Social media advertising is a form of digital marketing that leverages social networks like LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, and Instagram to deliver paid ads to a targeted audience.
Compared to traditional advertising, social media ads can be highly cost-effective😀, often yielding a strong return on investment (ROI) for businesses of all.
Image by Freepik
Social Media Advertising Methods
Modern social media marketing typically involves a mix of social media advertising methods, which can be categorized into paid advertising, content (organic) advertising, and influencer advertising. Each method uses different strategies and platforms to reach potential customers.
1.Paid Advertising
Paid social media advertising encompasses any tactic where you pay the platform to promote your content or ads to specific users. This includes formats like sponsored posts, banner ads, video ads, and carousel ads that appear in users’ feeds.
Paid campaigns are available on almost every major social platform (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, TikTok, etc.) and allow precise targeting by demographics, interests, behaviors, and even lookalike audiences. Unlike organic posts that only reach your followers (and a fraction of their networks), paid advertising guarantees broader visibility and immediate reach beyond your existing audience.
Brands use paid social ads to ensure their messages cut through noise and reach high-value users, with the benefit of real-time analytics to measure results.
The major advantage of paid advertising is scalability – you can ramp campaigns up or down quickly, target exactly who you want, and achieve measurable outcomes like clicks, leads, or sales. The downside is, of course, cost: you’ll need to allocate a budget, and running ineffective ads can waste money.
Paid advertising works best when you have clear goals (e.g., driving traffic or conversions) and a defined target audience, so you can make the most of features like pay-per-click bidding and conversion tracking.
2.Content Advertising (Organic Social Media Marketing)
Content advertising refers to promoting your business through organic content creation on social media – essentially, it’s social media marketing without direct ad spend.
This method involves consistently posting valuable, engaging content (images, videos, articles, stories, etc.) on your brand’s social pages to attract and engage followers. The idea is that great content will advertise your brand on its own by encouraging shares, comments, and organic reach.
Unlike paid ads, content-focused social media marketing rarely involves direct monetary investment, instead relying on the creativity, relevance, and consistency of posts to grow your reach and engagement.
Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, X, TikTok, and YouTube all allow you to build an audience organically by providing content that informs, entertains, or inspires. The key is to align the content with your brand and audience interests – for example, a bakery might post short recipe videos on TikTok, or a B2B software company might share informative articles on LinkedIn. The benefit of content (organic) advertising is that it builds a community and trust over time without paying for each impression.
However, it requires patience and regular effort; growth can be slower since organic reach on many platforms has declined as algorithms favor paid content. Many brands strike a balance by using content marketing to maintain an authentic presence and supplement it occasionally with paid boosts to reach new users.
3.Influencer Advertising
Influencer advertising, or influencer marketing, is the practice of partnering with individuals who have a dedicated online following (the “influencers”) to promote your product or service.
Influencers act as trusted voices; their recommendations can carry significant weight with their audience. This method is especially popular on visually rich and community-oriented platforms like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook.
Influencer Partnership Types
Influencer partnerships can take many forms – from a paid sponsorship where an influencer posts about your product, to gifting free products for them to review, or even long-term ambassadorship campaigns. Influencers come in different tiers by follower count, commonly described as nano, micro, macro, or mega influencers.
Nano-influencers have between 1,000 and 10,000 followers and often maintain very close-knit, engaged communities. They may have smaller reach, but their recommendations feel highly authentic and targeted to niche audiences.
44% of brands preferred working with nano-influencers in 2024 – a rising trend as companies see value in their strong engagement and budget-friendly collaboration styles. Micro-influencers (often 10,000 to ~100,000 followers) also offer relatability and usually cover a specific niche or local area, while macro-influencers (hundreds of thousands of followers) and mega-influencers/celebrities (millions of followers) can deliver massive reach.
Pros&Cons
The choice of influencer type depends on your goals and budget: smaller influencers can drive higher engagement rates and trust, whereas larger influencers offer scale but at higher cost and often with a more general audience.
Influencer advertising leverages the trust and credibility that these personalities have built with their followers. Nearly half of all consumers (49%) report making purchases at least once a month because of an influencer’s post, illustrating how powerful this channel has become.
