The Beginner’s Guide to Paid Social: When and How to Invest in Ads
Organic reach on social media is often like trying to shout in a stadium during a Sabrina Carpenter concert. You're yelling, but no one’s hearing you. That’s where paid social swoops in. It gets you noticed by putting you directly in front of the right people.
I know you're thinking:
“It’s too expensive.”
Wrong. Paid social can work with almost any budget. Start small, then work your way up when you start seeing results.
“It’s instant results”
Nope. Paid ads can bring quick visibility, but results take testing and adjusting.
“It’s only for big brands”
Incorrect. Smaller businesses can benefit even more than big ones. They let you target your ideal audience instead of relying only on organic reach. Effectively, leveling the playing field.
But here’s the secret: when done right, paid social helps you reach the right people, boost brand visibility, and turn scrolling strangers into customers.
Signs You’re Ready for Paid Ads
You’re posting consistently but feel like no one is hearing you.
You have clear goals and planned content, but you're wanting to turn it up a notch.
You’ve got some room in the budget.
If this sounds like you, congratulations! You’re ready to dip your toes into the ad pool.
Boosting vs. Campaigns (And Why Campaigns Always Win)
Creating a campaign offers way more control leading to better performance for your specific business goals.
Boosting posts is like throwing confetti: it looks fun, but it’s messy. You can't control ad targeting beyond basic demographics.
But, creating a full-on campaign? That’s where it happens. You can:
Target by age, location, interests, and similar audiences.
Choose where: Stories, Reels, feeds, etc.
Optimize for actual goals. Are you looking for sales, sign-ups, or leads?
Boosting gets you eyeballs, while campaigns get you the results you've been searching for.
Platform Breakdown: Where to Spend Your Dollars
Meta (Facebook + Instagram): Great for local business, online sales, and growing your brand awareness.
TikTok: Perfect for trendy and creative ads.
LinkedIn: Ideal for business to business, service providers, recruiters, and professional brands.
YouTube: Best for long videos and storytelling.
Start with the platform where your audience spends the most time. Don't try and master them all at once.
How to Get Started (Meta Example)
Targeting: Start with your target audience and their interests, then experiment with similar audiences (people who are statistically similar to your majority of customers).
Budgeting: Start small and see what works. Then, go bigger later.
Creative Tips: People scroll fast. Keep visuals bold, captions clear and concise, and always include a call-to-action. Nobody clicks on vague, boring ads.
Common Paid Social Mistakes to Avoid
Forgetting to set up pixel tracking: This is the small piece of code that tells you who is visiting your site and how they interact with your ads.
Running ads without a clear goal: If you aren't sure what you want, how will your audience know?
Making your ads too complicated: They need to be scroll-stopping in a split second.
Next Steps: Your Paid Social Starter Plan
Step 1: Pick one platform where the majority of your audience hangs out
Step 2: Set a goal (awareness, conversions, leads)
Step 3: Start with one simple campaign, track results weekly, and make needed adjustments.
Paid social is powerful when you treat it like strategy, not a gamble. Start small, run tests, and refine until you find the sweet spot.
If you’re sitting there like, “I don’t have the time or patience for this”. Good news: that’s literally what I do. Inquire about Raid Media Management’s paid ads service, and let’s make your money work for you.
