Social Smackdown: What Are the Best Social Media Ads for Manufacturers?
by MGB2B
Social media advertising is a valuable piece of your manufacturing company’s marketing program. It’s right up there more traditional media like in-person events and trade publications. And just like choosing trade shows or magazines to run ads in, social media channels depend on your brand, message, and budget. So, to help you along the way, we’ve evaluated Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn below. Take a look and determine which offer(s) the best social media ads for manufacturers based on campaign goals and budget.
Social Smackdown: The Best Social Media Ads for Manufacturers
First up: the channel that is still largely believed to be a B2C only platform. While Facebook certainly falls on the more social side of social media, it has a whole host of B2B benefits. Facebook is a good place to highlight your company’s personality and culture through photos and videos. Imagine your target audience scrolling through their news feeds – what are they doing? Glancing at photos of friends and family, checking out local events, and reading articles related to their personal interests. So Facebook isn’t the ideal place to promote your highly technical white paper. But it is a great home for photos of your latest employee recognition night, holiday party, or trade show. When it comes to advertising on Facebook, here are a few things to keep in mind:
What Facebook Ads Are Good For:
- Growing your social media audience
- Recruiting talent
- Promoting content (blogs, infographics, videos)
What Facebook Ads Cost:
- Under $0.50 CPC (cost per click)
- Under $0.50 per like
To learn even more about what to expect with Facebook advertising, check out this guide from Buffer.
Next up: Twitter, the micro-blogging channel often favored by manufacturers and B2C companies alike. Twitter has made rapid response a standard in social media customer service. Twitter is ideal for dropping a quick hook and pulling users onto your manufacturing website. Many users follow a combination of personal and professional accounts. Users are generally less put off by promotional messaging than they would be on Facebook. That being said, Twitter has become an advertising ocean where your message can easily get lost. Using attention-grabbing visuals and carefully built audiences can help your ads land in front of the right eyeballs.
What Twitter Ads Are Good For:
- Growing your social media audience
- Promoting content (blogs, articles, infographics)
- Building awareness
- Highlighting event attendance
- Launching new products
What Twitter Ads Cost:
- Around $1 CPC
- Under $2.50 per follower
To learn how to improve your Twitter ads (while they’re running), read this blog.
As the social media network for professionals, LinkedIn fits right into many B2B social media strategies. Since profiles are tied to users’ professional identities, it’s more likely that their information is valid and up to date. Half of B2B buyers refer to LinkedIn when making purchase decisions. Running social media ads for manufacturers makes a lot of sense. Content like white papers, blog posts, and technical articles that didn’t work on Facebook are a great fit for LinkedIn. And, you can target users based on their job titles, functions, and seniority. But before you slap some ads up, here’s what you need to know:
What LinkedIn Ads Are Good For:
- Promoting content (white papers, technical guides, downloadable resources)
- Recruiting talent
- Building awareness
- Lead generation
What LinkedIn Ads Cost:
- CPC ranges between $3-$10
Including social media advertising in your marketing strategy can help your manufacturing company reach new audiences, share valuable content, gain leads and talent, and help support existing customers. Every campaign is different, as are the costs and benefits, but the guidelines above can help you begin to form a plan for your social strategy. Need help taking it to the next level? Drop us a line.
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