INFLUENCER MARKETING

What Is Paid Media? Challenges, FREE Tools, and BEST Tactics

Reaching your target audience online, when each of your competitors is there competing for attention, is tougher than ever.

Paid media helps you cut through the noise and connect with potential customers.

For example, 65% of consumers click on Google ads when they’re looking to make a purchase.

Besides, every $1 you spend on Google ads can bring you $2 in revenue. A

nd the average ROI for social media ads is 250%.

So, let’s see what paid media is and how you can use it to reach your marketing goals.

We’ll discuss paid media challenges, solutions, and our in-house tactics with real results.

Let’s start.

TL;DR:

• Definition and Importance of Paid Media: Paid media encompasses all forms of digital advertising that require payment, like ads on websites, social media, and search engines. It's essential for reaching target audiences efficiently, boosting brand awareness, improving conversion rates, and supporting overall digital marketing strategies.
• Financial Benefits: Investing in paid media can yield a high ROI, with examples provided showing returns such as $2 for every $1 spent on Google ads and an average ROI of 250% for social media ads.
• Challenges and Solutions: The article addresses common challenges like high competition, ad fatigue, measuring ROI, and ad blocking. Solutions include creating high-quality content, refreshing ads regularly, using analytics for performance tracking, and employing native advertising to avoid ad blockers.
• Types of Paid Media and Pricing Models: Different types of paid media include search ads, social media advertising, display advertising, and more. Pricing models discussed include Cost Per Click (CPC), Cost Per Thousand Impressions (CPM), Cost Per Action (CPA), and Cost Per View (CPV), each suitable for different campaign goals.
• Best Practices for Paid Media Strategy: The article advises defining clear objectives, understanding the target audience, choosing the right channels, creating compelling content, monitoring and adjusting campaigns, allocating budgets wisely, and leveraging customer reviews to enhance strategy effectiveness.
• Tool Recommendations: It suggests using free tools for ad mockup generation, influencer discovery, and engagement rate calculation to optimize paid media campaigns effectively.
• Influencer Marketing: Highlighting the role of influencers in achieving paid media goals by reaching niche markets and improving engagement rates.

What Is Paid Media?

Paid media includes any form of digital advertising where brands pay to promote their content on various platforms.

Here’s the thing:

Most people use the terms ‘paid media’ and ‘PPC ads’ interchangeably.

But they’re not the same thing.

Paid media includes ads on websites, social media ads, and search engine advertising.

Leveraging these advertising platforms simultaneously lets you target your ideal audience more effectively.

And you’ll reach a broader audience than through organic search alone

Basically, you’ll be driving more potential customers to your products or services.

That brings us to the next point:

Why Do You Need Paid Media

Paid media is a crucial component of any comprehensive marketing strategy because it helps you:

• Reach target audience efficiently: Paid media allows you to reach your target market quickly. Each individual platform lets you target specific audience segments and demographics effectively.
• Boost brand awareness: Paid media increases your brand's visibility. For example, awareness campaigns on social media channels help you reach potential customers who may not find you through organic search.
• Improve conversion rates: Paid media can drive high-quality traffic to your site, improving conversion rates. Search advertising and banner ads can attract users who are already interested in your products or services. You can even post retargeting ads of viewed but unpurchased products to bring back undecided prospects.
• Enhance marketing goals: Paid media supports your digital marketing strategy because it contributes to specific marketing goals, like increasing website traffic or generating leads.
• Track and measure performance: With paid media, you can track click-through rates and return on investment. This data helps you optimize your digital advertising efforts for better results.
• Adapt to market changes quickly: Paid media allows you to be agile. You can adjust your advertising campaign in real time based on customer reviews and feedback. That way, you ensure your content remains relevant.
• Complement other marketing efforts: Paid media works well with content marketing and inbound marketing strategies because it amplifies your marketing content. For example, you can reach a broader audience if you create a sponsored ad for a specific content asset. That way, your audience will feel like they’ve gained something of value, not just seen an ad.

For example, inBeat Agency’s campaign for Soylent used influencers from different niches to attract different market segments.

