Understanding the core principles behind social media advertising

Standing out in a noisy marketplace is a key factor in any campaigns success

At Marshall Arts we have been producing content for social media since the early days of Facebook and Myspace. Over the years we have seen things mold and change and adapt to the ever shifting landscape of social media platforms. Although the minor details change on a daily basis there are certain core principles that have always been and will always be true for any advertising campaign and so in this short article we're going to list of those basic principles behind social media advertising.

Social media advertising is a powerful tool for businesses looking to reach their target audience and increase brand awareness. Here are some core principles of social media advertising explained for business owners:

1. Identify your target audience: The first step in any social media advertising campaign is to identify your target audience. Knowing who your customers are, their interests, and demographics will help you create effective ads that resonate with them.

2. Choose the right platform: Not all social media platforms are created equal. Depending on your target audience and the type of products or services you offer, certain platforms may be more effective than others. For example, if you're targeting younger audiences, TikTok and Instagram may be more effective, while LinkedIn may be better for B2B businesses.

3. Set clear goals: Before launching a social media advertising campaign, it's important to set clear goals. Do you want to increase website traffic, generate leads, or boost sales? Setting specific, measurable goals will help you track the success of your campaign and make adjustments as needed.

4. Create engaging content: The key to a successful social media advertising campaign is creating engaging content that captures the attention of your target audience. Use eye-catching images, compelling headlines, and concise messaging to grab their attention and encourage them to take action.

5. Test and optimize: Social media advertising is not a one-size-fits-all solution. It's important to test different ad formats, targeting options, and messaging to see what works best for your business. Use analytics to track the performance of your ads and make adjustments as needed to optimize their effectiveness.

6. Maintain a consistent brand voice: Your social media advertising should be consistent with your brand voice and messaging across all channels. This helps to reinforce your brand identity and make your ads more memorable to your target audience.

By following these core principles of social media advertising, business owners can create effective and engaging ad campaigns that reach their target audience and drive results.

Digital Marketing Jargon Explained

If you are just starting out with digital marketing or are thinking about it as a career, you may be getting overwhelmed by the amount of Jargon this industry uses. Jargon is a fancy word for fancy words that specific industries use to describe a something that is relevant or specific to their industry. In simple terms, jargon are words that only appear in the context of a the relevant industry.

Here are some examples of digital marketing Jargon:

App - a program that runs on a smartphone

Avatar - an image or NFT that represents a person on the internet

Blog - an article written by an internet user, usually in a conversational/ informal tone

Chatbot - a computer program that simulates conversation with a real person on a website

CTR (click through rate) - the number of times an item is clicked on

Conversion rate - A measure of performance for a digital campaign

Vlog - a video version of a blog

So what do you need to know in order to get your digital marketing journey underway? Well the answer really depends on what you are trying to achieve. For example, if you have a website and you are considering increasing the traffic (number of people visiting the site) through Google Advertising then you will definitely want to have a grasp of the terms (jargon) that Google uses. Google advertising hinges performance using words like: Campaign (a specific advert), CTR (Click through Rate - the number of clicks on your ad), Conversion Rate (the ratio of goals achieved versus clicks that resulted in nothing). Most digital marketing, whether it is SEM (search engine marketing) or SMM (social media marketing) will use these terms. Of course there are also Jargon in both that are relevant to marketing in general like: Demographic (the type of people; age, gender, race, geographic areas etc), Target Audience (the intended group of people/ demographic you wish to reach with your campaign), Remarketing (sending specific new campaigns to people who have seen your brand or ads elsewhere) etc.

There is a lot of information out there and knowing where to begin can be daunting, that is why digital agencies like Marshall Arts exist. We eat, sleep and breathe digital concepts and help our clients achieve their online goals, so they can focus on doing what they do best - running their business!

If you would like to get in touch with Marshall Arts to discuss your next online campaign, or your next idea for an online business then click here to book a call with one of our consultants.

