What is paid social?

Paid social is a term for social media advertising – it means paying to show your content or ads to people on social networks. Instead of hoping your regular posts reach enough people organically (for free), you pay to promote posts or run targeted ads so they appear in users’ feeds on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (X), LinkedIn.

Think of paid social as boosting your social media content with a budget to ensure it gets seen by the right audience. For example, if you have an important announcement or product launch, you might pay to show that post to a larger audience beyond your followers. These paid posts are typically labeled “Sponsored” or “Promoted” in people’s feeds. If you’ve ever noticed that tag on an Instagram or Facebook post, that’s paid social in action – a brand paid to get that content in front of you.

Companies use paid social as part of their marketing strategy to achieve specific goals. The main idea is to reach more people (and the right people) than you likely would through unpaid posts alone. Paid social lets you target a specific audience based on things like location, age, interests, or other traits. This means your ads or promoted posts are shown to people who are more likely to be interested in your message or product.

It’s a handy way to build brand awareness, drive traffic to your website, generate leads, or even increase sales. Another big benefit is that you can usually track how well your paid social campaigns are doing through analytics – for instance, you can see how many people saw your ad, clicked on it, or took an action (like making a purchase).

Importantly, paid social works hand-in-hand with organic social (your regular, non-paid content). Social media algorithms often limit how many of your followers see your organic posts. By putting some budget behind key content, you ensure it doesn’t get buried. Many social media managers use a mix of organic posts to engage their core followers and paid social campaigns to reach new people or give important posts a wider boost.

Why paid social matters

  • Broader reach: Paid social helps you reach far beyond your existing followers. This means new people (potential customers) can discover your brand and content.
  • Precise targeting: You can pinpoint who sees your posts. By targeting specific groups (for example, coffee lovers in New York), your budget goes toward people who are likely to care about your message.
  • Consistent visibility: With algorithms making organic reach unpredictable, paying ensures your content gets seen consistently. Your key updates won’t be at the mercy of ever-changing social media algorithms.
  • Measurable results: Paid social campaigns come with data. You can clearly see how many people viewed, clicked, or engaged with your content – you can gauge the return on your investment and adjust your strategy accordingly.