Results: The 10 content creators produced over 50 reusable content assets that led to over 5 million impressions.

Pro tip: If you want to find similarly engaged creators, use our influencer discovery platform.

It’s fast, flexible, and has a free version.

All you need to do is pick the right keywords and filters and then compare your influencers’ stats to shortlist the right ones for your campaign.

You can create ads for your content pieces, too, not just your products.

Here’s Agency Analytics doing it on LinkedIn:

And SEO tool SEMrush created this article about enterprise SEO audits, then used Google Ads to push it higher in search results:

That’s how they’ll get more high-quality leads to their website.

Paid Media Challenges and Solutions

However, paid media isn’t easy.

You need to face its challenges with the right solutions.

High Competition

Challenge: Many – if not all of your competitors – are investing in paid media, so the competition is fierce.

This leaves you with higher costs and difficulty in standing out.

Solution: Focus on creating unique, high-quality content that resonates with your target audience.

Use relevant keywords to improve your ad's visibility and effectiveness.

Plus, leveraging influencer marketing can help you tap into established audiences and enhance your brand's credibility.

For example, inBeat Agency’s campaign for the Greenpark app reduced CPIs by 70%, while increasing installs by 6X.

Ad Fatigue

Challenge: Your audience may become tired of seeing the same ads, which will decrease ad engagement and effectiveness.

Solution: Refresh your ad creatives every two weeks.

Rotate your display ads, update your social media posts, and experiment with different ad formats like video ads and banner ads to keep your content fresh and engaging.

Pro tip: We use these free ad mockup generators to build different ad creatives and then different versions for the same ad.

Measuring ROI

Challenge: Determining the return on investment for paid media campaigns can be complex.

In fact, 90% of marketers are not trained to measure ROI at all. I

t all becomes especially problematic when you’re dealing with multiple channels and have to face attribution problems.

Solution: Use comprehensive analytics tools to track your campaigns.

Monitor key performance indicators such as click-through rates, conversion rates, and customer acquisition costs.

This data will help you adjust your digital strategy and optimize your marketing budget effectively.

Our free toolkit is packed with calculators for paid marketing to help you monitor all your KPIs.

Ad Blocking

Challenge: Many users employ ad blockers, which can reduce the reach of your paid media campaigns.

Solution: Invest in native advertising and sponsored media that blend seamlessly with organic content.

These types of ads are less likely to be blocked and more likely to engage users who typically avoid traditional advertising.

Again, using micro-influencer marketing can help you reach niche audiences without being intrusive.

Pro tip: We recommend our clients use this free engagement rate calculator to make sure the influencers they pick have a solid relationship with their audience.

Reaching the Right Audience

Challenge: Targeting the right audience with your ads can be difficult, leading to wasted spend and low conversion rates.

Solution: Use advanced targeting options available on advertising platforms.

Develop detailed buyer personas and leverage data from customer reviews and social media interactions to refine your audience segments.

Influencers can also help by promoting your content to their followers, who should align with your target market.

However, we use this fake follower checker to make sure the creators we work with don’t buy their followers.

Here’s what the profile check looks like:

Keeping Up with Trends

Challenge: The digital marketing landscape is constantly evolving, so it’s hard to keep up with the latest trends and best practices.

Solution: Stay informed by following industry news, attending webinars, and participating in professional networks.

We also look beyond the US to gain inspiration for our paid ads. Countries like Germany, Mexico, or Finland have plenty of good marketing agencies doing an awesome job.

Paid vs. Owned vs. Earned Media

Understanding the differences between paid, owned, and earned media will help you create a successful digital marketing strategy.

Each type has its unique advantages and roles in your marketing efforts.

Paid Media

Paid media involves paying for advertising space to promote your content.

This includes search ads, social media advertising, and display advertising, just like the examples we saw above.

Benefits:

• Immediate reach: Paid media allows you to reach a large audience quickly.
• Targeted campaigns: You can target specific demographics and audience segments.
• Measurable results: Track click-through rates and return on investment easily.

Owned Media

Owned media refers to the content and platforms that your brand owns and controls.

This includes your website, blog posts, social media accounts, and email marketing campaigns.