If you would like to further increase your knowledge of Digital Marketing we strongly recommend this incredible (and free) course by Google which delves into all of the major concepts of digital marketing in a friendly and easy to understand way.

Click here to access Google Digital Garage - Digital Marketing Introduction Course

If you would like a Digital Jargon Cheat Sheet so you can just brush up on terms or use it a reference while planning your next campaign, click here to access to download the Google Jargon Busting PDF - it's free, with no obligations.

At Marshall Arts we aim to provide businesses and business owners with access to high quality, low cost digital solutions and information that achieves goals and shows results. If you enjoyed this short blog post, consider subscribing to our newsletter so that you get updated when we share new insights or digital strategy content. You can subscribe to our newsletter in the footer (the section at the bottom of every website).

Why I chose Wix - 3 years later

My name is Michael Marshall and I build Wix Websites. I have built sites for Disney, Coca-Cola, Suzuki and over 100 mentionable brands and I have done all of that in the last three years and all of it has been using Wix.

Most people are shocked at that point. They usually don't believe me when I show them a virtual art gallery that I made, like this one (click the link to visit the gallery shown in the image below)

Absa Art Hot Spot - Virtual Gallery Experience

I have built everything from Video on Demand sites to Ecommerce stores that make thousands per month and I have to say, Wix has performed exceptionally well on all my projects.

So I made the right choice, but I made that choice 3 years ago and I wondered if my reasons for choosing Wix would be different if I were to be just starting out now.

Why I chose Wix three years ago:

1. Hosting. Unlimited bandwidth and video storage space are an amazing offering. Yes, everyone offers unlimited hosting, but it was vital to me that Wix offered these two services.

2. Impeccable website security. Every heard of someone hacking a wix Website... ? Go on, Google it. I'll wait for you in the comments. In the meantime, I'll tell you that when I googled WordPress hacks three years ago, the results were frightening. So unlimited bandwidth and video storage with great security and I was ready to offer my clients something unique.

3. Ability to use code and embed iFrames. These should maybe be two separate points - and I should also talk about API's but I'm just going to boil it all down and say that being able to do some coding was super important as I knew I would need inevitably need some feature that Wix doesn't provide. With the the ability to use external API's, a bit of JavaScript and a lot of iFrames, I know I can do anything.

4. Analytics - I knew Wix offered analytics and that is hugely important tool in my business.

5. Wix was built by designers for designers. At least that is how it feels. Because I have worked in Photoshop, Canva, Mobirise, illustrator, and Final Cut Pro, learning Wix was actually super easy because it feel intuitive for a designer. The templates are also beautiful and the whole platform feels easy to use, quick to navigate and enables me to design what I want.

6. Everything above was included in one simple price that was easy to understand. I am an Apple user all round. I have the Watch, Phone, Air Pods and Macbook. Wix feels like Apple sometimes. Everything works and it is all from one supplier. Yes, I learned all about the Wix App Market and that is a great place, but for me it was really important that everything I needed my website to do was catered for in one price and that price was going to Wix. In contrast, on Wordpress I must pay a million different app providers for each and every app that i want on my site. I must have a Woo commerce account and Yoast SEO account and that all felt cumbersome and annoying. Wix took care of all the essential features I needed.

So, would my list be any different if I had to chose Wix now. My website builder priorities now would be:

1. Can it build responsive sites?

2. Does it have features that allow me to edit and write code?

3. Is it user friendly and can I "design" what I want?

4. Is it a well priced, all in one package?

5. Does it have good analytics?

6. Unlimited Hosting and storage

Honestly, my needs haven't changed much. These are still THE most important things. Wix does them all. Webflow, Wordpress, Squarespace, Google Sites just cant do everything on that list. Wix is still the only platform that delivers all of the above. So for me it is a no brainer, I am choosing Wix for next 3 years at least and I'll update this blog and let you know if anything changes.