The rise of social media has been phenomenal – what used to be something confined to younger people or niche communities has become ubiquitous, particularly in Singapore. A study has found that nearly nine in ten (87%) Singapore consumers spend more than two hours a day scrolling through social media on their mobile devices. Every day, people surf their favourite social media apps like Facebook and Instagram looking for entertaining or informative content such as news articles, funny videos, food recommendations and memes. 

With the massive reach of social media, you’ll probably want to tap on the potential of getting these users on board with your brand. Advertising on social media channels allows your brand to insert itself into your audience’s daily online activities. Whether you’re a small or big online business brand, social media advertising has become a “must-have”,  especially if you want to stand out from the crowd, and convert potential customers into sales. 

While many businesses want to ramp up their social media advertising efforts, it can also be a daunting task to create the perfect ad to convert customers. In this article, we take you through some of the best social media ad examples that you can take inspiration from. Check out six social media ad examples that you can apply to your next campaign. 

1. Brand Awareness Ads

Brand awareness is an important starting point for any online advertising strategy as customers need to recognize the brand and its offering before they can begin their customer journey. Businesses, thus, need to nurture a level of brand awareness so that their marketing and advertising campaigns begin to develop meaning for their audiences. Once this basic level of recognition is established, it can be further built upon so that customers decide to choose their brand specifically over other competitors, despite other factors like cost. 

Brand awareness ads are usually quick and simple photo or video ads that need to convey two messages, namely: “what is the brand?” and “what it is about?”. These ads should, thus, usually show brand products and should aim to garner interest from customers. Brand awareness ad best practices include showing branding right away, and having a strong thumbnail. For video ads, video runtime should be kept less than 15 seconds and have strong messaging that viewers can understand with the sound off. 

Example: “My Dog Loves This Stuff” by Nom Nom

This ad by pet health company, Nom Nom, successfully raises brand awareness for its dog food product line. It successfully raises recognition for the brand name and icon, “Nom Nom”, while highlighting the key selling proposition that their dog food is enjoyable and healthy for pet dogs. The thumbnail also prominently displays the product’s unique packaging to improve recognition, while managing to also show the quality proteins and vegetables that are included in each package. 

2. Product Launch Ads

Product launches are important moments for any company and serve as an excellent opportunity to ramp up advertising efforts. Customers are often more inclined to find out about products that are new and have additional features that appeal to them. Publishing online advertising campaigns around launches can also build interest for the brand beyond the product, growing momentum for the brand as a whole. 

Product launch ads are usually dominated by an image of the product that is being launched. In some situations, especially for more technical products, the key features and benefits of the product are also highlighted. Additionally, depending on the target audience, the ad should appeal to an emotion or feeling such that they desire to purchase the product. 

Example: “Built Faster to Break Barriers” by Nike

This ad to launch Nike’s Alphafly NEXT% Flyknit shoes showcases the new product with a strong visual identity – the shoes are prominently emphasised in an eye-popping fashion with neon pink and green elements. Additionally, the idea of speed, suitable for a pair of racing shoes, is evoked through smooth motion lines. The ad successfully positioned itself as a “cool” pair of shoes – being both innovative and  specifically relevant to runners that want to improve their run times. 

3. Promotional Ads

Offering promotions through social media ads can be an effective way for e-commerce businesses to convert more customers. Customers today are savvier than ever and with so many options in the market, they are always on the lookout for the best deals out there. Promotions can also be a particularly effective persuasion tool to get those who are on the edge about purchasing to buy the product. This means that businesses are able to maximise their advertising spending and create brand loyalty as customers are given a logical reason to try out the product. 

Promotional ads should emphasise a promotion that would be attractive to the target audience. These ads should also have a call to action button so that potential customers can quickly be enticed and convert. Most commonly, these promotions have percentage off deal (e.g. “20% off” or “50% off”) or flat dollar discounts  (e.g., $5 off or $20 off). Other types of deals include Buy One Get One, bundle deals and gifts with purchase. Regardless of the deal chosen, even a small incentive can make a positive impact on the purchase decision without affecting profit margins drastically. 

Example: “Black Friday Special” by L’Occitane en Provence

This ad effectively promotes a bundle deal with a variety of mini-sized products from L’Occitane en Provence’s various product lines for $16 – tying the deal to the popular Black Friday sale. This promotion is effective as it presents value for money for customers while getting customers to try out a wide variety of their body and face products. If the customers enjoy using these products, they are likely to buy full-sized versions of the products leading to long-term profits. 

Key Takeaways

• Online businesses looking to scale their revenue can use social media ads as an effective tool to convert sales
• Social media ads should build awareness with content that delivers strong brand messaging
• Product launch ads can be utilised to garner interest around a brand and its new releases
• Promotions such as discounts, bundles and gifts can be effective in persuading customers to make a purchase

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