November 30, 2023
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One of the dirtiest secrets in modern marketing is just how much social media platforms spoof their engagement to sell advertisers more space. For example, if you were to scroll up or down on a video on X, you’re still counted as “viewing it”, which is why so many seemingly non-viral clips have hundreds of thousands of views. That information is then passed on to the marketing professionals, who pay based on outreach and may find themselves having nothing to show for it.
This is just one example. While it’s true that marketing efforts can sometimes make spurious claims or even be misleading, marketing professionals can fall victim to this as well. So, developing methods to avoid wasting marketing money is important. Does that mean you should avoid certain practices like social media advertising entirely? Not necessarily. But you may find some of the following advice a helpful approach towards optimisation:
It’s fine to try running a few small campaigns or ads before committing to a big budget. This way, you can get a feel for what works and what doesn't without spending your entire budget in one day.
For example, you might have samples made of what banners will look like that you take to an event before ordering more. You might test post some SEO content to see if it ranks before you pay for more. This helps you avoid putting all your eggs in one basket.
Most people reading this will have been advertised to their entire life in some form or another. It’s just an element of the society we live in. Odds are, they have been advertisements that frustrated you in kind.
For this reason, marketers could do well to ensure they don’t become oversaturated. If you have a campaign, utilize proper pacing, drip-feed it over time and make sure you use fresh content. Consider a value-add like providing quick tips to them gain something from seeing and paying attention to your ad. It all adds up, and inspires you to implement quality over quantity, something that will be more attentive to your marketing spend.
Once a campaign is over, the work isn’t done. In fact, arguably, the work just begins for the next time, and that means taking the time to review the results and learn from them. Look at the data specifically to figure out what worked, what didn’t, and why. Did certain demographics respond better than others? Were there particular times when engagement spiked? How about the methodology itself? Did you find that call tracking suite help you learn more about your international results than anything else? Maybe you’ve found that this was much better than simply relying on reports from social media companies as we discussed. From there you’ll feel much more able to develop a coherent strategy next time around.
With this advice, you’ll be sure to avoid wasting marketing money, or at least see where the pitfalls lay for next time around.
Some social media platforms can inflate engagement figures. For example, a brief scroll past a video might count as a 'view'. This can give you a false sense of a campaign's success, leading to poor decisions about where to spend your marketing budget.
You should always test your ideas on a small scale first. Run a few small ads or test some content to see how your audience responds. This allows you to gather valuable feedback and make adjustments before you invest a significant amount of money.
Focus on quality over quantity. Instead of showing the same ad repeatedly, you should drip-feed fresh, valuable content over time. Offer helpful tips or insights so your audience gains something from seeing your ad, which builds a better relationship.
Once a campaign is over, you need to analyse its performance. Look at the data to see which demographics responded best, when engagement was highest, and what messaging worked. Use these learnings to make your next campaign even more effective.
Yes, relying solely on the reports from social media platforms can be misleading. Using reliable, independent tracking tools can give you a much clearer and more accurate picture of your campaign's performance and return on investment.
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