A big advantage here is precise audience targeting through the influencer’s follower profile – for example, a fitness gear brand might partner with a popular yoga instructor on Instagram to reach health-conscious users. The content created via influencers tends to feel less like an ad and more like a friend’s recommendation, boosting authenticity.
On the flip side, brands must choose influencers carefully (ensuring their values, style, and followers align with the brand) and abide by disclosure rules (influencers should mark posts as sponsored).
When executed well, influencer marketing can rapidly increase brand awareness, drive engagement through interactive campaigns (challenges, giveaways), and ultimately lead to higher conversions by tapping into the influencers’ established trust with their audience.
👀Which Platform Is Best for You?
Not all social platforms are created equal – each has its own user demographics, strengths, and weaknesses. The best platform for your business depends on your target audience, the type of content you produce, and your marketing goals. Below we analyze the major social media platforms (X, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, TikTok) with their pros, cons, and user base stats to help you decide where to focus in 2025:
👤User base: ~3.1 billion monthly active users worldwide (still the largest social network). In the U.S., about 68% of adults use Facebook, though usage is higher among older age groups than Gen Z.
- ✅Pros:
- Enormous reach across varied demographics;
- A go-to platform for community building (Facebook Groups) and maintaining customer relationships.
- Robust advertising tools with detailed targeting, making it effective for both B2C and B2B marketing.
- Facebook is also the top social platform for driving direct purchases – 39% of consumers who buy on social media cite Facebook as their top channel.
- Cons:
- Organic engagement on Facebook has declined over the years due to algorithm changes favoring personal connections and paid content.
- Younger users (teens and early 20s) spend significantly less time on Facebook (on average 22 minutes/day for age 18-24) compared to older users, as many have migrated to trendier platforms.
- Additionally, content saturation means competition for attention is high; brands often need to supplement with paid ads to achieve significant reach.
👤User base: 2 billion+ monthly active users globally. Roughly 47% of U.S. adults use Instagram, with popularity highest among adults under 35.
✅Pros: Instagram is a highly visual platform, ideal for showcasing products, lifestyle imagery, and short videos (Reels). It’s extremely popular with Millennials and Gen Z – about 60% of IG users are under 35 – making it a prime channel for brands targeting younger demographics. Engagement tends to be strong; users interact with content through likes, comments, shares, and shopping features. Instagram excels at product discovery: 61% of users report using Instagram to find new products, the highest of any platform. Features like Instagram Shopping tags, swipe-up links (via Stories), and influencer collaborations make it powerful for driving e-commerce.❌Cons: To stand out, you need high-quality visuals and a consistent brand aesthetic. The platform’s algorithm can be unpredictable – posts from business accounts might not get as much organic reach unless they garner quick engagement. Additionally, Instagram’s focus on polished visuals can be a hurdle for businesses that don’t naturally produce visually appealing content (though features like Stories and Reels have introduced more casual, authentic formats). Overall, Instagram is a top choice if you have a visually-driven brand or product (fashion, food, travel, fitness, etc.) and want to engage a younger, shopping-minded audience.
TikTok
👤User base: around 2 billion monthly active users worldwide (on par with Instagram). In the U.S., one-third of adults (33%) now use TikTok – up sharply from 21% in 2021 – and usage skews heavily toward teens and young adults (but Millennials are catching up).
✅Pros: TikTok boasts some of the highest engagement levels of any social platform. Users spend an average of 47+ minutes per day on TikTok, nearly an hour of scrolling through its addictive short-form videos.The platform’s algorithm is excellent at surfacing content to interested users, giving brands potential for viral reach even with a small follower count. TikTok is a hotspot for creative, playful content – brands can build personality by participating in trending challenges, memes, or using popular sounds. It’s especially effective for product virality.TikTok heavily influences Gen Z's purchase decisions, with 77% of Gen Z TikTok users saying the app helped them discover new products. If a product catches on (think Stanley cup tumblers or various beauty products tagged with #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt), it can drive massive sales spikes.❌Cons: The user base, while growing broader, is still younger on average than Facebook or YouTube, so it may be less effective for targeting older demographics or certain B2B niches.Additionally, direct monetization is less straightforward (there’s no built-in product catalog like Instagram, though you can use link in bio or TikTok Shop in some regions). Lastly, brands need to be mindful of potential regulatory issues and changing policies on TikTok (e.g. data privacy concerns or talk of bans) that could affect long-term strategy.
