LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram or TikTok..?

​​So… you want to run a paid campaign? Great! However, deciding on channels can be tricky. You have to consider all the campaign’s goals as well as the target audience and… And… 

Don’t worry, we’re going to make it a bit easier for you.

Checklist to consider:

• Campaign goal
  What do you actually want to achieve? Defining the campaign goal is crucial when choosing the right channels. Different channels have different strengths and weaknesses– and are better suited for achieving certain goals.

• Audience
  Where is your audience? Identifying the target audience ensures that the message is being communicated to the people who are most likely to be interested and receptive to it.

• Communication and content
  You want them to do… what? Message is a factor to pair with your channel, considering the need to be tailored to the specific channel to effectively reach the intended audience and achieve the campaign’s goals.

• Budget (yes, we know…)
  Budget is a bit boring. But important! It determines which channels are affordable and cost-effective for the campaign. Different channels have varying costs associated with them, and it is essential to consider the budget available to ensure that the most cost-effective channels are chosen.

It’s not necessarily true that “the more, the better” applies to channel selection, as it can be ineffective to advertise in channels not used by the target audience, and bigger channels may not always be the best choice. Instead, identify the most relevant channels for the campaign and adapt the communication and content for each one.

Remember to assess which channels best suit your brand and your message, and be open to change. Track your performance and adjust the tactics accordingly.

Now, that’s all theory. How would it look in practice? 

Campaign/client: Bakehuset

What was our goal?: Achieve high reach/Increase brand awareness and reach Bakehuset’s target audience.

Which target audience?: Everyone aged 20-55, but with an extra focus on families with children and young adults, in Norway.

What content was used?: Video ads.

Which channels were chosen? Meta, Snapchat, Youtube, Kobler, TikTok, and SEM. 

Why these specifically?: Historically, we have seen good results from Meta. Meta allows to place our ads on Facebook and Instagram, reaching both older and younger audiences through their preferred channels.
The combination of TikTok and Snapchat contributes to a balanced distribution across genders and age groups. It’s cheaper to reach 18-25 year olds on TikTok, while it is more cost-effective to target the 35+ age group on Snapchat. Snapchat is also very popular among families with children in Norway.
The inclusion of Google Ads is to capture the intent generated by all activities from social media channels. Kobler (contextual advertising) is used to increase relevance and brand awareness, while also pairing message with context which integrates with the content into an association.
We also decided to partner with a third-party on YouTube who helped us handpick relevant YouTube profiles to advertise on. This makes YouTube more honed in, as the ads are only displayed in the context of credible and relevant YouTube profiles.

Results: As the campaign had a good mix of channels, content, and formats, the ensuing results were excellent brand exposure and increased engagement/website traffic. By effectively engaging the target audience across their preferred multiple channels,  and various content that could be placed on different channels where they fit in, the message never wore out and allowed the ads to appeal to different age groups (as intended).