Hi there,
Thanks for getting in touch! I'm happy to give you some initial thoughts and guidance on running paid social campaigns without needing organic profiles. It's definitely doable and something we've had a good bit of experience with. So here's what I think.
We'll need to look at your targeting options...
First up, it's all about the targeting. You've got to really nail down who you're trying to reach on these platforms. Forget about relying on an existing follower base or organic reach. This is pure paid play, so your targeting is your lifeline.
Think about the demographics, interests, and behaviours of your ideal customer. For instance, if you're on Pinterest, are you targeting people interested in specific crafts or home decor styles? On Snapchat, are you focusing on certain age groups or location-based interests? The more precise you are, the better your chances of reaching the right audience. I remember one campaign where we initially had assumptions about our best customer, but after analysing the data, we discovered a different demographic that was far more responsive to our ads. This insight only came through testing multiple audiences.
For Nextdoor, think local. What are the specific neighbourhoods you want to target? What are the local events or businesses that your target audience might be interested in? This hyperlocal approach can be really effective on Nextdoor, but you gotta put in the work to research the area, and what works best.
Really drill down into who you're trying to reach, and use every targeting option available to you. With LinkedIn, for example, you can target decision makers in specific industries. Meta has limited B2B targeting, but you can use audience lists, or find specific facebook groups to target people with interests.
I'd say you need compelling creative...
Next up, your creative needs to be spot on. Without an organic profile to back you up, your ads are doing all the talking. This means your visuals and ad copy need to grab attention and clearly communicate your message. I've always said the creative is the most important thing to test, but it's usually the targeting that is the 'make or break' thing.
Use high-quality images or videos that are relevant to your target audience. Make sure your ad copy is concise, compelling, and includes a clear call to action. What do you want people to do when they see your ad? Visit your website? Make a purchase? Sign up for a newsletter? Make it obvious. We achieved 10 million views for a luxury brand launch using lifestyle videos instead of static images, which really helped showcase the brand's identity.
Consider A/B testing different ad creatives to see what resonates best with your audience. Try different images, headlines, and calls to action. Track your results and use that data to refine your creative over time. If you can't test, you can't improve.
For Pinterest, focus on visually appealing images that showcase your products or services. On Snapchat, use short, attention-grabbing videos that are relevant to a younger audience. For Nextdoor, use images and copy that are relevant to the local community. Think of images of the neighbourhood, or specific products that would be really useful in that area.
You probably should optimise for conversions...
The next thing I'd mention is optimising for conversions. You're running paid ads, so you want to make sure you're getting a return on your investment. Track your conversions and optimise your campaigns accordingly. Conversions are the goal. I'd definitely optimise for conversions if conversions are the goal.
Set up conversion tracking on your website or landing page. This will allow you to see which ads are driving the most conversions. It's important to ensure that the website loads quickly on mobile. I've seen quite a few websites that don't load on mobile, and it really hits the conversions. A slow page speed can kill performance.
Use the data you collect to optimise your campaigns. Adjust your targeting, creative, and bidding strategies to improve your conversion rate. Split test your creative within the same campaign. For example, in a campaign for course sales, we generated $115k in revenue in 1.5 months by testing numerous ad creatives to identify the most effective ones.
Consider using conversion optimisation tools like Facebook Pixel or Google Analytics. These tools can help you track your conversions and get insights into your audience's behaviour. They are also extremely helpful for retargeting.
You'll need to analyse, iterate and retarget...
The next thing to consider is that it's an ongoing process. Don't expect to set up your campaigns and see results overnight. Paid social advertising takes time and effort. You need to be constantly analysing your results, making adjustments, and refining your strategy. Also, there will be ups and downs. I remember one client that was getting a great return, and then all of a sudden, performance fell off a cliff. It's important to have plans in place when that happens.
Monitor your key metrics, such as impressions, clicks, conversions, and cost per conversion. Use this data to identify areas where you can improve your campaigns. Analyse where people drop off. Low CTR and high CPC means that you need to work on your product images or ad copy. Product pages viewed but no adds to cart likely means there's problems with the product descriptions or pricing.
Be prepared to experiment. Try different targeting options, ad creatives, and bidding strategies. Don't be afraid to fail. The key is to learn from your mistakes and keep improving. Also, for retargeting, consider longer periods of time. You can retarget website visitors or engagers over a longer period of time. This means more impressions and costs, but it can be more effective.
This is the main advice I have for you:
| Recommendation | Details |
|---|---|
| Refine Your Targeting | Dive deep into demographics, interests, and behaviours to pinpoint your ideal audience. Use platform-specific options for precision. |
| Craft Compelling Creatives | Employ high-quality visuals and concise, persuasive copy with a clear call to action to capture attention and drive engagement. |
| Optimize for Conversions | Implement conversion tracking to monitor performance and refine campaigns for maximum ROI. Use data to adjust targeting and creative. |
| Continuous Improvement | Regularly monitor key metrics, experiment with new strategies, and adapt based on performance data to continually refine campaigns. |
| Retargeting | Make use of longer time periods for retargeting, this means that there will be more impressions and costs. The effectiveness will improve though. |
I hope this has been helpful in getting you started on running paid social ads without managing organic profiles. Remember, it's not easy to succeed, but if you follow these tips, you'll be on the right track.
Paid social media advertising can be a bit of a minefield, and it takes a lot of experience to get it right. If you need some more help, you might want to consider getting an expert to help. We offer a free consultation where we can review your strategy and accounts, and it gives potential clients a good idea of the level of expertise they'll get if they decide to work with us.
Regards,
Team @ Lukas Holschuh
