Social ads platforms are integrated with major social networks that provide advertisers with vast reach and advanced targeting options across multiple channels.
By tapping into these social networks, advertisers can promote their brands on a variety of devices and platforms. The effectiveness of social ads therefore lies in their ability to connect advertisers with a pre-built, highly engaged audience.
With precise targeting, advertisers can reach potential customers who are more likely to be interested in their offerings. A well-executed social ads campaign can significantly boost brand visibility and drive growth.
This guide will explore various social ad platforms and networks, highlighting the benefits they offer to app owners and advertisers. It will examine why social ads are a valuable tool for promoting apps and services.
Finally, we will discuss how these platforms operate and the opportunities they provide for businesses.
What are social ads?
Social ads are advertisements that show up on your favorite social media platforms. these ads are super important because they target users right where they spend a lot of their time—scrolling through feeds, watching stories, and interacting with content.
The cool thing about social ads is how naturally they blend into the social media experience. Whether you’re seeing an ad for a new game in your TikTok feed or a fitness app on Instagram Stories, they’re designed to feel like a part of your regular scroll, not something intrusive.
What makes social ads so effective for mobile apps is that they’re already designed with mobile users in mind. Since most people browse social media on their phones, it’s incredibly easy for them to go from seeing an ad to downloading an app in just a few taps.
These ads are built to catch your attention quickly—maybe with a catchy video, a swipe-up feature, or a bold call-to-action button like “Install Now.”
Everything is streamlined to make the user experience as smooth as possible, which is exactly what app developers want when they’re trying to grow their user base.
Another great thing about social ads is how personalized they can be. Thanks to the data these platforms collect, you can target specific audiences who are more likely to be interested in your app. And with so many different ad formats—like videos, carousels, and even playable ads for games—you can get creative with how you showcase your app.
Whether it’s a short demo, a testimonial, or a highlight reel of the app’s best features, social ads give you the flexibility to connect with users in a way that feels engaging and relevant to them.
What are the different types of social ads?
Social ads play a pivotal role in mobile app marketing, allowing businesses to target users directly on platforms where they spend much of their time. Various formats of social ads exist, each designed to appeal to different audiences and serve specific marketing goals.
These ads can appear across various social networks like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat, with each platform offering unique ad formats that cater to mobile app users.
Let’s explore the different types of social ads that are particularly effective for promoting mobile apps.
In-feed ads
In-feed ads are among the most popular formats across social platforms. These ads appear directly in a user’s feed, blending in with the organic content they’re already viewing. Whether scrolling through Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok, users encounter these ads in a natural, non-disruptive way.
The primary benefit of in-feed ads is their native appearance, which makes users less likely to skip over them. They often include visually engaging content like images, videos, or carousels, encouraging users to download an app or learn more with a simple swipe or click.
In-feed ads are also highly customizable, allowing advertisers to leverage advanced targeting tools to reach specific audiences. For mobile apps, this can translate into ads being shown to users based on their interests, behaviors, and demographics, increasing the chances of app downloads. By presenting the ad in a way that feels organic, the user experience remains seamless, enhancing engagement and conversion rates.
Story ads
Story ads have become a key player in mobile app marketing, particularly on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat. These full-screen ads appear between user-generated stories and are time-sensitive, typically lasting for just a few seconds.
The immersive nature of story ads is what makes them so effective for mobile apps—they take up the entire screen, eliminating distractions and focusing the user’s attention on the ad content.
For app developers, story ads can drive higher engagement through interactive features like swipe-up actions, which directly link to the app store or a landing page.
Additionally, they can include multimedia elements like videos, filters, and stickers, creating a highly engaging, fast-paced experience that resonates well with the habits of mobile users. This format is particularly effective when promoting limited-time offers or new app launches, as it creates a sense of urgency among users.
Playable ads
Playable ads are an innovative format primarily used in gaming app marketing but have started to gain traction across other app categories as well. These ads allow users to engage with a mini-version or demo of the app before deciding to download it.
Playable ads are interactive and often gamified, offering users a taste of what they can expect from the full version of the app. This interactive experience increases the likelihood of conversions since users have already experienced the app’s core features before committing to a download.
