PPC Social Media: Boost ROI with Landing Pages

PPC social media advertising involves placing ads on popular platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube, where advertisers pay a fee for clicks or impressions. This advertising model is great for businesses of all sizes in every industry. PPC on social media lets brands deliver tailored messages at the right moment, guiding users to offers aligned with their needs and interests. As a result, it has become a fundamental component of digital marketing strategies.

Ca. 89% of marketers leverage Facebook for business purposes, while 80% make use of Instagram, as mentioned in one of the newest Social Champ articles. It underscores the power of SM PPC meaning in brand building. When comparing this information with data saying 61% of the world population uses social media daily, it becomes obvious how profitable can be leveraging SM ads in digital marketing campaigns.

However, even the most creative ad requires the right destination. A high-converting landing page is essential to driving results. It is where users complete actions – subscribe, buy, or register – and where PPC campaigns succeed or fail. Tools like Landingi enable marketers to create dedicated landing pages that align visually and contextually with social media ads, improving user experience and boosting conversion rates.

This article explores the mechanics of social media PPC, highlights its cost structure, and presents real-world examples. Read on and learn how pairing ads with optimized landing pages can deliver the best ROI and performance.

What is PPC in Social Media?

PPC (pay-per-click) in social media is a dynamic and strategic form of online advertising where advertisers pay a fee for clicks (CPC) or impressions (CPI). Social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube support this format, allowing advertisers to promote products or services directly to specific audiences. Unlike search ads, which appear on search engines like Google or Bing based on user queries, social media PPC ads are shown within users’ social media feeds or stories based on their interests, behavior, and engagement history. This allows advertisers to reach potential customers even if they aren’t actively searching for a product or service.

What sets social media PPC apart is its use of detailed user data, such as job titles, hobbies, or past interactions, to create precisely targeted campaigns. For example, if you’re selling fitness equipment, you can target users who follow fitness influencers or engage with workout-related content. Precise targeting ensures that your ad dollars are spent wisely, reaching those most likely to convert. This level of targeting helps ensure ad spend is directed toward users most likely to take action, such as clicking a link or making a purchase. Marketers measure campaign performance using key metrics like click-through rate (CTR), cost per click (CPC), and return on ad spend (ROAS). These indicators reveal how effectively the ads are driving engagement and results.

In contrast to search ads, where timing is based on a user’s immediate need or query, social media PPC allows for proactive targeting, putting your brand in front of the right people before they even start searching. Real-time data tracking also allows advertisers to fine-tune campaigns, reallocate budget, or adjust messaging to improve performance continuously. This flexibility and precision make social media PPC a valuable complement to search engine advertising, especially for brands looking to build awareness and drive conversions at multiple stages of the customer journey.

How Does Social Media PPC Advertising Work?

Social media PPC advertising relies on two pillars: targeting the audience and optimizing the campaign. After setting a clear advertising goal, the next step is to identify the ideal customer profile and choose the most relevant social platforms, such as Facebook for broad consumer reach or LinkedIn for B2B targeting. You then define specific audience segments based on demographics, interests, behaviors, or past interactions with your brand. Your ad creative should be tailored to resonate with these users and direct them to a dedicated landing page optimized for conversions.

Check out the detailed description of the SM PPC advertising process in 9 steps below:

1. Defining campaign objectives

Start by clearly defining what you want to achieve with your PPC campaign, whether it’s increasing brand awareness, driving traffic to a product page, generating email signups, or boosting direct sales. Defining these objectives helps shape the entire campaign strategy, including ad creation and targeting.

2. Choosing the right platform

Your advertisement channels should be chosen from the most popular social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, or YouTube. Each platform offers unique targeting options and ad formats (e.g., LinkedIn is ideal for B2B advertising), so it’s important to choose based on where your target audience is most active.

3. Targeting the audience

One of the biggest advantages of social PPC advertising is the ability to target audiences with laser precision. Social media platforms let you filter by age, gender, location, interests, behaviors, or engagement with specific content. This ensures that ads are shown to users most likely interested in the offer.

4. Creating compelling ads

Design ads with attention-grabbing visuals and write copy that speaks directly to your audience’s needs. Use a strong call-to-action (CTA) and match the ad format to your objective – use video for storytelling, carousel ads to showcase multiple products, or static images for quick messaging.

5. Optimizing landing page

The ad can be perfectly designed, but it means nothing when not linked to a well-optimized landing page. Once the user clicks the ad, it should direct them to the specific page focused on a single purpose, consistent with the ad. The page should align with the ad message, load quickly on mobile devices, have a visible CTA button, and use persuasive yet concise content. If the goal is lead capture, include a short, user-friendly form.

