Ad Placement

It entails making a choice not just about which social media platform to utilize—like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, Twitter (now X), or Pinterest—but also about where on that platform the advertisement will show up. Choices include the user’s feed, stories, reels, and various other spaces that might as well be considered platforms for the platforms. Just as print ad placement can be a secret to success, so can social media ad placement.

Placing an ad takes into consideration many facets of the would-be viewer. These include the viewer's nature as a user (what they do online), as a demographic (who they are), and as a kind of content consumer (what format they like and where). Even considering these factors might seem a little too much like mind reading. But the best ads are a product of user understanding. They are personalized, without being creepy. And they are not really ads at all; they are a part of life on the platforms we inhabit.

For instance, a visually creative brand looking for rapid-fire exposure might do well to place an ad in Instagram Stories, while virtually any business placing a LinkedIn feed ad is, by default, being quite 'LinkedIn-ish' (as in, prime time for B2B placement and business talk).

Ad placement is a science today. It's not enough to simply know your audience—where they live, work, and play. You also need to know as many details about them as possible, and you need to know them in real time. Who are they, and what are they up to? Are they in a good frame of mind to respond to your message right now? And even then, you still have to place the ad with maximum efficiency and effectiveness to generate returns.

A/B testing different placements to determine which ones yield better results; targeting particular segments of users who exhibit certain browsing habits and preferences; and adapting the format (video, image, carousel, or text) to match the placement environment are essential elements of Advanced Ad Placement strategies.

In a social media context, Ad Placement has a clear and simple target: to get the ad seen and to get it working in as many ways as possible, to drive the kinds of actions that count, whether that’s getting people to visit a website, download an app, or make a purchase—or simply ensuring that the ad has registered, in a memorable way, with the people it’s meant to reach.