Because playable ads offer immediate engagement, they tend to attract more qualified leads—users who are genuinely interested in the app and more likely to continue using it after installation.
These ads are most effective when the app has a highly interactive or gamified element, such as puzzle games, simulations, or educational tools. They also reduce the barrier to entry by allowing users to try before they buy (or download, in this case), boosting user acquisition rates.
Carousel ads
Carousel ads are a highly versatile format used across Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, where advertisers can showcase multiple images or videos in a single ad.
This format allows users to swipe through different slides, making it an excellent choice for mobile apps with multiple features or offerings. Each card in a carousel can include its own call-to-action (CTA), which could direct users to different parts of the app store page, promotional content, or feature highlights.
For mobile apps, carousel ads are particularly useful when highlighting different aspects of the app.
For example, a fitness app could use the first slide to promote its workout plans, the second to showcase nutritional advice, and the third to demonstrate progress tracking features. This way, potential users get a more comprehensive view of what the app offers, increasing the chances of an install.
Additionally, carousel ads can be optimized for mobile by allowing users to swipe horizontally through the different elements without leaving the platform.
Sponsored content & influencer ads
Sponsored content ads often take the form of influencer partnerships, where influencers promote a mobile app in an authentic and engaging way to their followers. This type of social advertising thrives on social platforms where influencers have built trust and credibility with their audience.
By collaborating with influencers, app developers can reach a highly targeted audience that aligns with the app’s niche, such as fitness enthusiasts, gamers, or travelers.
Influencer ads often come across as more genuine and relatable, as they blend seamlessly with the influencer’s regular content. This authenticity can translate into higher engagement rates, particularly if the influencer demonstrates how they use the app in their day-to-day life.
For mobile app campaigns, this type of social ad can be incredibly powerful, leveraging the influencer’s authority to drive downloads, increase awareness, and improve app retention rates.
Banner ads
While banner ads are one of the oldest forms of online advertising, they remain effective in certain contexts, particularly for mobile apps. These ads typically appear at the top or bottom of the screen within a social media platform or mobile web page.
Though they occupy less space than other ad types, they’re often eye-catching and placed in high-traffic areas, ensuring visibility without disrupting the user experience too much.
Banner ads are usually less expensive than more immersive formats like in-feed or story ads, making them a budget-friendly option for app marketers.
They can be particularly useful when targeting users with a specific interest, as the concise format ensures that messaging is straightforward and action-oriented. However, since these ads don’t offer the rich engagement opportunities found in video or interactive formats, their effectiveness often depends on highly precise targeting and compelling design.
What are the benefits of social ads?
Using mobile social media ads is an efficient and cost-effective way of engaging with an audience. The reduced costs of advertising are a significant plus to this method of advertising, along with the ability to reach a vast audience with ease.
Social ads are a vital part of a marketing strategy because potential customers can interact with a brand in the places they know the best. Ignoring social media ads in this day and age puts advertisers at an immediate disadvantage.
When it comes to tracking, social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook offer robust built-in analytics so advertisers can see what did and didn’t work. Even just having the option to look at the number of shares, likes and comments can be a useful indicator.
Other benefits include:
- These ads help to generate that all-important conversion about your brand.
- Call to actions on social media platforms can be very effective.
- From in-app landing pages to lead-generating ads, there’s a good variety of ads formats and social media ad sizes.
How do social ads work?
Social ads work by leveraging the data collected from social media platforms to deliver targeted ads to specific users.
Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter gather detailed information about their users, including demographics, interests, and online behaviors. Advertisers use this data to create social ads that are shown to people who are most likely to engage with their content.
For app owners, social ads can be a game-changer when it comes to reaching the right audience.
By using these platforms, you can set specific targeting criteria, such as age, location, and interests, to ensure your app is seen by users who are likely to download it. This level of targeting helps you avoid wasting money on ads that don’t reach your ideal customers.
Social ad platforms also allow advertisers to choose the type of ad they want to run, from simple image posts to more complex video or carousel ads.
Advertisers can customize their social ads based on their goals, whether it’s driving app downloads, increasing brand awareness, or promoting a specific product. The ability to choose ad formats helps app owners create content that resonates with their audience.