Benefits:

• Full control: You have complete control over the content and messaging.
• Cost-effective: No additional cost once the platform is set up.
• Brand consistency: Ensures consistent branding across all platforms.

Earned Media

Earned media is publicity gained through word-of-mouth, customer reviews, and organic mentions.

This includes shares, mentions, and positive reviews on social media and other digital channels.

Benefits:

• Credibility: Earned media is highly trusted by potential customers because it comes from unbiased sources.
• Organic reach: It can reach audiences that paid media might miss.
• Customer loyalty: Positive reviews and mentions can build customer loyalty and trust.

Paid Media vs. Owned Media vs. Earned Media Comparison

Cost:

• Paid media: Requires a financial commitment for ads on websites, search engines, and social platforms.
• Owned media: Initial setup costs but minimal ongoing expenses.
• Earned media: No direct cost but relies on the quality of your product and marketing efforts.

Control:

• Paid media: High control over the message and placement.
• Owned media: Complete control over content and delivery.
• Earned media: Little to no control; relies on customer perception and external sharing.

Credibility:

• Paid media: Perceived as less credible because it's promotional.
• Owned media: Moderately credible; trusted by loyal followers.
• Earned media: Highly credible; seen as genuine and unbiased.

Longevity:

• Paid media: Short-term impact; stops once the budget is exhausted.
• Owned media: Long-term presence; remains as long as you maintain it.
• Earned media: Can have long-term benefits if it leads to ongoing positive mentions.

Lesson learned: Paid media can drive immediate results, owned media ensures consistent brand presence and earned media builds trust and credibility with your audience.

Integrating all three types can help you achieve your primary goal and enhance your marketing efforts across digital channels.

Types of Paid Pricing Models

Understanding different pricing models is key to optimizing your digital advertising budget because you can choose the right one according to your digital marketing goals.

CPC is great for driving traffic, CPM works for brand awareness, CPA is perfect for conversions, and CPV suits video campaigns.

Let’s analyze them below:

Cost Per Click (CPC)

How it works: You pay each time a user clicks on your ad.

This model is common in search engine advertising and social media ads.

Benefits:

• Direct engagement: You only pay when users show interest.
• Budget control: Set daily limits to manage costs effectively.

Cost Per Thousand Impressions (CPM)

How it works: You pay for every thousand times your ad is shown, regardless of clicks.

This model suits awareness campaigns on social media platforms and display advertising.

Benefits:

• Wide reach: Ideal for increasing brand visibility.
• Fixed costs: Easier to predict and manage expenses.

Pro tip: Use this free CPM calculator to get an accurate CPM. The advanced mode helps you compare CPMs across two or more campaigns.

Cost Per Action (CPA)

How it works: You pay when a specific action is completed, like a sale or sign-up.

This model is useful for performance-based marketing campaigns.

Benefits:

• Performance-based: Ensures you only pay for results.
• Higher ROI: Can lead to better return on investment by focusing on conversions.

Cost Per View (CPV)

How it works: You pay for each view of your video ads.

This is common in video content platforms and social media advertising.

Benefits:

• Engaged audience: Pay for users who watch your content.
• Effective for video: Maximizes the impact of your video marketing efforts.

Flat Rate

How it works: You pay a fixed fee for advertising space, often on websites or news feeds.

Benefits:

• Predictable costs: Easier budgeting with a fixed rate.
• Good for high traffic: Best if the platform has high visitor numbers.

Types of Paid Media Channels

Using various paid media channels can help you achieve different marketing goals.

Paid social media boosts engagement, search engine ads capture high-intent users, banner ads increase visibility, native ads enhance user experience, and OOH/DOOH ads offer an impactful outdoor presence.

Choose the right mix to effectively reach your potential customers and drive results.

Paid Social Media

Paid social media involves promoting your content on social media platforms.

You can use social media ads to reach your target audience based on demographics, interests, and behavior.

Benefits:

• Highly targeted: Reach specific audience segments.
• Versatile formats: Use images, videos, and carousel ads.
• Boost engagement: Increase interactions with your social media posts.