X (formerly Twitter)
👤User base: Approximately 611 million monthly users globally. Around 20% of U.S. adults use Twitter/X, making it smaller in penetration than the above networks.
✅Pros: X is known for real-time, conversational interaction. It’s an excellent platform for brand voice and dialogue – companies often use X for customer service, quick updates, industry news, and witty engagement with trends.Despite the smaller user base, Twitter users tend to be highly engaged in discussions; notably, 35% of X users interact with brand content on a daily basis, which suggests an opportunity to build a community if you engage consistently.It’s a go-to platform for anything happening in the moment (events, sports, news, trending topics), so brands can benefit from clever “newsjacking” and timely posts. X is also useful for B2B companies and thought leaders to share insights or blog posts, and for driving traffic to external content.❌Cons: The platform’s demographic skews slightly male (about 60% male globally), and content is text-centric (now allowing longer posts and videos, but still text-first), which may not suit every brand. Organic growth on X can be challenging – the feed moves fast, and the half-life of a tweet is short.The conversation can sometimes turn negative or contentious, so brands need a thicker skin and a solid community management plan to handle feedback or viral complaints. Additionally, since the rebranding to X and shifts in leadership, there has been some uncertainty among advertisers.Still, for many industries (tech, journalism, sports, politics, etc.), X remains an influential channel. Use X if your brand benefits from being part of public conversations or if you excel at quick, clever content and customer interaction in real-time.
👤User base: Over 1 billion members globally (the platform counts total registered members; active monthly users are fewer, but engagement has grown in recent years).
In the U.S., roughly one-third of adults have a LinkedIn profile (usage is about 30% overall, concentrated among professionals and higher-education graduates).
✅Pros: LinkedIn is the premier B2B social network and a powerhouse for professional networking. It’s particularly useful for businesses that target other businesses or professionals (e.g. SaaS tools, consulting services, industrial products) and for personal branding of entrepreneurs/executives.LinkedIn’s audience has a high concentration of decision-makers and high earners – about 53% of users are from high-income households – which makes it one of the best platforms to reach professionals with purchasing power. Content that works on LinkedIn includes industry insights, how-to articles, case studies, career-oriented content, and company updates.Organic reach on LinkedIn can be surprisingly strong when content resonates, as the platform often promotes relevant posts across networks (for example, your post might appear in a 2nd-degree connection’s feed if someone engages with it). The tone on LinkedIn is more businesslike, so users are receptive to educational and value-driven content.❌Cons: LinkedIn’s overall user base is smaller and people typically spend less time on it compared to entertainment-focused platforms.The average visit duration is around 11 minutes, which implies users pop in, consume professional content, then leave. So you may have fewer touchpoints to catch their attention.The platform is not ideal for direct consumer product advertising (people aren’t in “shopping mode” here as they might be on Instagram), but it’s great for B2B lead generation, recruiting, and networking. Also, ad costs on LinkedIn can be higher than on Facebook/Instagram.
YouTube
👤User base: Around 2.5 billion monthly logged-in users worldwide. In the U.S., YouTube is used by 83% of adults, making it the most widely used online platform nationally.
✅Pros: For marketers, YouTube is a goldmine for hosting video content: product demos, tutorials, explainer videos, unboxings, customer testimonial videos, webinars, and more. Well-optimized videos can attract viewers via search (e.g., someone searching “best water bottle for hiking” may find your product review video).Engagement on YouTube comes through views, likes, comments, and subscribers. Users are highly engaged, spending an average of nearly 49 minutes per day on the platform, and the content has longevity – a good video can keep gaining views for years. The platform also offers monetization and advertising options (pre-roll ads, display ads, etc.) to boost content reach.❌Cons: The barrier to entry is higher: creating quality video content regularly requires more effort and resources than posting a photo or text update on other networks. There’s also heavy competition in virtually every category (from professional creators and other brands), meaning average content may not gain traction.