6. Setting up budget

Social PPC advertising operates on a bidding system. Decide how much you’re willing to spend and choose a bidding model: cost-per-click (CPC) or cost-per-impression (CPM). Your bid affects ad visibility and placement. For example, a higher CPC might improve your reach, but staying within budget is essential to ensure cost-efficiency over time.

7. Launching the campaign

Once everything is set up, the campaign goes live. Ads are displayed to the targeted audience based on the criteria and budget. You pay each time a user clicks on the ad (CPC) or for every thousand impressions (CPM).

8. Monitoring and Optimization

Continuous monitoring is key to a successful social PPC campaign. You should track performance metrics such as click-through rates (CTR), conversion rates, and cost per click (CPC). Use this data to test new creatives (e.g., different CTAs or images), refine audience targeting, and adjust bids. A/B testing is especially useful for finding what resonates best. and achieve better results.

9. Analyzing Results

After the campaign is over, compare performance against your original objectives. Evaluate metrics like conversion rate, engagement, and return on ad spend (ROAS). These results provide insights for improving future campaigns, such as which platforms worked best or which audiences responded most.

5 PPC Social Media Best Practices

Meet the 5 PPC social media best practices that will let you drive more clicks, likes, shares, and, most importantly, more conversions. Make your SM ads better with a handful of proven tips, as follows:

#1 Know your audience

Understanding your target audience is crucial for the success of your social media PPC campaigns – scrolling social media is their daily hobby, so you have to know how to adjust your offer to their interests. Use the targeting tools offered by platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to narrow your audience based on:

• age range,
• gender,
• profession,
• hobbies and interests,
• localization,
• or previous engagement with your brand.

For example, if you’re running a LinkedIn ad for a software product, you can target professionals by job title or industry. On Instagram, you might focus on users who follow similar brands or engage with posts about your product category.

The more accurately you define your audience, the more likely your ads will reach users who are interested and ready to convert.

#2 Create compelling ad creatives

High-quality visuals and engaging ad copy are vital to capturing your audience’s attention. Use high-quality visuals, such as product photos, customer lifestyle shots, or branded graphics. Headlines should be clear and relevant to your audience’s needs, while the description should focus on the benefits of your offer, not just the features. If you’re using video content, follow these best practices:

• Keep it short, aim for 6–15 seconds to match typical user attention spans.
• Keep it natural – the proper quality can be achieved even with a phone camera and a good light.
• Leave the bottom section without text.
• Use closed caption (CC), enabling users to understand your ad message without sound.

Always include a strong, specific call to action (CTA), like “Shop Now”, “Sign Up Today”, or “Learn More”. Additionally, test multiple creatives, such as different image styles, CTA buttons, or video edits – using A/B testing to discover what performs best with your target audience.

#3 Use your brand style

Consistency is key to building brand recognition and trust. Use your brand’s established colors, logo, fonts, and tone of voice in every campaign. For example, if your brand uses bold typography and a minimal color palette, those elements should be reflected in your ad designs. Visual uniformity reinforces brand identity and helps create a cohesive and professional look across all your marketing materials. At the same time, consistency makes your ads instantly recognizable in a crowded feed. When users repeatedly see familiar visual elements, e.g., your logo in the same corner or a specific color scheme, they begin to associate them with your brand. This familiarity improves recall and increases the chances of engagement over time.

#4 Create and optimize a landing page

The landing page is essential to any advertising – it is where conversions happen, so it needs to be relevant, fast, and focused. Each social media ad should direct users to a dedicated landing page that matches the ad’s message and intent. For example, if your ad promotes a webinar, the landing page should include the webinar title, benefits of attending, and a simple sign-up form.

The user experience should be seamless from ad click to conversion, with clear CTAs and minimal distractions. Use professional tools, like Landingi, to design high-converting landing pages without coding. Its user-friendly, AI landing page tool, Composer, will help you craft a page that guides users through compelling content to the desired action.

Leverage its A/B testing feature to experiment with various page versions and use EventTracker to track user behavior. Make data-based changes and optimize your landing page for higher conversion. With Landingi, building, testing, and optimizing landing pages goes effortlessly, even for those without advanced skills and professional knowledge.

#5 Utilize retargeting

Retargeting helps bring back users who showed interest but didn’t convert the first time. These could be visitors who clicked on an ad, viewed a product, or started filling out a form but left before completing the action.

