What Are the Benefits of Advertising on Social Media

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Social media has exploded in popularity over the last decade, with platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok becoming an integral part of daily life for billions of people worldwide.

In the UK alone, over 56 million people—82.8% of the population—were active social media users at the start of 2024.

For marketers, this massive user base represents an incredible opportunity to reach and engage target audiences through advertising on social media.

But what exactly are the benefits of advertising on social media compared to other channels? How can UK brand leverage social platforms to achieve their marketing goals in a cost-effective way?

In this in-depth article, we’ll explore the key advantages of social media advertising. We’ll look at the most popular platforms in the UK market, and provide actionable tips and examples to help you get the most out of your social ad campaigns.

Let’s dive in!

1. Reach a massive, engaged audience

One of the biggest benefits of social media advertising is the sheer size and engagement of the audience you can reach.

Globally, there were 4.8 billion social media users in early 2024—59.9% of the world’s population.

In the UK specifically, 56.2 million people (82.8% of the population) were active on social media in January 2024, spending an average of almost 2 hours per day on social platforms.

This massive reach is a major draw for advertisers.

But it’s not just about the size of the audience—it’s also about how engaged they are.

Social media users are actively scrolling through their feeds, interacting with content, and discovering new brands and products.

In fact, 83% of British Instagram users say they use the platform to discover new products and services.

Over half (53%) will follow brands on Instagram even if they’re not huge fans. And after seeing product information on the platform, a whopping 87% take further action like clicking through to buy or researching the product.

The takeaway? Social media provides an enormous opportunity to get your brand in front of an engaged audience that is primed to discover and purchase new products.

Your investment in social media advertising will give you access to this population numbers and the rate at which they convert will give you positive results for your business.

2. Precisely target your ideal customers

Another huge advantage of advertising on social media is the ability to target your ads with incredible precision.

Unlike more traditional forms of advertising like TV or billboards that cast a wide net, social media platforms allow you to zero in on your exact target audience based on demographics, interests, behaviours, and more.

Want to reach millennial women interested in fashion and beauty?

No problem. Looking to target business decision-makers in a specific industry and geographic area? You can do that too.

With social media advertising, you define the parameters that fit your ideal customer profile.

This precision targeting has several benefits:

Optimised ad spend: By only showing your ads to the most relevant audience segments, you avoid wasting money on irrelevant impressions and clicks.
Higher conversion rates: When you reach the right people with a targeted message that resonates, they’re more likely to take your desired action, whether that’s making a purchase, signing up for your email list, or something else.
Better ROI: The combination of optimised ad spend, and higher conversion rates ultimately leads to a better return on your social media advertising investment.

Let’s look at a real-world example. Luxury Escapes, an online travel agency, used Instagram Reels ads to showcase video clips of their unique travel destinations.

By utilising Instagram’s advanced targeting functionality, they were able to reach people who often travel and those who are fond of luxuries; thereby making it easier for them to book their high-end experiences. What were the results? According to Facebook IQ data, these Reels ads resulted in a 4.9 point lift in ad recall.

Social media marketing is great because you can determine and target specific customers.

You can get better results from your ad spend by ensuring that people who need to see your message do so.

3. Boost brand awareness and engagement

Another important benefit of advertising on social media is building brand awareness and engagement among consumers or potential buyers.

With millions of users visiting social sites daily, it’s simple to introduce your brand name and its message before a relevant audience?

Thus through promotion posts, stories etc. can showcase its personality voice and values aptly aligned with target audiences.

This way you will elicit trust from your audience over time as you continue producing high quality engaging advertising content without changing strategy constantly.

In addition, social media has features which make them highly interactive platforms where you can like comment on or share adverts, thus making such posts even gain additional organic distribution.

Moreover, they can click through your account details so as to know more about the company or even tag a friend who might be interested in what you are selling

All these engagements help boost interaction, enhancing your influence within the market segment.

Like this example given here. For instance, Mango being one such clothing store held a campaign called #MangoGirls where customers would post pictures while wearing clothes bought from there, hence creating solid community around its products with the help of influencers. This exceeded Mango’s anticipated awareness rate.

Today, when you search for the hashtag #MangoGirls on Instagram, there are hundreds of thousands of photos.

The moral of the story is that social media advertising can be a powerful tool in the creation of awareness and engagement about your brand.

You can establish lasting relationships with your audience through promoting quality ads and interacting with them regularly.