Facebook Ads

Facebook Ads allow you to promote your content on one of the largest social media platforms.

You can use various formats, including image, video, and carousel ads.

• Highly targeted: Use detailed audience segments to reach potential customers.
• Engaging formats: Create visually appealing and interactive ads.
• Wide reach: Tap into a vast user base on social media.

YouTube Video Ads

YouTube video ads are perfect for showcasing your brand through engaging video content.

These ads appear before, during, or after other videos.

• High engagement: Capture viewers' attention with compelling video content.
• Effective storytelling: Use video to tell your brand story.
• Broad audience: Reach millions of users on a popular video platform.

LinkedIn Sponsored Content

LinkedIn sponsored content helps you promote your posts to a professional audience. This is ideal for B2B marketing and reaching industry professionals.

• Professional audience: Target marketing professionals and decision-makers.
• Credibility: Position your content as valuable and informative.
• Enhanced reach: Increase visibility among a relevant, professional audience.

inBeat Agency used B2B influencer marketing to promote the Miroverse.

This is a gallery of templates created by Miro, an awesome digital collaboration platform.

Here’s one of their sponsored posts:

Instagram Sponsored Posts

Instagram sponsored posts promote your content to a broader audience on Instagram.

Use images and videos to engage users.

Also, leverage Instagram Reels Ads and Stories Ads.

• Interactive content: Use polls, emoji sliders, and other interactive features.
• Engagement: Drive interaction through likes, comments, and shares.
• Targeted reach: Use Instagram's targeting options to reach specific demographics.

Search Engine Ads

Search engine ads appear on search engines like Google.

These ads show up when users search for relevant keywords.

Benefits:

• High intent: Capture users actively searching for your products or services.
• Measurable results: Track performance through metrics like conversion rates.
• Flexible budgeting: Control your spending with cost-per-click models.

Programmatic Display Ads

Programmatic display ads use automated technology to buy and place ads on websites and apps.

This ensures your ads appear where they are most likely to be seen by your target market.

Benefits:

• Efficiency: Automates the ad buying process.
• Targeted placement: Reach your ideal audience based on data and algorithms.
• Real-time optimization: Adjust your campaign on the fly for better results.

Banner Ads

Banner ads are display ads that appear on websites.

They can be static images, animated, or interactive formats.

Benefits:

• Wide reach: Appear on various websites, increasing visibility.
• Customizable: Tailor designs to fit your brand.
• Awareness campaigns: Effective for increasing brand recognition.

Native Ads

Native ads blend seamlessly with the content around them.

They appear as part of the content feed on websites and social media channels.

Benefits:

• Less intrusive: Users engage with them more naturally.
• High engagement: Often leads to better interaction rates.
• Content integration: Looks and feels like organic content.

OOH and DOOH

Out-of-home (OOH) and digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising include billboards, digital displays, and other outdoor media.

Benefits:

• Broad reach: Targets audiences in high-traffic areas.
• Visual impact: Large formats capture attention.
• Innovative formats: Digital screens offer dynamic and interactive options.

Types of Ad Creatives

Choosing the right type of ad creative depends on your marketing goals and target audience.

Text ads are straightforward and cost-effective, display ads enhance visual appeal, video ads drive engagement, sponsored media builds credibility, and promoted media boosts visibility.

Use a mix of these ad creatives to optimize your digital marketing strategy and reach your target market effectively.

Here’s what you can opt for:

Text Ads

Text ads are simple, text-based advertisements.

They appear in search engine results and on various digital platforms.

Benefits:

• Clear messaging: Communicate your primary goal directly.
• Cost-effective: Typically cheaper than other ad formats.
• Easy to create: Quick to produce and edit.

Display Ads

Display ads use images, graphics, and sometimes animations.

They appear on websites, mobile apps, and social media channels.

Benefits:

• Visual appeal: Captures attention with compelling visuals.
• Brand visibility: Increases awareness on digital channels.
• Versatile formats: Can be static or interactive.

Video Ads

Video ads are engaging and informative.

They can be used on social media platforms, websites, and video-sharing sites.