How do you choose?
Consider where your target customers are most active and what content format fits your brand. If you have a visually appealing product and a younger audience, platforms like Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube will likely be most effective. If you’re marketing to professionals or other businesses, LinkedIn (and possibly Twitter/X) should be in your mix.
Often, a multi-platform presence is beneficial – but it’s usually better to focus on doing a couple of platforms really well than to stretch yourself thin across all of them.
The demographics above show that each platform has unique strengths: for instance, Facebook’s sheer scale and ad tools, Instagram’s shopping culture, TikTok’s virality with Gen Z, X’s real-time engagement, LinkedIn’s professional network, and YouTube’s long-form video education.
💡Tip: Don’t forget to also consider niche platforms if relevant (Pinterest for DIY, recipes or decor products; Snapchat if targeting Gen Z; etc.), but the six above are the heavy hitters for 2025 social media marketing.
How to Build a Social Media Page for Your Online Business
Creating a strong social media presence for your online business can significantly boost your brand awareness and customer base. Below is a step-by-step approach to building a social media page for your business, with actionable tips at each stage:
1.Choose the right platform (or a couple of platforms)
Start by identifying where your target audience is most active and what platform fits your content style. If you’re unsure, it’s wise to focus on one or two platforms that you can commit to updating regularly, rather than trying to juggle every network. For instance, a fashion boutique might choose Instagram for its visual appeal and TikTok for trendy videos, while a consulting business might begin with LinkedIn for professional networking. Also, consider which platform you personally enjoy or at least feel comfortable using – your enthusiasm will reflect in your content. Remember, each platform has a learning curve, so starting with a manageable number ensures you can maintain consistency.
2.Set up a dedicated business account/page
When you create your social media page, make sure to register it as a Business Account (or its equivalent) on the platform, not a personal profile. Most platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest have special business profiles or pages with extra features (analytics, ad capabilities, contact buttons, etc.). Using a personal profile for commercial purposes is against the rules on many sites and can lead to your account being disabled. By using a business account, you also gain credibility – customers expect to find an official page for your brand. Pro tip: Use a business-related email address to sign up and manage the account, rather than your personal email, to keep things organized
3.Optimize your profile.
Think of your social media profile as your digital storefront. Fill out every section of your profile with clear, concise information about your business.
Use a recognizable profile picture, ideally your company logo or something closely associated with your brand. This helps with brand recognition when people see your posts.
Craft a compelling bio or description: explain what your business offers and include a hint of personality if appropriate. Many platforms allow you to add a link – use this wisely (often it will be the link to your website or a specific landing page).
Ensure your contact information is up to date (email, business phone, address if applicable) so that interested customers can reach you easily. On platforms like Facebook, take advantage of features such as call-to-action buttons (“Shop Now,” “Sign Up,” etc.) and on Instagram consider using the Story Highlights to showcase key content (e.g., highlights for testimonials, product categories, or FAQs).
A fully filled-out and optimized profile not only looks professional but also improves discoverability in searches.
4.Develop a content plan and posting schedule.
Before you start posting haphazardly, outline a basic content strategy. Decide on the types of content that make sense for your business and audience – for example, product photos, behind-the-scenes glimpses, tutorial videos, customer testimonials, industry tips, memes, etc. Aim for a mix that both promotes your offerings and provides value or interest to your followers (remember the social media golden rule: don’t just sell, engage!).
Next, set a posting schedule that you can stick to. Consistency is more important than high frequency; it’s better to post 3 times a week regularly than to post every day for a month then go silent.
Many businesses find success posting around 3-5 times per week on platforms like Instagram and Facebook, whereas Twitter might require multiple posts a day due to its fast pace. Utilize a content calendar to plan upcoming posts around themes, promotions, or seasonal events.