Another great feature of social ads is the ability to track performance in real-time. Advertisers can monitor key metrics like clicks, impressions, and conversions to see how their social ads are performing. This helps app owners and advertisers make data-driven decisions and adjust their strategies as needed to optimize their campaigns.
Overall, social ads give app owners and advertisers the tools to reach a highly targeted audience, track results, and continuously improve their campaigns.
Whether you’re promoting a new app or boosting an existing one, social ads are an essential part of any mobile advertising strategy.
What are the best practices of social ads?
To get the most out of your social ads, it’s important to follow proven strategies that maximize effectiveness. Whether you’re promoting a new app or boosting engagement, these best practices will help you create compelling campaigns that drive results.
By focusing on clear goals, high-quality content, precise targeting, and ongoing optimization, you can make the most of your social ads and reach your marketing objectives.
Set clear goals for your social ads
First, it’s essential to define clear goals for each campaign, whether it’s increasing app downloads, driving engagement, or boosting brand awareness. Having a specific goal will help you choose the right type of social ad and target the appropriate audience more effectively.
Use high-quality visuals & strong CTAs
Another best practice is to use high-quality visuals and compelling content in your social ads. Images and videos are key to grabbing attention on social media platforms, so make sure your creatives are visually appealing and aligned with your brand.
Pair your visuals with a strong call-to-action (CTA) to encourage users to take the next step, such as downloading your app or signing up for a service.
Target the right audience
Targeting the right audience is crucial to getting the most out of your social ads. Use the advanced targeting options provided by platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat to reach users based on their interests, demographics, and online behavior.
Regularly analyze and refine your targeting to ensure your ads reach people who are most likely to engage with your app.
Monitor & optimize campaign performance
Lastly, always monitor the performance of your social ads and be ready to make adjustments. Track important metrics like click-through rates (CTR), conversions, and app installs to see what’s working and what’s not.
Testing different ad formats, headlines, and audience segments can help you optimize your campaign over time, ensuring your social ads deliver the best possible results.
What are social ads CPMs?
Here are some of the biggest social ads offers along with their platform, rates and country:
| Platform/Network | Country | CPMs/Revenues |
| US | Around $7 to $9 | |
| US | $5 to $6 | |
| US | Around $6 | |
| US | $6.17 |
Source: Falcon.io
What do social ads advertising networks do?
Social ads advertising networks act as the middleman between advertisers and social media platforms. They help businesses create, manage, and optimize their social ads across multiple platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
By streamlining the process, these networks make it easier for advertisers to reach their target audience without having to handle the complexities of each individual platform.
These networks offer powerful tools that allow advertisers to create highly targeted social ads. Using advanced algorithms, they analyze user data to match ads with the right people based on factors like interests, behavior, and demographics.
This means that app owners and advertisers can get their ads in front of the right audience at the right time, increasing the chances of engagement.
Social ads platforms also provide detailed reporting and analytics, so advertisers can see exactly how their campaigns are performing. This includes insights on impressions, clicks, conversions, and other key metrics.
With this data, app owners and advertisers can make informed decisions, adjust their strategies, and improve their social ads over time.
In addition to targeting and analytics, social ads networks offer options for different ad formats and placements. They allow businesses to choose from image, video, carousel, or story ads, and decide where those ads appear—whether it’s in a user’s news feed, stories, or even within specific groups or communities.
This flexibility lets app owners tailor their social ads to fit their brand and marketing goals perfectly.
Work with social advertising platforms
In conclusion, working with social advertising platforms is a smart move for app owners and advertisers looking to grow their reach. These platforms provide the tools to target the right audience with precision, ensuring your ads are seen by users who are most likely to engage.
By leveraging the power of social ads, you can drive app downloads, increase brand visibility, and achieve better marketing results.
Social advertising platforms also offer valuable insights and real-time data, allowing you to track the performance of your campaigns. This means you can make data-driven adjustments to improve your social ads and maximize your return on investment.
Whether you’re running a small campaign or a large-scale app promotion, these platforms make it easy to scale and optimize your efforts.
To help you get started, we’ve compiled a list of the top advertising companies for social ads. These companies specialize in creating and managing successful social ads campaigns, giving you expert support every step of the way.
Explore our list of top social advertising platforms to find the right partner for your mobile app marketing needs.
