The concept of the social media ad is one we are all too familiar with. We see them almost every day. As a consumer, we often don't think much of it, but marketers must wonder how to best utilise this marketing tool.

If that's you, follow on as media update's Alrika Möller explains how social media ads work:

How did the ad show up on your feed?

A sophisticated algorithm looks at everything you — and those you follow — view, like and interact with.

The algorithm then works with the companies placing the ads by showing you ads you might find interesting, as if it were magic.

How did the ad get on to social media?

Just like marketers pay to have ads on the TV or radio, they pay to advertise on social media. But it is important to remember that every platform has different owners and guidelines.

If you wish to have an ad on Facebook or Instagram, you will have to go through Meta Ads, the portal that handles all things advertising for these platforms.

TikTok calls its advertising site TikTok Business.

Twitter also makes use of its own business site, which is appropriately called Twitter Business.

Have you ever used social media ads for your brand or business? Let us know in the comment section below. 

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If you are looking for more business-related social media content, you will enjoy these Five reasons why your brand needs social media.
*Image courtesy of Canva