social channels, you find that Facebook tops the list with a 4.7% conversion rate followed by Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, Snapchat, and YouTube.<\/p>\n

\"Social<\/p>\n

However, while Facebook does have the best conversion rate for advertisements, this doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s the best for your business. As you can see above, Statista broke down each social channel in 2020 by its share of B2B\/B2C respondents and while Facebook is still in the lead in terms of overall respondents, the splits tell a much deeper story.<\/p>\n

Best for Business-to-Business (B2B) Ads: LinkedIn<\/h3>\n

Priceonomics didn\u2019t factor LinkedIn into their conversion rate measurements and this is most likely an oversight (and a serious one at that) because LinkedIn is the premier business social platform. According to WebFX, LinkedIn has a conversion rate of 6.1%<\/a> in the United States, which destroys Facebook\u2019s paltry 4.7% in comparison.<\/p>\n

The great thing about LinkedIn is the quality of leads and conversions gained from this channel. This platform is perfect for B2B advertisements because it caters to professionals networks, industry influencers, and company decision-makers.<\/p>\n

That being said, this audience makes LinkedIn terrible for most other types of ad buys. LinkedIn is not a social channel for advertising consumer products as shown by the stark difference in B2B and B2C respondents in the Statista breakdown.<\/p>\n

Best for Business-to-Consumer (B2C) Ads: Facebook<\/h3>\n

While Facebook is still a decent platform for generating conversions in the B2B space thanks to its massive market share, it\u2019ll never reach the level of quality conversions that LinkedIn provides. B2C is where Facebook really shines due to its more casual and social audience. Most users join Facebook because they want to connect with other people based on friendly and familial ties or similar interests. It\u2019s all about consuming and recording your life and the lives of others.<\/p>\n

This makes it a great platform for marketing consumer products and with its in-depth targeting tools, Facebook is a fantastic advertising platform for businesses that truly understand their audience. However, the real question is how long this granular targeting will last. Facebook heavily relies on tracking user data to help advertisers retarget audiences and with the introduction of the privacy rules<\/a> in iOS 14, as well as other recent trends<\/a>, this might change.<\/p>\n

Honorable Mention: Instagram<\/h3>\n

While Facebook outdoes Instagram in overall B2C respondents, that doesn\u2019t mean it isn\u2019t a worthwhile tool to spend your advertising budget on. In some cases, I would argue Instagram is a better bet for certain types of brands<\/a>. Instagram is a social platform built around sharing your life in images, including events, travels, and even everyday life. Lifestyle brands are particularly powerful on Instagram and with the third-highest social platform conversion rate, you can\u2019t afford to ignore these audiences.<\/p>\n

Video Ads [still] Dominate<\/h2>\n

With privacy rules on everyone\u2019s minds because of Apple\u2019s recent application tracking changes as well as an overall movement for better digital protection, the world of online advertising is shifting rapidly in response. Thanks to these shifts, compelling content is more important than ever, and resting on your laurels is not an option (as if it ever was).<\/p>\n

Video has surged in popularity over the past few years, in fact, nearly 60% of marketers say<\/a> that video ads drive more clicks than image ads. Video ads also allow your brand to convey more information than image ads do far more efficiently.<\/p>\n

Now, you might be thinking that video is a difficult medium to break into. After all, some content creators invest tons of time and money into video editing software, expensive cameras, scripting, and even hiring actors. The good news is that platforms like Facebook have simplified some of the processes for you. Features like Facebook Live allow you to post new videos straight from a mobile phone. You don\u2019t need studio quality to resonate with your audience. In fact, simple, authentic content is all the rage<\/a> right now, and using these unscripted video features is the perfect way to show the down-to-Earth side of your brand. Embrace the human elements of marketing.<\/p>\n

\"Volkswagen<\/p>\n

I wouldn\u2019t even know that Volkswagen created a new electric vehicle if it weren\u2019t for video advertising<\/em><\/p>\n

This is one of my favorite social media advertising trends. It forces brands to think of new ways to capture the attention of their audiences with interactive content. If you\u2019re looking to jump into a medium for the first time, here\u2019s a shortlist of best practices to follow.<\/p>\n

Video Ad Best Practices<\/strong><\/h3>\n