Social ads have the power to connect your business to a massive user base: more than 310 million people are estimated to use social media in the U.S. alone (as of 2025), and that figure’s expected to increase in the coming years.
However, competition is fierce across social channels, and creating ads that capture user interest isn’t easy. If your social ads aren’t performing as well as you’d like, here are four tips from our Orange County digital marketing experts to help you take them further.
Research Your Demographics Carefully
Each social media platform has a varied user base, though certain demographic groups outsize others.
For instance, research shows that the majority (31.7%) of Instagram’s users are aged 18 – 24, while only 2.9% are 65+ years of age. As a result, businesses targeting the younger group are more likely to get traction than those with customers in the older range.
They would be better advertising on Facebook instead, as 59% of US adults aged 65+ use this platform.
For the best results, make sure you’re creating social media advertising for the platforms that your target audience uses most. In-depth customer research will reveal where your ideal buyers spend most of their time, but stay up-to-date on this to avoid wasting money on users who aren’t around anymore.
Capture User Imaginations with Strong Pictures and Videos
A well-chosen photo, illustration, or video can stop users scrolling for long enough for your ad to make an impression.
To increase your chances of generating interest, make sure that all pictures and videos in your ads feature the following:
- A good resolution (often 1080×1080)
- Proper formatting to fit the space available
- Subtitles (videos only)
- On-brand storytelling that suits your target audience
- Clear messaging
Avoid using stock photos, especially popular ones that users are likely to recognize. Aim for original, relevant, high-quality visuals in every ad instead.
Monitor Social Media Advertising Performance to Identify Your Most Impactful Moments
Some of your social media advertising work will have a stronger effect on users than others, but you won’t know about that unless you track ad performance.
If you’re not taking advantage of analytics on social platforms, start now. Studying data will help you learn more about your most and least successful ads. Over time, you may be able to gradually hone your ads to achieve consistently solid results.
Create Special Offers and Competitions for Social Ads Only
Incorporating special offers into social ads is a quick, simple way to make them more compelling. If you make discount codes or links to free downloads exclusive to your social ads, that will give users more reason to click through.
Running competitions on social media is also a great way to encourage engagement: ask users who want to enter a giveaway to like/favorite, share, and comment on your ads.
Conclusion
All businesses should try social media advertising, whoever you’re targeting and whatever you’re selling. It can take time to get right, and you need to remain vigilant to maximize your ad value in the long run.
At Nett Solutions, our Orange County digital marketing experts can create bespoke social media advertising campaigns to help boost your visibility. To find out more, get in touch with our team today!