And be sure to incorporate relevant hashtags (especially on Instagram and TikTok) to increase your content’s reach to people searching those topics. As you implement your plan, pay attention to what content resonates most with your audience and be flexible to double down on what works (for example, if your how-to videos get the most engagement, plan to do more of those).
5.Post consistently and engage with your audience.
Once your page is set up and content plan ready, start posting and stick to it. Consistency builds trust – over time, your followers will learn what to expect from you. However, posting is only half of the equation on social media; the other half is engagement. Promptly respond to comments and messages – even a simple “Thank you!” or answering a question can turn a casual follower into a loyal fan.
Show appreciation for positive feedback and address any concerns or complaints with professionalism. Engagement isn’t just reactive; proactively interact with others too. Follow complementary businesses or relevant influencers in your niche, and comment thoughtfully on their posts. This increases your visibility and goodwill in the community.
If someone tags your business or shares a user-generated content (UGC) featuring your product, acknowledge it or repost it (with permission) – this not only flatters the content creator but also provides you with authentic content and social proof.
Building a community around your page means encouraging discussions: you can ask questions in your captions, run polls (Twitter, Instagram Stories, and LinkedIn have poll features), or start challenges/contests to get people involved. The more you engage, the more “social” your social media presence becomes – which often leads to higher reach as platforms algorithmically reward posts with higher interaction.
6.Leverage platform features and promotional tools.
Each social network offers unique features that can enhance your presence – use them to your advantage. For example, on Instagram consider utilizing Stories and Reels in addition to regular posts; they can significantly boost your visibility (Instagram Stories are great for daily, ephemeral content and behind-the-scenes peeks, while Reels can help you reach new audiences with short, catchy videos). Facebook and LinkedIn have Groups – you might join industry-related groups to share expertise (without being spammy) or even start your own group for your brand’s community or customers.
Twitter has trending topics and Twitter Chats which you can participate in. Many platforms now have live video features (Instagram Live, Facebook Live, LinkedIn Live, TikTok Live) – going live for a Q&A or an event can create real-time engagement and excitement. Additionally, don’t shy away from paid promotion to jumpstart your page’s following. All major platforms have options to boost a post or run a simple ad campaign to increase your reach.
Even a modest budget (say, a few dollars a day for a week) targeted wisely can expose your new page to hundreds or thousands of potential followers.
For a new business page, inviting your existing contacts to follow (friends, email subscribers, etc.) or cross-promoting your social page on your website and other marketing materials is also crucial in the early growth stage.
7.Track analytics and adjust your strategy.
Building a social media page isn’t a “set it and forget it” task – you’ll want to continuously improve based on what’s working. Make use of social media analytics tools to monitor your performance. Every platform has built-in analytics for business accounts (e.g., Facebook Insights, Instagram Insights, Twitter Analytics, YouTube Studio, LinkedIn Analytics) that provide data on your follower growth, post reach, impressions, engagement (likes/comments/shares), click-throughs, and more. Regularly review these metrics to identify trends. For instance, you might discover that your video posts get twice as many shares as image posts, or that you gain the most followers on weeks when you post a certain type of content.
Analytics will also show you demographic information about your followers (like age, location) which you can compare against your target – are you attracting the people you intended? Use these insights to refine your content strategy (do more of what gets results, adjust or drop what doesn’t).
If a certain platform isn’t yielding results after a good trial period, you might reallocate effort to another platform that is growing better. The data-driven approach will ensure you’re not just throwing content into the void – you’re learning and adapting. And as your page grows, you can set new goals (e.g., improve engagement rate, drive a certain number of monthly link clicks to your website, etc.) and experiment with advanced strategies like A/B testing posts or utilizing new features the platform releases.
In summary, treat your social media page as a continually evolving asset: nurture it with great content and engagement, and prune or tweak your strategy using the feedback analytics provides.
🔢Social Media Advertising Examples
To illustrate how these methods and platforms come together in practice, let’s look at a few real-world examples of social media advertising success. We’ll consider three scenarios – a trendy consumer product (water bottles), a fitness equipment brand, and a wholesale packaging business – and how each leveraged social media:
Water Bottles (Stanley Quencher Tumblers)
A great example of content + influencer-driven success is the Stanley hydration tumbler, which became a social media sensation. Stanley’s Quencher water bottle went viral on TikTok after a user’s video showed the tumbler surviving a car fire unharmed – demonstrating its durability in dramatic fashion.
