Let’s put it this way: if you’re not using paid social media campaigns, you’re missing out on a massive audience and a highly effective marketing tool.

With more than 2.5 billion active users every month and 1 in every 5 page views in the U.S., Facebook is too big to ignore. But, organic reach has diminished significantly for Facebook business pages. While you’re flinging the most fascinating posts ever into the socio-sphere, Facebook is casually toeing them under the rug. Fact is, each page post is reaching fewer and fewer followers.

We hate to say it, but Facebook, along with many other social media platforms, has become a pay-to-play channel for businesses. This might seem unfair, and we get it. However, as a social media agency, we won’t take on clients without a dedicated paid budget for their social media advertising.

Why? Because not using paid social media ads would put our clients at a huge disadvantage.

The Advantages of a Paid Budget

Paid social media ads let you reach an audience far beyond your current following. Think about all the customers you’d love to get in front of—social ads let you target exactly who you want to reach, from age and gender to behaviors and interests. So, you could use social media to send posts to a broad audience and hope they magically engage the right people, or you could use paid ads to strategically market to the social users you want. Even better, you can create ad copy tailored to each audience’s needs and interests. Bottom line: reach who you want with the right message.

How Much Should You Spend?

How much you budget for Facebook ads depends on what you want to accomplish. For example, a simple local campaign to spread awareness can get away with a smaller spend. It’s kind of like print advertising with the benefit of audience targeting. However, if you’re looking for legitimate ROI, like generating leads, acquiring new customers, or driving revenue, be prepared to boost that advertising budget. In that case, you’ll need to factor in your cost per lead or overall client acquisition cost (for digital and other marketing activities). Fortunately, when Facebook ad campaigns are set up properly, you can easily track the cost per lead or cost per new client.

What Kind of Results Can You Expect?

Let’s face it, there are no guarantees when it comes to any type of marketing. But social media marketing via paid campaigns can be a very powerful strategy, especially since it can generate new business with transparent results. As an agency, we focus on getting a return on investment for our clients. That’s why we help you set up campaigns that align with your company’s overall marketing goals and growth plans. With transparent results and a laser focus on ROI, our clients can expect social media to be a huge source of trackable new business.

Paid Social Ads are a Huge Opportunity

To us, it’s not a question of whether you should use paid social media advertising. We’re wondering why you’re not using it yet. Paid social media ads have been hugely successful for our clients, and the advantages of strategic paid ads far outweigh the costs of broad organic posts.

If you’re tired of wasting time on social media posts that get ignored like the veggie platter at a party, contact us today and let us up your social media game!

Alicia Piazza, Cofounder – The Spark Social, Inc.