Set up retargeting campaigns to show personalized ads to these users as they continue browsing social media or other websites. For instance, if someone viewed a specific product on your site, you can serve them an ad featuring that same product along with a limited-time discount or reminder. Retargeting is especially effective for abandoned carts, event signups, and free trial re-engagement. Over time, it not only improves conversion rates but also boosts ROI by maximizing the value of your existing traffic.

How Landing Pages Elevate Social Media PPC Campaigns?

Landing pages enhance social media PPC campaigns by directing user attention, improving the chance of conversion, and aligning the message in the ad with the content on the page. While PPC ads attract traffic, landing pages are designed to turn that traffic into specific outcomes such as form submissions, purchases, or downloads.

Using the Landingi platform, you can create landing pages that align perfectly with each ad. With its AI landing page generator, Composer, you generate attractive layouts and persuasive, ad-relevant copy based on the offer, audience description, and additional requirements. Pretty layout and consistent messaging are just a part of success – what matters for PPC is conversion, which affects overall ROI. The Form Builder simplifies lead collection with clear, low-friction input fields – but when you create a product page for sales ads, you can use payment gateways to enable direct purchasing.

A/B testing allows you to test variations in layout or calls-to-action, such as button color or headline wording, to see what converts best. EventTracker monitors user interactions, like clicks and scroll depth, in real time, enabling quick, informed adjustments. Landingi answers the core PPC challenges – turning engagement into real outcomes in the most efficient way. And the key lies in landing page optimization. Without a well-performing dedicated page, users may arrive but quickly leave if the content doesn’t match their expectations. Ultimately, it’s a targeted landing page that creates a logical path from the ad to the desired action, increasing the likelihood of conversion.

How to Start a PPC Campaign on Social Media?

To start a PPC campaign on social media, begin by selecting the appropriate platform, such as Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube, based on where your target audience is most active. You can use publicly available data on social media usage broken down by specific factors, such as age, gender, etc., to find the best ad channel for your objectives. Take a look at the data from the Pew Research Center survey on the U.S. adults using social media per age (2023):

• For users at the age of 18-29, the most popular social media platforms are YouTube (93%), Instagram (78%) and Facebook (67%).
• For users between the ages of 30 and 49, the most popular social media platforms are YouTube (92%), Facebook (75%), and Instagram (59%).
• For users at the age of 50-64, the most popular social media platforms are YouTube (83%), Facebook (69%) and Instagram (35%).
• For users aged 64 and older, the most popular social media platforms are YouTube (60%), Facebook (58%), and Pinterest (21%).

Such data make it easier to find the best social media platform for your ads, depending on your campaign objectives and specified target audiences.

Once you have chosen the right platform, define clear objectives for your campaign, whether it’s increasing brand awareness, driving traffic, generating leads, or boosting sales. Then, as you understand your target audience groups, use the platform’s advanced targeting options to reach the right people. You can narrow your audience based on demographics (e.g., women aged 30–45 in urban areas), interests (e.g., fitness, home decor), or behaviors (e.g., recent website visitors, video viewers).

After these steps, when you have prepared ad creatives and linked your PPC landing page, set a budget that aligns with your goals and choose a bidding strategy that suits your objectives: cost-per-click (CPC) for traffic or cost-per-impression (CPI) for brand awareness.

Launch your campaign and monitor its performance closely using the platform’s analytics tools. Track KPIs and use real-time data to adjust targeting, creative assets, or bids as needed. A/B test your ads to see what performs best and refine your campaign based on results. A responsive, data-driven approach helps ensure your PPC campaign not only runs efficiently but also delivers meaningful results.

What Is the Cost of a PPC Social Media Campaign?

The cost of a PPC social media campaign starts from avg. $0.0–$0.25 (CPC Instagram) to avg. $2–$3 (CPC LinkedIn), depending on the chosen platform, industry, campaign goals, and geographical localization. PPC Costs can be assumed in advance, as you can set your budget at the ad creation level. The average costs of PPC social media campaigns on various platforms in 2024, according to WebFX statistics, are the following:

1. Facebook

• Avg. CPC (cost per click): from $0.26 to $0.50
• Avg. CPM (cost per 1000 impressions): from $1.01 to $3.0

2. Instagram

• Avg. CPC (cost per click): from $0.0 to $0.25
• Avg. CPM (cost per 1000 impressions): from $0.0 to $4.0

3. YouTube

• Avg. CPV (cost per view): from $0.31 to $0.40

4. LinkedIn

• Avg. CPC (cost per click): from $2.0 to $3.0
• Avg. CPM (cost per 1000 impressions): from $5.01 to $8.0

Factors affecting the cost of social media PPC advertising involve the following:

1. Campaign objectives – different goals (e.g., brand awareness, lead generation, conversions) have varying costs. Conversion-focused campaigns tend to be more expensive due to higher competition.
2. Industry and competition – highly competitive industries such as finance or insurance often see higher CPCs.
3. Ad placement and structure – premium ad placements and advanced targeting options increase costs.
4. Geographical location – advertising in regions with high internet penetration and competitive markets typically incurs higher costs.

