In today’s modern landscape, many consider social media to be the end-all-be-all of marketing and advertising, and for good reason—over 4.8 billion people use social media worldwide, making it a hugely valuable tool for connecting with consumers. Still, the question remains: is social media advertising effective?

Despite its popularity, social media marketing comes with a number of drawbacks. If you’re not careful, you can easily waste valuable time and money trying to gain traction on a platform that may never yield the results you’re hoping for.

So: does social media marketing work? Read on to discover our team’s expert insights.

Is Social Media Advertising Effective?

Nearly every brand and business you know has a social media presence, from your favorite cereal to your veterinarian’s office. It’s become the standard in recent years, a way for consumers to verify the legitimacy of a company, learn more about their offerings, and stay up-to-date on news and changes.

The reason for this is simple—social media has taken over the world. The average American checks their phone 205 times each day, often finding their way onto their go-to social media app in the process. It’s no wonder that companies want to ensure they have a digital presence—the opportunity to reach people is seemingly endless.

But is social media actually an effective place to advertise? According to experts, yes and no.

Social media certainly offers a unique reach—but while the huge number of users provides great opportunity for growth, it also makes it easy for brands to get lost in the noise.

For brands wondering whether or not to go all in on their social media advertising strategy, here are a few things to keep in mind.

Digital Fatigue

It’s true that the world is becoming increasingly digital. But it’s also true that the digital era is burning us all out.

Digital fatigue can be defined as “a form of mental exhaustion that comes as a consequence of extensive exposure to screens.” Post-pandemic, we all have spent more and more time disconnected and on our screens, and it’s taking a toll. With so much communication and connection taking place digitally, people are tired of spending all their time staring at a device glowing with blue light.

This fatigue is leading to consumers being less engaged while on their devices—and craving the opportunity to turn them off entirely.

Social Media Ad Clutter

Ask anyone who spends a large amount of time on social media about their biggest complaint and they’ll probably tell you—the ads are incessant.

Social media has allowed creators and brands a unique platform to monetize and advertise, but for many consumers, this has led to the feeling that their social media feed is one long ad.

As a result, many users scroll past anything resembling an ad without a second glance, or find themselves unable to internalize the ads that they are reading simply because there are too many to keep track of. The majority of ads go forgotten no matter how well crafted they may be due to sheer overload.

Demographic Difficulties

When creating a social media marketing campaign, you can do your best to ensure that your ads land in front of the right people, but at the end of the day, you’re at the mercy of the algorithm—which can be your best friend or your worst enemy.

The lack of control that comes with social media means that even if you do your best to curate an ad for your ideal customer, you have no guarantee that it will land in front of your target audience. It’s easy to waste valuable ad dollars on an advertisement that your best customers might never see.

A Step Away From Socials

Social media isn’t going anywhere, but the reality is that many of its users are.

More and more people are stepping away from social media, whether due to the toxicity and drama of the environment or in an attempt to reclaim their time from bad doomscrolling habits. Others are reworking their relationship with the platforms, choosing to only engage with friends and loved ones or greatly limiting their time online or the number of apps used.

People are tired of the noise—and they’re doing something about it.

Social Media Advertising Alone Isn’t Enough

All avenues have drawbacks, and the difficulties of social media shouldn’t be taken as a sign to abandon the platforms completely. However, the more that we see of user patterns and behaviors, one thing is clear: social media alone shouldn’t be the extent of your business’s advertising efforts.

When developing your marketing funnel, social media should be integrated in order to give your business a strong digital presence and build trust with your audience. But it should also be supplemented with other forms of advertising that give your brand more control and allow you to stand out from the crowd.

Here are a few ideas for ways to utilize social media marketing alongside other advertising methods for best results:

• Promote an upcoming local event with a billboard in a heavily trafficked area near the venue while sharing regular location-tagged social media posts with event specifics and details.
• Advertise an upcoming summer camp or teen’s event with posters in family-friendly spaces like parks and grocery stores while sharing funny promotional videos on your social media pages to get teenage attendees excited.
• Utilize out-of-home (OOH) marketing techniques for your real estate agency to catch prospective homebuyers while they’re out searching while sharing photo carousels of potential homes on your social media pages.

Advertise Offline With Alluvit Media’s Expert OOH Marketing Team

More and more, people want to unplug—and at Alluvit Media, we believe that it’s in these unplugged moments that you’re best able to reach your target audience.

Nearly 80% of consumers who view an outdoor advertisement are driven to action. While the digital age continues to erode attention spans by the day, real-world moments of connection drive retention, making out-of-home advertising uniquely valuable.

Social media is fun and flashy, but traditional media yields results.
Ready to begin crafting the perfect billboard campaign for your business? Contact us today for your free proposal. Our team of advertising experts is here to bring your ideal funnel to life.

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