A Beginner’s Guide to Paid Social.

Maxed out your Paid Search (PPC) budget?

If you're looking to diversify your digital marketing efforts beyond Google channels, paid social media advertising could be the perfect next step.

What is paid social media advertising?

Paid social media advertising (also known as paid social, or paid social media marketing) is a form of paid advertising that involves placing ads across various social media platforms to promote a product, service, or brand.

Unlike organic posts, these social ads appear in users’ feeds with the look and feel of native content but are shown to carefully defined target audiences. With highly customisable ad formats, you can design content that resonates and reaches users across multiple stages of the marketing funnel.

It’s a powerful, scalable approach for improving brand visibility, boosting lead generation, and reaching potential customers beyond your existing audience base.

Why choose paid social media advertising?

There are many benefits of using paid ads on social media. Whether you’re working on brand lift or sales-focused campaign objectives, this channel offers:

• Increased brand awareness – Frequent social media ads build recognition and help keep your brand top of mind.

• Cost-effective – Social ads are often more affordable than traditional advertising, with strong performance for lower budgets.

• Measurable results – Using tools like Google Analytics, you can track ads performance against your goals.

• Targeted reach – Use targeting options based on location, age, interests, behaviour, and more to reach your target users.

• Quick setup – Most ad formats can be built and launched rapidly, making them ideal for paid social campaigns with tight turnaround times.

Paid Social vs. Paid Search

So how does paid social media advertising differ from paid search ads?

Paid search focuses on targeting users who are actively searching for your offering, while paid social puts your brand in front of users even before they know they need you helping you capture attention across all levels of intent.

Top of the Funnel (Awareness):
Expand your brand awareness and reach new audiences with social media advertising that sparks interest.

Middle of the Funnel (Consideration):
Drive target customers to your site with relevant content and compelling visuals that encourage exploration.

Bottom of the Funnel (Conversion):
Use conversion-focused ad formats and lead generation campaigns to turn browsers into buyers.

Whether you’re nurturing potential customers or closing sales, a solid paid social strategy ensures you’re present at every stage.

What types of campaigns are suitable for paid social?

The variety of available ad formats is what makes paid social so versatile. Campaigns can be tailored to align with your marketing strategy and business goals:

• Brand Awareness Campaigns – Build top-of-mind recognition and boost brand visibility using visually rich, targeted ads.

• Traffic Campaigns – Drive highly engaged audiences to your website or landing page with compelling visual ads.

• Lead Generation Campaigns – Capture valuable leads using pre-filled forms and paid social posts on platforms like Facebook or LinkedIn.

• Retargeting Campaigns – Re-engage existing audiences who’ve previously visited your website or interacted with your content.

With the right social media strategy, each campaign type can contribute to long-term growth and measurable ROI.

Which social media platform is best to advertise on?

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Choosing the right social media channels depends on your target audience, industry, and goals. Here's a breakdown:

Meta (Facebook & Instagram):
The most widely used social media platforms for paid campaigns. Offers extensive targeting options, detailed reporting, and dynamic ads.
Best for: Broad reach across demographics aged 25–34.

TikTok:
Great for short-form video ads and highly creative campaigns that resonate with Gen Z.
Best for: Awareness, virality, and younger audiences aged 18–24.

Pinterest:
Perfect for brands in lifestyle, décor, and fashion. It’s a popular social media platform for planning and inspiration.
Best for: Targeting planning-oriented users, especially women aged 25–54.

LinkedIn:
Ideal for B2B marketing. Allows laser-focused audience targeting by job title, industry, and seniority.
Best for: Generating leads from professionals and decision-makers.

When launching a campaign, understanding the social media advertising strengths of each platform is key to success.

Measuring the success of social ads

No matter your campaign type, tracking your ads performance is essential. You can monitor KPIs across multiple platforms using tools like Google Analytics and built-in ad dashboards.

Key metrics include:

• Brand Awareness – Impressions, Reach, and Cost per Mille (CPM)

• Traffic – Clicks and Click Through Rate (CTR)

• Conversions – Website actions and Cost per Acquisition (CPA)

• Lead Generation – Cost per Lead (CPL), form submissions, and total lead volume

Setting benchmarks based on your ad spend and aligning with realistic goals will help you refine your paid social marketing over time.

Next Steps

Paid social media advertising offers a highly flexible, data-driven way to engage with your target audience and move them through the funnel from awareness to purchase.

With well-structured social campaigns, smart targeting, and clearly defined campaign objectives, you can generate real momentum across many social media platforms. Whether you're aiming to increase brand awareness, generate leads, or drive direct conversions, the key is in crafting content that delivers value to your audience.

Need help with your paid social strategy?

A skilled paid social marketing agency could be the answer. At Bluesoup, we specialise in building cross-platform paid social campaigns tailored to your goals from ad development to full-funnel digital ads that get results.

Contact us today to learn how we can help you scale up and stand out with powerful, performance-driven paid social media.