If you consider hiring professionals to manage your social media PPC campaigns, you will pay between $500 and $2000 per month on average for PPC management by freelancers.​​ Hiring a PPC management agency can range from $1500 to $25,000 per month, depending on the scope and scale of services offered.​

3 Examples of PPC Social Media Advertising

Check the real-life PPC social media advertising examples and inspire yourself on how to prepare your own campaigns. Each example showcases a different ad format, from static image ads to immersive video-based ones.

1. Lingopie

The first example illustrates a video ad on YouTube, which appears either before the desired video starts (pre-roll), during the video (mid-roll), or after it ends (post-roll), ensuring it captures the viewer’s attention at strategic moments. Lingopie uses an explainer video showcasing product features and highlighting its benefits. It’s an effective way to catch users’ attention and show new opportunities related to their hobbies or interests.

YouTube’s targeting options allow advertisers like Lingopie to reach specific demographics, interests, and behaviors, ensuring that the ad is shown to users most likely to be interested in language learning. This precise targeting, combined with the engaging nature of video content, makes YouTube ads highly effective for capturing user attention and driving conversions. By aligning the ad content with the viewers’ hobbies or interests, Lingopie can create a strong connection with potential customers, showcasing new opportunities and motivating them to explore the product further.

The ad includes a strong CTA, directing users to the landing page focused on a single goal – registering for a free trial. This way, the ad is effective: a clear page layout, compelling headlines, additional information, and an outstanding, well-placed CTA button make this landing page a powerful lead-generation tool. The consistency between an ad and the landing page is crucial, ensuring users are in the right digital space.

2. Street Legend

The second example showcases the Facebook carousel ad leveraged by Street Legend. It’s the right ad format for e-commerce, allowing companies to show potential customers their products. This ad includes a short copy, high-quality product pictures, and CTA buttons with a special offer, inviting users to visit the e-store and purchase products. Street Legend decided on this pay-per-click marketing strategy to show more products with a single ad, minimizing PPC efforts. As they target specific audiences based on their interests and demographics, the ad displays exactly for their target groups, increasing conversions. It’s also a great way to build brand awareness by showcasing attractive, unforgettable product visuals.

Facebook carousel ads allow advertisers to showcase multiple images or videos within a single ad unit, each with its own link. Users can swipe or click through the cards, making it an interactive experience. This format highlights different products, features, or stories within one ad. Each card can include its own headline, description, and call-to-action, offering versatile storytelling and increased engagement opportunities, which can drive higher click-through rates and conversions.

3. Goodiebox

The third example is another Facebook ad format displayed in Facebook Stories. Goodiebox presents special offers through a short story with a static picture. This ad includes a compelling headline and a clear, attractive offer – 50% off. The high-quality image showcases the products included in the special offer, making it even more attractive for their target audience. The most important element of this type of ad is a CTA button leading to a related landing page.

Facebook stories allow companies to increase brand awareness by leaving a strong visual image in users’ minds. Even if not everyone clicks on an ad, its appeal makes it helpful for overall brand building. The linked landing page is consistent with the ad, showcasing more offer details and encouraging visitors to try out their products and sign in for a box subscription.

Can PPC Be Used in Social Media?

Yes, PPC can be effectively used for social media marketing. Popular social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Pinterest offer PPC advertising models that allow businesses to reach specific audiences based on demographics, interests, behaviors, and location.

With PPC, advertisers are charged only when users click on their ads (CPC) or view them (CPM), making it a cost-efficient way to drive traffic or conversions. For example, YouTube offers PPC video ads where you pay per view, while Pinterest uses promoted pins that appear in users’ feeds based on keywords and engagement patterns. LinkedIn provides options like sponsored content, text ads, and InMail ads, also billed per click or impression.

What makes PPC in social media especially powerful is the level of targeting and control it provides. You can deliver tailored messages to narrow audience segments and adjust campaigns in real time based on performance. Most platforms also provide in-depth analytics dashboards, showing key metrics like click-through rates (CTR), conversion rates, and return on ad spend (ROAS). This combination of targeted reach and measurable outcomes makes PPC a valuable strategy for businesses aiming to generate leads, increase visibility, or drive sales through paid digital advertising.

