4 Reasons You Shouldn't Bother Running Ads On Social Media

It has been over a decade since I entered the world of digital marketing and ran my first ads on Google, Facebook and Instagram. So much has changed since then and when I stop to add up the money (mostly not my own) I have spent on these platforms it is staggering. Though what is even more staggering are the results and impact investing in these platforms has had. We live in an incredible era as communicators. I often have to pinch myself when I think about the real life stories of people who have connected to life changing experiences through these ads, these small yet significant moments of communication. Sounds exciting doesn’t it? Maybe it makes you want to go start running social media ads for your business or organization? Well I am here to explain why that is more often than not a really bad idea.

IT WILL TAKE A Lot of YOUR Time

Remember when I said I had been running ads for over a decade? That is often what I tell people when they ask how I got the skills I have and why I see results. You would probably be better than me at Instagram ads if you started when I did and have specialized it in the way I have. Now time like that is usually something you have little of. I mean you have something to advertise because of the time you have put into the actual business you run. You have an awesome product or cause. Because of that your time is extremely valuable and is best spent doing what you are great at. It’s why I won’t do what you do. I will likely lose money and break everything you built. I would suck at it, because we always suck at things when we first do them.

It Is Changing At A Rapid Rate

In the early years of Social Media Ads they would release a new feature here and there but it was pretty basic and straight forward. There was no Pixel and Conversion tracking, there were no Lead Form ads or Lookalike Audiences. It honestly wasn’t that great. Though what makes it great today is the incredible amount of tools at your fingertips that let you create and distribute your content in the most relevant way to the most relevant people possible. Facebook, now known as Meta, continues to push to stay on the cutting edge with this including their ownership of Instagram which is part of Facebook Ads. The fact that you can easily place your ads on Instagram is huge. What’s next? Well you will need someone who is constantly on it and on their toes. There is no set and forget it in digital marketing.

It Will Cost You More Money In The End

The big social media platforms love to take your money. Just like they love to take your time. It is part of why they make it so easy to just click that Boost Post button that will get you a few more likes. I have lost count of how many Ad Accounts I have been asked to take a quick look at where I saw thousands of wasted dollars that had flown out the door with no return. All because they didn’t understand how some of the basic settings worked. Because they tried to do paid ads on their own. On the flip side a skilled Social Media Ads Manager will not only be able to help you avoid mistakes but they will also know how to regularly optimize your ads to bring down your return on investment.

You Will Spend Days Trying To Fix Things That Break

Mistakes in any business are costly, but knowing how to fix them and learning from them is vital. I know I have often tried doing something myself only to spend endless hours fixing a mistake. In the end I often actually make it worse. Once again those are valuable hours I could have spent doing the things I am actually good at. Hours you can spend on your business. Installing the tracking pixel wrong or having it break can totally throw an entire campaign. Also knowing it is broken before it’s too late can save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars. So do yourself a favor and let your ads manager fix it.

My hope with this blog, regardless of whether you try to do it yourself, is to give you a better picture of what being successful with Social Media Ads looks like. Whether it is advertising on Instagram or Tik Tok I want you to succeed and know what a great tool these platforms can be to help your message get out there. Feel free to message me below with any questions. Also if you are looking for someone to manage your ads or even audit your current account let me know