In part one, Social Misfits Media’s Managing Director, Natalie Clarke, looked at some of the benefits of paid social. Part two highlights some top tips for making a limited budget stretch further.

As an agency, we are often asked what our recommended paid budget is for social media campaigns. Our answer to that will always be the same: how long is a piece of string? Just kidding, it’s actually — what are your goals?

In order to work out what budget you need, you should first understand what it is you are trying to achieve and work backwards from there. You’ll be pleased to hear that you don’t need to have a huge budget to start increasing your reach or engagement rates. By this, we mean you can put as little as £10 on a post and you should start to see a lift.

We understand that budgets can be limited, and more often than not, you’re expected to deliver a lot with very little. So, we’ve put together our top tips for a successful paid media strategy on a budget.

1. Understand your goals (objectives)

As with any strategy, understanding what you are trying to achieve is the first step. If you are trying to increase video views, make sure you select video views as the paid objective. If you are trying to drive traffic to your website, make sure you select traffic as your objective. Social media can do a lot for your organisation, but when budgets are tight you need to prioritise your goals.

2. Consider your calls-to-action

As with any ask, making your call-to-action clear and concise will drive better results. If you are asking your community to watch a video and share and visit your website — the likelihood of them taking any of these actions seriously decreases. Make one ask per post and make it clear to your audience what you would like them to do.

3. Consider if you have had interaction with your audience before

Most of us wouldn’t walk up to a stranger in the street and ask them for a favour. You should think about your paid media activity in the same way. With paid media, you are reaching a person’s newsfeed because you have paid to be there, not because they have asked you to be there (that is unless you are targeting your followers).

Therefore, this could be the first time you have interacted with this audience. Think about how you would approach them in person — introduce your organisation, tell them a little bit about who you are and why they should pay attention. Make sure your content is eye-catching, engaging and gets your message across quickly.

4. Post with a purpose

If your content isn’t relevant for your audience, paid media will not be able to make it a success. Ensure that every post has a purpose and that your audience can relate to it — think quality over quantity. Make sure that your content follows best practice; that your tone of voice is on brand, your copy is short, and your message is clear.

5. Make sure your assets are fit-for-purpose (social-first)

Make sure the asset you are using in your post is in the correct dimensions for the platform (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn., etc.,) and ad format (Video, Carousel, Instant Experience, etc.,). Our sister company, Lightful, has a great article on image guidelines for social media platforms.

6. Don’t be afraid to test

Test, test, optimise, and test again — trust us when we say this is the way to get more for your money. Don’t be afraid to try new objectives, new formats, new copy, new creative and new audiences. You’ll get to know your audience better and to understand what mobilises them to take action. This will ultimately drive lower cost-per-action, meaning more results and therefore stretch your budgets further.

7. And it’s ok if you mess up

The best way to succeed on paid media is to test, test and test some more. It’s ok if you don’t get it right the first time. The second time you try it, results will be slightly better, and by the fifth time, you’ll be well on your way to being an expert. Remember, it’s not always the numbers that count — it’s the learning that you get along the way.

So, in summary, social paid media is a good thing! It will help you to reach your overall goals and you don’t need bottomless pockets to make it work for you. Don’t be afraid of it; start with small budgets to test the opportunities and continuously learn from the performance.

If you do have any questions, please do drop us an email — we’re always happy to help!