4. Generate leads and drive conversions

Of course, brand building is great, but at the end of the day, most advertisers are looking to drive concrete results like leads and sales.

Fortunately, social media advertising excels in this area as well.

Many social platforms offer ad formats specifically designed to generate leads or drive conversions.

For example:

Lead ads on Facebook and LinkedIn allow users to submit their contact information without ever leaving the platform. This reduces friction and can significantly boost lead generation.
Shoppable posts on Instagram let users click to buy products directly from your photos and videos. By making the path to purchase as seamless as possible, you can increase conversion rates.
Collection ads on Facebook showcase multiple products and direct users to Instant Experiences—fast-loading landing pages that drive action.

These are just a few examples, but the point is that social media platforms offer a range of ad formats that are optimised for lead generation and conversions.

Leveraging these formats, coupled with compelling calls to action, can change your social media audience into customers to deliver measurable business value.

Plus, with tools like the Facebook pixel, you can track conversions that happen on your website and optimise your ad targeting and bidding accordingly.

This allows you to focus your ad spend on the audiences and tactics that are delivering the best return on investment.

5. Access valuable audience insights

Another benefit of advertising on social media is the wealth of audience insights you can access. Platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn provide detailed analytics on the demographics, interests, and behaviours of your ad viewers and converters.

You can see breakdowns by age, gender, location, device, and more. You can also get insights into which ad creatives and copy are resonating best with different audience segments.

All of this data is incredibly valuable for refining your ad targeting and optimising your campaigns over time.

Knowing who engages with your ads and converts gives you an opportunity to focus more on what works well while discarding what does not work out so effectively.

But the insights don’t stop there. Many social media platforms also offer tools for social listening—monitoring mentions and sentiment around your brand and industry across social channels.

This can give you valuable feedback on your products, customer service, and overall brand perception.

It can also help you identify trends and opportunities to engage with your audience.

For example, imagine you’re a UK-based food brand, and you notice a spike in social media conversations around a particular ingredient or recipe.

In response, one could always choose this as an opportunity for creating content & even launching targeted ads directed at people who had interacted with related posts online

Being aware of these social listening insights keeps you more present and responsive to your marketing strategies.

6. Enjoy flexibility and agility

Speaking of agility, another advantage of advertising on social media is the flexibility it offers.

Unlike more traditional ad channels where you might be locked into a certain flight schedule or creative asset, social media allows you to adjust your campaigns on the fly based on performance.

Not getting the results you want? You can easily pause underperforming ads, reallocate budget to top performers, and launch new creatives to test.

This flexibility allows you to continually optimise your campaigns for the best possible return on ad spend.

Plus, the real-time nature of social media means you can capitalise on timely opportunities and trends.

Whether it’s jumping on a viral meme or creating content around a current event, social media allows you to be responsive and relevant with your advertising.

This agility is especially valuable in today’s fast-moving digital landscape.

With the ability to quickly pivot your social media advertising strategy as needed, you can stay ahead of the curve and drive the best results for your business.

7. Achieve cost-effective results

Finally, one of the most compelling benefits of advertising on social media is its potential for cost-effectiveness.

While costs can vary widely depending on your industry, target audience, and campaign objectives, social media ads are often more affordable than traditional channels like TV or print.

Plus, the precise targeting options available on social platforms allow you to optimise your ad spend for the best possible return.

By showing your ads only to the most relevant audiences, you can avoid wasting money on uninterested viewers and focus your budget on the people most likely to convert.

Many social media platforms also operate on a pay-per-click (PPC) or pay-per-impression (PPM) model, meaning you only pay when someone takes a desired action like clicking on your ad or viewing it.

This can be more cost-effective than paying for ad space upfront, regardless of results.

Of course, the cost-effectiveness of your social media advertising ultimately depends on the strength of your strategy and execution.

But with the right approach, social media offers the potential to achieve a strong return on your ad spend.

Popular Social Media Platforms for UK Advertising

Now that we’ve covered some of the key benefits of social media advertising, let’s take a look at some of the most popular platforms for reaching UK audiences.

Facebook

With 71% of UK adults reachable via Facebook ads, the platform is a top choice for many advertisers.

Facebook offers a wide range of ad formats, from simple image and video ads to more interactive options like carousel ads and Instant Experiences.

Facebook’s detailed targeting options are a major draw for advertisers. You can target based on demographics, interests, behaviours, and more.

