While we do advocate for alternatives to this form of promotion, there are certainly times when digital advertising is appropriate — for example, when you haven’t yet built a mailing list or when you need to generate broader public awareness. So today we're sharing a few key things to know about working with a placement agency.
One of the most important considerations with paid ads is that creative specifications vary significantly depending on the campaign type and placement.
For example, if you’re targeting the ‘top right’ placement on Facebook desktop (often used for events), you’ll need a graphic with minimal text, larger font, and a short headline. In contrast, a Story placement gives you more visual space and flexibility.
Placement decisions are guided by the goals of your campaign, which directly influence the format and requirements of creative assets. That’s why it’s valuable to have your placement agency involved at the briefing stage.
What about other placement options, such as news websites like Stuff and Trade Me?
These are known as Publishers. Sometimes they can be selected as destinations within platforms like Google. Other times, you’ll need to work directly with the publisher to book the campaign and meet their specific creative requirements — which might require additional lead time. Check out Stuff’s advertising specs here.
Whatever approach you take, targeting is key to making the most of your advertising spend. That starts with clearly defining your audience and using the advanced targeting capabilities within Meta Business Suite and Google Ads Manager.
Once your campaign is live, one metric worth monitoring closely is the Frequency - how many times people have seen your ad. When an individual sees your ad more than five times per week, diminishing returns often set in — and it may be time to refresh your creative, widen the audience or reduce the ad spend.
Ultimately, deciding how to promote your offering begins with clarifying your audience, goals and objectives. In some cases, there may be more effective promotional strategies than paid social.
That’s where a marketing consultant can add real value — in early campaign strategy and planning.
Until next week, why not have a gander at the ads other people are running here.
📌 This was Issue 26 of The Forward — our regular newsletter for conscious-minded business leaders.
Get insights and ideas like this straight to your inbox by joining our mailing list.
