When you run your own business, you need to keep track of many moving parts. Many companies prioritize social media because of the massive reach potential and opportunities to connect with customers on a more personal level. There are downsides to advertising on social media, such as all the changes that brands must rapidly adapt to. Check out the common problems when advertising on social media so you can better prepare your campaign to navigate them.
Privacy Updates and Tracking Losses
Apple recently released an update to all Apple devices that’s designed to provide more control to users over their own privacy. After users download the update to their device, the next time they open a social media app, a message will pop up and prompt them to either allow or disallow tracking for that app.
If a user chooses to disallow tracking, advertisers can no longer follow along on the buy-cycle journey and will largely have to guess what the user is interested in or what audience segment they fit into.
Ad Restrictions and Blocking
Another issue facing social media advertisers is the rapidly developing restrictions on ads that can and cannot be shown to users on different social media apps. When ads are disapproved or flagged by Facebook, for example, they are no longer visible to any users. What happens next? With more flagged ads, Facebook could prevent your company from showing any ads or even restrict Facebook usage altogether for the brand.
Facebook has many common disapprovals, and it’s in your business’s best interest to do all you can to avoid them and follow all rules outlined by each individual app you advertise on.
Ad Fatigue and Resentment
With all the opportunities to reach users on social media, many people experience ad fatigue and even resent companies that serve the same ad repeatedly. The basic rule of thumb is no more than ten impressions from the same company on the same day—but even approaching that mark is shown to deter business.
The lack of tracking makes this even more difficult to prevent. Talk to your customers and learn what the acceptable number of ads is for your industry and unique following.
There are many metrics and factors you can keep track of that will help you navigate the twists and turns of advertising on social media. Keep an eye out for these common problems when advertising on social media, and remember that your customers are your greatest resource. Keep in mind that social media can bring in new business, and it’s essential to know how to grow sustainably.
Thanks for reading! Do you want to create thought leadership articles like the one above? If you struggle to translate your ideas into content that will help build credibility and influence others, sign up to get John’s latest online course “Writing From Your Voice” here.
Chinese 
English