Are You Using Paid Ads?
Paid social ads have become one of the most successful tools for marketing your healthcare business. Not only does it yield significant results, but it is also much cheaper than the alternatives. Gone are the days of billboards and posters; digital marketing now consumes 55% of brands’ marketing budgets. Today, paid ads on social media allow brands to target their niche audience based on age, location, interests, gender, and more. As many healthcare brands begin developing a following on these platforms, you must stay one step ahead.
Utilizing social media from a marketing perspective takes a unique approach, especially regarding healthcare. Your brand should be formal and reputable while remaining approachable. So, you may be wondering – how should my healthcare brand use paid ads for social media while staying true to my brand’s values and beliefs? Allow NewGen to lay out the ultimate guide to paid social ads for healthcare brands.
NewGen Marketing is a modern marketing agency specializing in healthcare brands. We understand the healthcare industry’s competitive landscape, so we dedicate our resources to helping our clients maximize their marketing strategy. Continue reading to learn more about using paid ads for social media.
What are Paid Ads for Social Media?
Paid advertisements on social media are a way for brands to target a specific audience on popular social platforms. Organic social media growth can be very difficult to achieve, especially if your brand is looking for large numbers in a short period of time. Luckily, sponsored and boosted posts can help you reach these numbers quicker, with a small price tag attached. Regardless of your budget, paid social ads are accessible to brands of all sizes. Depending on the amount you are looking to spend, Facebook and Instagram can send your posts out to a certain amount of people. The larger to budget, the larger the reach.
If your healthcare brand is interested in getting into paid advertisements on social media, you’ll want to consider a few different platforms. Facebook and Instagram are now (almost) one due to the Metaverse, and you can boost advertisements on both platforms in just a few clicks. These social media platforms have almost identical targeting features, so it is common for brands to use these platforms together. However, with this being said, it is important to recognize that many brands choose to post different content depending on the platform.
For example, while Facebook posts are often more curated and may have text, many Instagram brands have begun using clean-cut images with minimal editing. This is because Instagram revolves heavily around aesthetics, whereas Facebook focuses more on informative content. However, staying true to your brand and vision is of the utmost importance, so this may differ from brand to brand.
Now, let’s talk about the different kinds of paid ads for social media and how they can be used differently.
Types of Paid Ads on Social Media
Paid social media advertisements come in many forms. Sometimes, you may not even realize something is an advertisement if brands do a great job executing it. While we could discuss how Tiktok and Snapchat have become huge in the social advertising space, these platforms are not the most fitting for healthcare brands.
Instead, platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube might be better places to promote your services. However, different kinds of paid advertisements can be used on each platform. You may choose a different method based on the type of content and the message you are trying to convey.
Boosted Posts vs. Ad Placements on Facebook and Instagram
As you scroll through a Meta platform, you may notice you get the occasional post from someone you do not follow, and sometimes you see a sponsored post from someone you do follow. You may be wondering – what is the difference between these posts?
When you boost a post, you are increasing the exposure of said post. It encourages more engagement and can even increase your brand’s follower count. Boosting posts on Facebook and Instagram is one of the best ways to bring up your likes and comments on a post. From here, your job is to ensure your comment section is managed and active. Benefits of boosted posts include:
- Reach new audiences
- Increase like count
- Increase comments
- Build a larger community
- Niche targeting options
On the other hand, meta ad placements are separate from your feed and can be accessed through the ad manager dashboard. These posts can be carousels, reels, and even product links that promote your brand to new audiences. These ads can appear throughout your target audiences’ feeds and through stories on both Facebook and Instagram. Ad placements are often a great option if you want to promote a new service or product. Benefits of ad placements include:
- Specific CTA buttons
- More formatting options
- Story embedded links
Often, brands will benefit from combining boosted posts and ad placements. Depending on what you are more comfortable with, there are always ways to enhance your feed.
Youtube Advertisements
Youtube advertisements are less common for healthcare brands. However, they are a great option for those interested in making promotional videos. These videos can include a small tour of your facility, introductions to different doctors and surgeons, and general information on what your practice offers. Although a promotional video may seem like a lot, this can be used in many ways, including your website and other social media accounts. The benefits of Youtube advertisements include:
- Huge reach
- Specific targeting
- Metrics are trackable
- Cost-effectiveness
How Can NewGen Marketing Help?
At NewGen, we understand the complexities that come with social media advertising. It is, after all, a new way to reach new audiences and is constantly changing. For this reason, we proudly offer our services to healthcare organizations interested in expanding their reach on social platforms.
Whether you need assistance with social media management, call center services, content creation, website development, or general brand assistance, NewGen is here. Contact our team today to learn more about NewGen’s services.