How would you describe paid social marketing and why is does it matter for smaller companies looking to compete?

Paid social marketing are advertisements placed on social platforms like Facebook and Instagram primarily, but also includes LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, and more. It is particularly powerful for smaller companies because you can use a great social ad to generate demand. We make that distinction largely in relation to paid search, which is great for fulfilling demand. Paid social tends to have great targeting and attribution, so smaller businesses can run tests in the market with more reasonable budgets.

How long have you been in this industry and what about your background led you to be a leader in paid social?

I was in the industry for a couple years before my co-founder Brian Davidson and I started Matchnode about six years ago. Before those eight years, my background was and is very entrepreneurial with a focus on sales and technology, so a paid social agency is a natural fit.

What’s the greatest misconception companies have about paid social?

Most of the news headlines about online privacy generally and Facebook specifically are strongly negative and fear-inducing, and sometimes rightfully so. But the big misconception is the fact that people don’t think or read about a large majority of social ads that have helped people and businesses which are genuinely trying to grow by doing the right thing.

What are the benefits of paid social that they otherwise would never have guessed?

Before social ads, it was difficult and expensive to launch marketing for a new product, brand, or business that was not search-friendly. The main strength of paid social is the chance to generate demand within very precisely targeted audiences. To show someone a product or service that helps them improve, even though they didn’t wake up that morning thinking that they might buy from your business.

Where do you see the industry heading?

Data and the continued shift to digital will allow for greater personalization to continue to improve the ad experience for consumers. Regulatory changes and changes in consumer behavior may mean platforms change, but the prominence of advertising and the shift to digital will continue over the coming decades.

Chris Madden is Co-Founder of Matchnode, which specializes in paid social to grow B2C brands via strategy, traffic, and optimization. Clients include the Chicago Bulls, Indiana University, and LendingTree, which is headquartered in Charlotte, NC. A seasoned entrepreneur and sales executive, Chris has built deep knowledge in digital marketing, data analytics, sales, and startups.