The unexpected virality earned millions of views, and Stanley’s savvy social media team leaned into the moment. The brand president even responded warmly to the viral video, which further boosted positive sentiment.
Following this, Stanley collaborated with influencers and released limited-edition colors (often announced on Instagram and TikTok), creating a hype and scarcity cycle that sent demand through the roof. Fans on TikTok would show off their collections and hunt for new color drops, essentially advertising the product through user-generated content.
As a result of this social media buzz, Stanley’s drinkware sales exploded – the company projected $750 million in revenue for 2023, up from just $94 million in 2020.
This example shows how content advertising (a viral user video), when amplified by a brand’s engagement and influencer advertising (getting more creators and even celebrities involved in showing the product), can turn a simple product into a cultural phenomenon on social media.
Fitness Equipment (Peloton)
Peloton, the maker of at-home exercise bikes and fitness streaming, offers a case study in building a brand community through social media. Rather than relying solely on traditional ads, Peloton’s strategy has been very content and community-centric.
They share a ton of organic content: from inspirational posts and user success stories on Instagram, to trainer spotlights and fitness tips on Facebook, to engaging with members on Twitter.
Peloton also leveraged influencer advertising indirectly by turning its own instructors into influencers – many Peloton instructors have large followings and they often act as brand ambassadors on social media, sharing motivational content and interacting with the community.
The result is a passionate online fitness community where members often post about their workout milestones, tagging Peloton.
The company encourages this by responding and celebrating user achievements, effectively creating a cycle where users advertise the product through word-of-mouth on social channels. This community-first approach has led to exceptional customer loyalty – Peloton has kept 92% of its subscribers, in part by using social media to sustain a virtual community of loyal users around its product.
When you see hashtags like #PelotonMoms or #FitFam on Twitter or Instagram, you’re witnessing how Peloton’s social media presence blurs the line between content marketing and customer community.
For a fitness equipment brand, this approach of mixing organic content (workout videos, challenges), fostering user interaction, and highlighting influencers (trainers or super-users) showcases the best practices we discussed: it humanizes the brand and turns customers into advocates, which in turn attracts new customers who see not just an exercise bike, but a social fitness movement.
Wholesale Packaging Bags (Noissue):
You might not think packaging is exciting enough for social media, but Noissue, a company that provides custom sustainable packaging for businesses, proved otherwise.
Noissue successfully engages a niche audience (small business owners, e-commerce brands, designers) on social media by focusing on authentic, educational content rather than hard selling.
On TikTok, Noissue’s official account showcases creative packaging designs, unboxing experiences, and even tips for small businesses to up their packaging game.
They approach TikTok with a fun, DIY aesthetic – showing how a plain package can be transformed with custom tissue, stamps, and stickers. This strategy makes sense because their target customers (indie brands) are active on TikTok seeking ideas.
According to a TikTok for Business case study, Noissue managed to engage the small business community on TikTok by making custom packaging accessible through fun and authentic content. By highlighting the creativity of packaging design and featuring user stories (like reposting a bakery’s unboxing of their noissue packaging), they create content that other entrepreneurs find inspiring and shareable.
On LinkedIn, Noissue’s content strategy is different – they share sustainability insights and business tips, catering to a professional audience concerned with brand image and eco-friendly practices. This multi-platform approach has positioned Noissue as more than a supplier; they’re a partner to small businesses, active in the online communities those businesses frequent.
The key takeaway is that even a B2B or wholesale product can shine on social media if you identify what resonates with your specific audience. In this case, packaging bags became a visual storytelling medium – every beautiful package is a potential post – and Noissue tapped into that via content advertising (tutorials, showcasing customer examples) and a bit of influencer marketing (collaborating with small biz influencers or featuring their work) to grow their brand.