What Is PPC on Facebook?

PPC on Facebook, known as Facebook Ads, is a pay-per-click advertising model where businesses are charged when users click on or view their ads. This approach gives advertisers control over how much they spend and how they reach their audience. Facebook supports several ad formats, including image ads for showcasing single products or promotions, video ads for storytelling or demonstrations, carousel ads for displaying multiple items in one scrollable unit, and story ads for full-screen mobile engagement – each crafted to capture user engagement on the platform.

Social ads can precisely target audiences based on demographics (like age, gender, or location), interests (such as travel, fitness, or tech), and behaviors (e.g., purchase history or app activity), enhancing their effectiveness as a marketing tool. The cost-per-click (CPC) and cost-per-impressions (CPI) change depending on factors such as competition and ad relevance, offering businesses flexible budget options to achieve their marketing objectives.

What Is the Difference Between Social Media Ads and PPC?

PPC (pay-per-click) and social media ads are both forms of paid digital advertising, but they differ in scope, channels, and pricing models. PPC is a payment model where advertisers are charged only when someone clicks on their ad. It’s a core component of search engine marketing (SEM) – a strategy that focuses on placing ads in search engine results pages through platforms like Google Ads or Bing Ads. These search ads typically target users actively looking for information, products, or services.

Social media ads, by contrast, are paid promotions on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. These ads are shown to users as they browse their feeds, not because they searched for something, but based on demographic and behavioral targeting. They can be priced based on various models, including CPC, cost per impression (CPI, CPM), and cost per engagement (CPE). Social media paid advertising leverages detailed targeting options based on user demographics, interests, and behaviors, providing extensive reach and brand visibility.

Unlike SEM, which often captures intent-driven traffic, social media ads are designed to build awareness, influence behavior, or retarget users who’ve interacted with your brand. So, PPC advertising solutions is a broader term encompassing any online advertising where advertisers pay when their ad is clicked. This includes search engine results ads launched on platforms like Google Ads and Bing Ads, as well as ads on social media. While PPC strictly involves paying per click, social media ads offer multiple pricing models, making them versatile in targeting and engagement strategies. In essence, all PPC campaigns can be part of social media ads, but not all social media ads are PPC.

What Is the Best PPC Social Media Tool for Landing Pages?

The best PPC social media tool for landing pages is Landingi – a multifunctional digital marketing platform that streamlines building, testing, and optimizing landing pages. Landingi is particularly well-suited for PPC and social media ads because of its strong focus on conversion-driven design. Key features include:

• Automatic mobile optimization, with the ability to manually customize mobile layouts for a better user experience on social platforms
• Pre-designed templates for fast page creation
• AI landing page features, including Composer that generates landing page layouts and copy based on requirements and audience description
• A flexible form builder to capture leads and optimize form performance

To help improve performance, Landingi includes built-in A/B testing, allowing you to test different versions of your landing page – such as headlines, layouts, or call-to-action buttons – to see which converts better. The EventTracker tool provides real-time behavioral tracking, offering insights into how users interact with your landing page.

Landingi also supports over 180 integrations with tools like CRMs, email marketing platforms, and analytics services, making it easy to connect your landing pages with the rest of your marketing stack.

Whether you’re new to landing page creation or need advanced customization, Landingi balances ease of use with flexibility. Its drag-and-drop interface is intuitive for beginners, while more experienced marketers can fully control layout, branding, and design elements to match campaign needs. This makes it a powerful and practical tool for businesses running performance-focused social media ad campaigns.

Maximize Social Ad Performance with Landing Pages Built in Landingi

In the rapidly evolving digital marketing landscape, PPC social media advertising has emerged as an indispensable tool for businesses seeking to maximize their reach and ROI. By understanding the core principles of PPC and implementing best practices, companies can effectively target their audience, optimize their campaigns, and achieve their marketing objectives.

The most important aspects of social media advertising are setting clear goals, knowing your audience, and using compelling visuals and ad copy to engage users. Monitoring performance and making data-driven adjustments are critical to maintaining and enhancing the effectiveness of PPC campaigns. Examples showcased in this article highlight the impact of strategic targeting, creative content, and timely promotions in driving user engagement and conversions. Still, even the most immersive ads wouldn’t be efficient without well-designed landing pages.

Try Landingi now – create high-converting landing pages related to your ads and see how an optimized page can significantly boost the overall success of your PPC efforts.