The world of social media is colorful and versatile. For a long time now, it's not just about chatting with friends or family. Sharing pictures, recording videos or writing short messages are just a few options that are used on social media channels today. While the possibilities seem endless, there is one shared characteristic that connects all platforms – communication. Be it Twitter, Snapchat, TikTok or even Instagram. All platforms invite their users to communicate with each other in one way or another.

It is precisely this visual and communicative focus that makes social networks particularly suitable for reaching potential customers and attracting users' attention through clever and creative placement of advertisements and successful campaigns. Thus, social media marketing has evolved over time from a nice-to-have to an important and essential component of any digital marketing strategy.

As already mentioned, social networks are characterized above all by the high number of active users. Users "like," "follow," and save posts that they like, or give their opinions based on comments. This high frequency of interactions and the willingness of users to disclose information about themselves enable social media platforms to segment users very precisely. This, in turn, makes it possible to address them very precisely via the company's own advertising media.

Facebook Ads are also often referred to as "push" measures. This means that, in contrast to search engine advertising, users can be reached without prior search measures. Thus, advertising on the socials is particularly suitable for arousing interest in products or for drawing attention to oneself.

In marketing, this is often referred to as the classic AIDA model or the so-called "funnel". This is the division into the various clusters - Attention, Interest, Desire and Action. While search engine advertising, such as Google Ads, primarily targets the lower, "action" part of this model, Instagram Ads, for example, can cover the entire customer journey.

From addressing new customers to reactivating existing customers, there are only a few limits to the possibilities in online marketing on social media platforms. Of course, it takes some work, planning, experience and also the right content to run successful campaigns and implement your own social media strategy digitally. Combine these factors with the best practices of the platforms, and there's little standing in the way of a successful campaign.

First of all, as always in online marketing, you should ask yourself what specific goal you want to achieve through social media marketing. Do you want to develop new target groups? Is it about strengthening your social media presence? Does one want to increase one's acquaintance or is it even about classic performance marketing with a sales focus?

Whether it's lead generation or sales via your own online store, every marketing strategy starts by defining the goal and considering which target group you want to reach. Based on this knowledge, platforms can be created, but above all the right advertising placements and creative formats. In simple terms, this means using Instagram Stories, for example, to generate attention, or placing so-called carousel ads in the feed to present products. Here, you also have to make sure that the correct resolution and aspect ratio are maintained - for example, you should use high-edge video material with a maximum length of 15 seconds for Stories, while square creative material is required for feed placements, such as the Carousel Ads.

Because on social media, one rule applies above all – creative ist King!

Once the goal and the audience have been defined, the next step is to check on which platforms you can reach them. Do you primarily want to generate leads in the B2B sector? For example, lead ads on LinkedIn are a good choice. The targeting options here are particularly granular and tailored to the business context. If, however, the goal is to draw the attention of a younger target group to one's own brand, IG stories, reels and possibly TikTok should not be missing from the media mix. Basically, these are different types of short video formats that are currently the focus of social media. If you want to run Instagram ads, you can't get around these video types today.

As soon as the correct ad formats have been selected, it's time for creative creation, which should always be based on the best practices of Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and others, so that the cost-per-click and cost-per-mille are kept as low as possible right from the start, thus saving valuable campaign budget.

Now a second rule for a successful campaign comes into play - testing, testing, testing. Experience and testing are, as mentioned at the beginning, the key to successful campaigns. Do Instagram Stories work better, or should I rather rely on Reels Ads? Is my call-to-action button set correctly, or does my created product image need further adjustments? These are all factors that contribute to a successful campaign in social media marketing.
Now a second rule for a successful campaign comes into play - testing, testing, testing. Experience and testing are, as mentioned at the beginning, the key to successful campaigns. Do Instagram Stories work better, or should I rather rely on Reels Ads? Is my call-to-action button set correctly, or does my created product image need further adjustments? These are all factors that contribute to a successful campaign in social media marketing.

The following three factors have an influence on the output on the social web:

• The bid: 
  How much is the advertiser willing to spend for a desired result?
• The estimated action rate: 
  An estimate of how likely a user is to interact with an ad.
• The quality of ads:  
  The quality of Facebook and Instagram ads is determined by various characteristics. For example, on the feedback from users who view or hide the ad. But also lurid language, or so-called "engagement-baiting", i.e. formulating ads in a way that leads to particularly many clicks but does not seem very serious, have an impact on the quality measurement. For example, classic sweepstakes with the motto "link 3 friends and write a comment..." are not welcome.