Benefits:

• High engagement: Keeps viewers interested longer.
• Storytelling: Perfect for conveying your brand message.
• Versatile use: Suitable for awareness campaigns and detailed explanations.

Pro tip: Pick a good video marketing agency if you want your ads to stand out from the competition.

Sponsored Media

Sponsored media includes content that looks like regular posts or articles but is paid for by advertisers.

This can be found on social platforms and news feeds.

Like so:

Benefits:

• Seamless integration: Blends with organic content.
• High credibility: Is more trusted by users as informative content.
• Increased reach: Leverages the audience of the hosting platform.

Promoted Media

Promoted media is similar to sponsored media but is specifically boosted to reach a larger audience.

This includes promoted social media posts and articles.

Benefits:

• Boosted visibility: Ensures more people see your content.
• Targeted reach: Focus on your ideal audience.
• Effective engagement: Drives interaction through likes, shares, and comments.

Paid Media Strategy Best Practices

To kickstart your paid media strategy, we advise you to follow the best practices below.

This game plan is also the one we use at our agency, so it’s tried and tested.

Define Clear Objectives

Start by defining your marketing goals.

Know what you want to achieve with your paid media campaigns, whether it's increasing brand awareness, driving traffic, or boosting sales.

Tips:

• Set measurable goals: Define key performance indicators to track your success.
• Align with business objectives: Ensure your paid media goals support your overall business strategy.

For example, the beauty brand Native came to our agency with a specific goal in mind: to increase awareness for their product releases.

They also understood their audience extremely well: this audience wants diversity and craves posh, stylish content.

That brings us to the next point:

Know Your Target Audience

Understanding your target audience is crucial for effective paid media.

Use data to identify your audience segments and tailor your ads accordingly.

Tips:

• Develop buyer personas: Create detailed profiles of your ideal customers.
• Use audience insights: Leverage data from social media platforms and search engines to refine your targeting.

Choose the Right Channels

Select the digital marketing channels that best reach your target market.

Different platforms offer unique advantages, so choose the ones that align with your objectives.

Tips:

• Diversify your channels: Use a mix of search ads, social media advertising, and display ads.
• Test and optimize: Continuously test different channels and optimize based on performance.

Create Compelling Content

Your ads need to stand out.

Invest in high-quality, valuable content that resonates with your audience and encourages engagement.

Tips:

• Use eye-catching visuals: Design visually appealing ads for display and social media.
• Craft strong messages: Write clear, concise, and persuasive copy.

Monitor and Adjust Campaigns

Monitor your campaigns regularly to see what's working and what isn't.

Use analytics to track performance and make necessary adjustments.

Tips:

• Track metrics: Keep an eye on conversion rates, click-through rates, and return on investment.
• Be flexible: Be prepared to tweak your strategy based on real-time data and customer feedback.

Allocate Budget Wisely

Plan your marketing budget carefully to ensure you're investing in the most effective campaigns.

Balance your spend across different channels to maximize impact.

Tips:

• Set budget priorities: Focus on high-performing channels and campaigns.
• Adjust as needed: Reallocate budget based on campaign performance and goals.

Leverage Customer Reviews

Customer reviews can significantly impact your paid media strategy.

Positive reviews enhance credibility and trust, driving more engagement.

Tips:

• Highlight positive reviews: Use them in your ads to build trust.
• Encourage reviews: Ask satisfied customers to leave feedback on your digital platforms.

Kickstart Your Paid Media Campaign

As you can see, there are different types of paid media, paid media channels, and paid media costs.

And even if you get these right, paid media has a slew of other challenges, like ad fatigue and increased competition.

inBeat can help you tackle all that.

Our paid marketing calculators help you keep track of all the essential KPIs.

Our influencer database is safe and fast.

It will help you find the best influencers to decrease CPAs and boost your ROAS.

Besides, our free ad mockup generators will help you develop different ads fast so you can rotate your creatives and fight ad fatigue.

You can even schedule a free call with our growth agency if you need a solid strategy that will get you similar results to what our clients have.

So, start using all these resources today to enhance your digital marketing efforts and achieve your goals!

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