Social Media Analytics
Creating and posting content is only half the battle – the other half is measuring how your social media efforts are performing.
Social media analytics is the practice of collecting and analyzing data from your social accounts to track success and guide your strategy.
It’s often said in marketing that you can’t improve what you don’t measure. This holds very true for social media: if you're not monitoring your metrics, you have no clear idea if you're hitting your goals or how to adjust your tactics. Social media analytics are essential for assessing the success of your marketing efforts and for proving the ROI of your social media campaigns. By diving into analytics, you gain data-driven insights that take the guesswork out of your strategy.
What should you track?
The key metrics can be grouped into several categories, and the ones you focus on will depend on your goals (awareness, engagement, traffic, or conversions, for example). Some of the most common social media metrics include:
Reach and Impressions
Reach is the number of unique users who saw your content, while impressions are the total number of times your content was displayed (including multiple views by the same user). These metrics tell you how wide your content is spreading. A growing reach means you’re connecting with more people, useful for brand awareness objectives.
Follower Growth:
It shows if your page is attracting and retaining an audience. Rather than vanity numbers alone, look at growth rate and any spikes (did a particular campaign or post bring in a lot of new followers?).
Engagement Metrics
These include likes, comments, shares/retweets, saves, reactions – any action that users take to interact with your post. High engagement generally indicates your content resonates with your audience. It’s useful to track the engagement rate (engagements divided by impressions or followers) to get a normalized view of performance.
For example, 100 likes on a page with 1,000 followers (10% engagement) is stronger than 100 likes on a page with 10,000 followers (1% engagement). Engagement metrics help you identify what content your audience finds most interesting or valuable, so you can do more of what works.
Click-Throughs and Website Traffic
If you’re sharing links (to your website, product pages, blog, etc.), you’ll want to measure clicks and how much traffic social media is driving to your site. This can often be tracked via built-in analytics (e.g., Twitter click stats) or using UTM parameters and Google Analytics to see how many visitors come from each social platform. Click-through rate (CTR) on your social posts or ads is a key metric if your goal is to funnel people to a landing page or online store.
Conversions and ROI
For businesses using social media advertising, tracking conversions (such as sign-ups, purchases, or other desired actions that originated from social media) is critical. Most platforms that offer ads also provide conversion tracking tools (like the Facebook Pixel or LinkedIn Insight Tag) that attribute actions on your website to people who saw or clicked your social ads. By looking at conversions and calculating the cost per conversion, you can measure the ROI of your social ad spend. Even for organic social, if you have clear conversion goals (like downloading an e-book or filling out a contact form), measuring how social traffic converts on those goals is important to evaluate effectiveness.
Audience Demographics and Sentiment
Analytics isn’t just about the number of likes or views; it also includes understanding who your audience is and what they think of your brand. Demographic data (age, gender, location, etc.) is provided by most social platform analytics. This can confirm if you’re hitting the right audience or reveal new segments interested in your content. Social listening tools and sentiment analysis can gauge how people feel about your brand on social media (positive, negative, neutral mentions). For instance, tracking the sentiment of comments or mentions over time can alert you to a PR issue or show improvements in brand perception after a campaign.
All these metrics together form a dashboard of your social media health. Marketers often depend on a blend of metrics – there is no single “magic number” that tells the whole story. For example, a campaign might increase your impressions greatly (lots of people saw your message) but yield lower engagement (perhaps the content wasn’t compelling enough to click or comment) – this insight would push you to tweak the content for next time. Or you might see that even though your posting frequency doubled, your engagement rate dropped – indicating you might be posting too much or diluting quality.
The good news is that nearly every social platform provides native analytics tools for business accounts, so you can access a wealth of data for free. Additionally, third-party tools (like Sprout Social, Hootsuite, Google Analytics, etc.) can consolidate data across platforms and provide deeper insights or reports. The main areas these tools cover include performance metrics (the ones we discussed), audience demographics, competitor benchmarking (seeing how your stats compare to industry averages or specific competitors), paid ad performance, influencer campaign impact, and even brand sentiment analysis.