The relevance of an advertisement is ultimately determined via the quality and the estimated action rate. Since these points are components of the auction, an ad that is more relevant to certain people can potentially outbid another ad with a higher bid.

We are hurra.com™. A social media agency from Stuttgart. Since 1998, we have successfully accompanied our clients in the implementation of their digital campaigns and have witnessed the rise of all relevant social media channels. From the early days of social media, to its heyday, with which came great challenges alongside new opportunities, we have already successfully implemented a multitude of digital campaigns with clients from a wide range of industries. According to our vision: "We are the guide for building value and growth", our goal is to achieve your business goals together with you. Our social media team works very closely with a wide range of partners and is always in touch with the latest developments through direct contact with the various platforms. In addition, we also work closely with other online marketing channels (e.g. display advertising and video advertising) in order to jointly utilize the current trends for the added value of our customers.

Operative support | Implementation and support of various campaigns

You need more experience or know-how to implement your digital measures on your own? Are you looking for an experienced partner you can trust? Our social media team is available to you both operationally and strategically in matters of social media marketing. With over 20 years of experience, we take care of the planning, setup and constant optimization of your campaigns and together find the right path for your company. Whether branding flights or always-on performance campaigns, Instagram or LinkedIn. We find the right mix and setup for your goals.
 

Social media reporting | Customized reporting for your campaigns

Successful campaigns need constant monitoring! In order to keep a constant eye on the success of the campaigns and to check the effects of the measures, our customers receive reports individually adapted to the campaign. The data is compiled by our team individually for each project and is fed from various sources (including Google Analytics, publisher data or our in-house tracking system OWAPro™), so that we can also check the reliability of the tools with each other and expand them if necessary. This gives you full transparency about the impact of our work and allows you to follow the path of your customers (customer journey).
 

Social media consulting | Individual consulting according to your needs

Our social media team is available to you as a sparring partner for all questions. Whether it's developing setup ideas together, translating campaign ideas into advertising materials, or selecting the right platform. With our social media consulting, we help you derive the right recommendations for action to implement your social media strategy. We will be happy to answer any questions you may have and support you in implementing your campaigns.

1. How much does social media advertising cost me?
2. What are the tasks of a social media agency?
3. What do I need to successfully start social media marketing?

1. How much does social media advertising cost me?

This depends on a variety of factors, such as which social media channels you serve or what you want to achieve with your ads. The basic point to note, however, is that the professional networks like LinkedIn and Xing require a higher budget than the leisure-oriented networks TikTok and Pinterest. Still, the former may ultimately be more efficient for certain products and services because they have less wastage. A general recommendation, however, is to calculate with monthly or campaign-based budgets, as longer-term playout is usually more efficient than individual measures. Feel free to contact us if you need assistance in calculating the budget and selecting the right channel for you. We will be happy to provide you with a non-binding offer.

2. What are the tasks of a social media agency?

Our team of social media experts supports you in every respect. Whether it's creating campaign strategies, implementing them, consulting or ongoing support for your campaigns. We help you achieve your business goals! Through our constant contact with the contact persons of the various platforms, we are always up to date and know about innovations in the field of social media marketing at an early stage. As a sparring partner, we also proactively provide you with recommendations for action or directly take over the campaign handling ourselves in order to lead all measures to the desired success. Simply make an appointment with us. We will find the right package for you during an initial meeting.

3. What do I need to successfully start social media marketing?

First of all, you need a business account or business profile on the corresponding social media platform - e.g. on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Xing. In order to control the campaigns as efficiently as possible, it is recommended to integrate the tracking of the respective platform on the website, e.g. the Facebook Pixel. As an agency, we are of course happy to support you with the technical integration. Depending on the platform, it also makes sense to maintain a business manager account, as this simplifies onboarding. Last but not least, an advertising account on social media is required for the application. This can be created by us in the course of onboarding. Now you only need the advertising media and the right target group selection. We would be happy to accompany you on this path. Simply arrange a free initial consultation and let us convince you of our offer.