You can also create lookalike audiences to reach new people who are similar to your existing customers.

Instagram

Instagram is another popular choice for UK advertisers, particularly those in visual-heavy industries like fashion, beauty, and travel.

83% of British Instagram users say they use the platform to discover new products and services.

Instagram offers a range of ad formats, including photo ads, video ads, carousel ads, and Stories ads.

The platform’s visual nature and high engagement rates make it a great choice for building brand awareness and driving conversions.

Twitter

While not as widely used as Facebook or Instagram, Twitter can still be a valuable platform for UK advertisers, particularly those looking to reach a more news-savvy audience.

Twitter ads can be targeted based on keywords, interests, demographics, and more.

For B2B advertisers, LinkedIn is often the platform of choice. With detailed professional targeting options and a business-minded user base, LinkedIn offers a unique opportunity to reach decision-makers and drive leads.

TikTok

TikTok has exploded in popularity in recent years, particularly among younger users. The platform’s short-form video format and viral nature make it a great choice for brands looking to showcase their personality and build buzz.

While TikTok’s ad offerings are still relatively new compared to more established platforms, the potential for reach and engagement is huge.

TikTok ads can be targeted based on demographics, interests, and user behaviour on the platform.

Tips for UK Effective Advertising on Social Media

Ready to start leveraging the benefits of advertising on social media for your UK-based business? Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

1. Know your audience

Before launching any social media ad campaign, it’s crucial to have a deep understanding of your target audience.

What are their demographics? What are their interests and pain points? Which social platforms do they use most frequently?

Answering these questions will help you choose the right platforms and craft ad content that resonates.

Remember, the detailed targeting options available on social media are only useful if you know who you’re trying to reach.

2. Set clear goals and KPIs

What do you want to achieve with your social media advertising? Are you looking to drive brand awareness, generate leads, or boost sales? Setting clear, measurable goals will help guide your strategy and allow you to track your progress.

Make sure to identify the key performance indicators (KPIs) that will help you gauge success.

This might include metrics like reach, engagement rate, click-through rate, conversion rate, or return on ad spend.

3. Craft compelling ad content

To stand out in a crowded social media landscape, your ad content needs to be scroll-stopping.

Use eye-catching visuals, whether that’s high-quality photos, engaging videos, or interactive formats like carousels.

Your ad copy should be clear, concise, and compelling. Highlight the key benefits of your product or service, and include a strong call to action that encourages users to take the next step.

4. Leverage user-generated content

User-generated content (UGC) can be a powerful tool in your social media advertising arsenal.

Using real customer photos/videos/testimonials in running ads creates trust and authenticity with audiences.

UGC can also help your ads blend more seamlessly into users’ social media feeds, making them feel less like overt promotions and more like organic content.

5. Test and optimise

One of the biggest advantages of social media advertising is the ability to continually test and optimise your campaigns based on performance.

Take advantage of this by running A/B tests on different ad creatives, copy, targeting options, and placements.

Use the insights you gain from these tests to refine your strategy over time. Double down on what’s working, and don’t be afraid to cut what’s not.

By continually iterating and improving, you can maximise the impact of your social media ad spend.

6. Cost Comparison

To put the cost-effectiveness of advertising on social media into perspective, let’s compare it with some traditional advertising methods:

Advertising Method	Average Cost (UK)	Reach
30-second TV ad	£300,000+	National audience
Full-page newspaper ad	£10,000 – £50,000	Circulation of the newspaper
Billboard (2 weeks)	£500 – £2,000	Local area
Social media ad campaign	£500 – £5,000	Targeted audience of 50,000 – 500,000+

As you can see, social media advertising offers a significantly more affordable option with the added benefit of precise targeting and measurable results.

Also read the article, Why Your Online Marketing Strategy Is Not Working.

Conclusion

Advertising on social media offers a range of compelling benefits for UK businesses looking to reach and engage their target audiences.

From the massive reach and precise targeting options to the potential for cost-effective results, social media provides a powerful way to achieve your social media marketing goals.

Of course, success with social media advertising requires a strategic approach.

By deeply understanding your audience, setting clear objectives, crafting compelling content, and continually testing and optimising, you can unlock the full potential of social media ads.

Whether you’re looking to boost brand awareness, drive leads and sales, or simply engage with your customers in a more meaningful way, social media advertising is a channel worth investing in.

With the right strategy and execution, the benefits can be transformative for your business.

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