🎯Conclusion
The “best” platform or strategy ultimately depends on your product, audience, and resources. A useful way to finalize your strategy is to consider a few concrete scenarios:
If you’re selling physical consumer products (like water bottles or fitness gear): Visual and community-oriented platforms tend to work best.
For example, an outdoor water bottle brand would likely see success on Instagram and TikTok, where users love to share and watch lifestyle content.
We saw how Stanley benefited immensely from TikTok’s viral nature for its tumblers. Similarly, a fitness equipment brand should prioritize Instagram (for inspirational fitness photos/videos and influencer partnerships with fitness enthusiasts) and YouTube (for longer workout demonstrations or how-to-use videos).
Image by Freepik
TikTok is also a strong contender for fitness gear now, given the large fitness community and viral challenges (think of all the workout challenge videos). These platforms allow potential customers to see the product in action and hear authentic endorsements.
Paid advertising can further amplify reach – for instance, running Instagram ads showing a new piece of gym equipment in use, targeted at users who follow fitness pages. Influencer advertising is especially powerful here: a micro-influencer demonstrating your yoga mat or dumbbell set on their Instagram Story can drive many followers to check out your page.
Key point: for physical products, platforms where users can see and share the product experience (IG, TikTok, YouTube) are ideal, and a mix of organic content (to build brand vibe) and influencer campaigns (to build trust) often yields the best results.
If you’re targeting a wholesale or B2B market (e.g., selling packaging bags in bulk to businesses): The strategy shifts towards networks where business decision-makers are active. LinkedIn would likely be the top platform, as it’s purpose-built for professional connections and B2B marketing.
On LinkedIn you could publish posts about how your packaging solutions benefit businesses, share client success stories, and directly network with purchasing managers or business owners. The tone is more formal and information-driven, which suits a wholesale business. Notably, LinkedIn’s user base includes a high percentage of professionals with buying power – exactly the people you want to reach for wholesale packaging.
Facebook can also be useful for B2B in a different way: using Facebook’s targeted ads, you could reach small business owners by interest or job title (for example, showing ads for your packaging to people who have expressed interest in e-commerce, retail, or who list “small business owner” in their profile). Additionally, industry-specific Facebook Groups or forums can be a place to share expertise (say, a group for boutique online store owners might appreciate a post about how packaging can enhance brand image).
While Instagram or TikTok might not be primary channels for a wholesale packaging business, they shouldn’t be dismissed entirely – as the Noissue example showed, if you can find an angle (like showcasing design and creativity), you can engage customers even on visual platforms.
However, the main effort would likely go into organic LinkedIn content (for thought leadership and direct outreach) and targeted paid ads on platforms like LinkedIn or Facebook aimed at businesses. Influencer marketing might take the form of partnering with industry influencers or bloggers (for instance, a sustainability blogger could discuss your eco-friendly packaging).
If you have patience and creativity but limited funds, lean heavily into content advertising: post consistently valuable content and engage your community; results will follow. Paid advertising is the accelerator – if you need faster results and have a marketing budget, running targeted social media ads can quickly drive traffic or sales, and you can scale spend according to what’s working (just keep an eye on analytics to maintain ROI. Many businesses do a bit of both: for example, you might normally rely on organic posts but put some ad money behind a holiday sale or a new product launch to ensure it reaches a bigger audience.
Influencer marketing sits somewhat in between – it can sometimes create quick wins (if a major influencer posts about you, you might get an overnight boost in followers and sales), but it can also be part of a steady strategy (building a network of micro-influencers who mention your brand periodically).
As you craft your ultimate social media marketing plan for 2025, remember that there’s no one-size-fits-all. Experiment with different content formats and platforms, and then double down on what resonates with your audience.
Use your analytics to guide you – they will reveal which platform yields the highest engagement or best conversions for your specific business. And importantly, be adaptable: social media trends evolve quickly (today’s hot platform or format might change by next year).
Whether it’s a viral TikTok driving a water bottle craze, an Instagram influencer boosting a fitness brand, or a LinkedIn article that generates leads for a B2B company – the opportunities are there for those who use best practices and keep a finger on the pulse of social trends.