16/12/2025
Matt Tomkin
Social Media Ads: Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn - Is It Worth It?

Social media is a critical part of your online footprint, but not every brand is ready to move into paid social media advertising. It’s an entirely different skill set from posting updates to your followers, which is why it’s easy to shy away from it.
However, with organic reach at record lows, more and more businesses are finding out that paid advertising is fast becoming a non-negotiable for success on these platforms. Here’s what you must know about social media ads, and whether it’s even worth it.
The different types of social media ads
Social media ads come in many different forms. Each one has its place, with various purposes and ROIs attached. Across all ad classes, ad spend is increasing, with social media ad spend accounting for 21% of the digital ad market.
The main ads you’ll be working with include:
· Image Ads – These are simple image posts designed for quick brand awareness and product marketing.
· Video Ads – Short-form videos designed for engagement and in-feed scrolling.
· Carousel Ads – Series of images or videos as part of a single ad. These are perfect for telling stories or highlighting multiple products simultaneously.
· Story Ads/Reels – Full-screen vertical media ads. These tend to perform better with younger, more active demographics to grab and hold their attention.
· Collection Ads – Collection ads combine a primary image or video with four small, scrollable product images. It essentially crosses the gap from initial discovery to in-app purchases.

Not every ad type will be appropriate for every situation. Yet the success of social media ads is undisputed, with 29% of Brits buying more through social media today.
How ads differ between social media platforms
Performance on every ad platform is primarily defined by your creative matching the platform’s style. You cannot just create an ad, throw it onto every platform, and then expect it to work. A polished ad that works on Facebook won’t necessarily do well on TikTok.
So, how do the platforms differ?
· Facebook – Facebook is by far the optimal platform for long-form copy, images, and videos. Its versatility is why it works for most demographics, with an advanced ad platform that allows for highly specific targeting. It’s especially effective for retargeting warm leads. Learn more about finding your target audience for Facebook ads.
· Instagram – Exclusively for visuals. Instagram works best for retail, fashion, and lifestyle brands. In terms of fuelling impulse buys and visual product discovery, few platforms can compete with it.
· LinkedIn – Like the platform, ads are typically professional and informative, with text, InMail, and B2B videos dominating. B2B businesses, consultants, recruiters, and SaaS-based companies tend to do best on this platform.
· TikTok – Short-form video that heavily relies on user-driven trends. Ads on here tend to be best when they’re authentic rather than polished. It’s also the best platform for targeting younger demographics.
· Pinterest – Pinterest’s ad style is inspirational, evergreen, and search-driven. Brands that focus on food, crafts, DIY, and home décor tend to do best here. Despite its relatively narrow audience, Pinterest enjoys some of the highest purchase-intent rates.
But what type of ROI can you expect? Truthfully, it depends heavily on the platform and your audience. In a global study, the average ROI today is roughly USD 5.20 per dollar spent on ads.
What to consider when planning to run ads on social media platforms
Running ads on social media platforms without a plan is a recipe for a massive time and money sink. Transitioning from organic to paid content requires answering these core questions:
1. Where is my audience?
2. What is my objective?
3. How much am I willing to spend?
4. What’s my creative?
These questions might sound straightforward, but your answers will define your campaign before you even come up with your first ad.
Most crucial of all is the creative behind the ad and whether the content and style align with what the platform expects. For example, a polished, studio-perfect ad on Facebook won’t align with the expectation of a slightly gritty, slightly imperfect style that’s prominent on TikTok.
Initially, it’s all about testing. That begins with high-performing organic content. Until you can find out what works, you’re effectively throwing content at the ceiling to see what sticks. Although it’s a valid strategy, it’s also an easy way to entirely drain your budget.
Once you actually start running ads, you’ll need to A/B test different content and dig into the analytics to find out what your target audience really wants. Likewise, you then have to compare the cost. After all, there’s no point running a successful ad only to find out that it’s costing you more than you’re making.
How to know where to run your social media ads
The reality is that not every type of business or ad will work on every platform. No matter what you do, a SaaS business is unlikely to do well on Pinterest, and a recipe company isn’t going to do well on LinkedIn.
Not every social media platform is designed for every audience or demographic, and that’s okay. Moreover, you must consider your brand’s values. Sometimes, your values just won’t align with the audience on that platform.
We went through where each platform succeeded the most earlier. The crux of the matter, though, is to begin where your audience already is and use that as a launchpad for testing. Ultimately, the principles are always the same:
· Know your audience and what they expect.
· Match your content to what works on the platform.
· Insert strong calls to action.
· Continually test and optimise.
You’re never going to find a one-size-fits-all approach to advertising on social media. That’s why so many firms decide to skip the headache and outsource to the professionals. At Tao Digital Marketing, we can support and accelerate your social media marketing strategy. If you’d like to learn more about what we can do for you, contact us today.

























