Digital ads surround our online experience. They’re in your social feeds. On the side of your screen. Inside your Reels, Stories, Meta Marketplace and Messenger.

A constantly expanding menu of ad placements empowers utilities to reach consumer-members wherever they are in the digital realm.

Every week Pioneer puts advertising dollars behind a piece of social content—a Reel, Story, video or other post—for each of our platinum-level Pioneer Social subscribers. That’s more than 100 ads placed every week.

“Whether you’re putting out a safety post or maybe you had an outage, organic posts mean you’re only reaching a handful of the people who have liked your page,” Caitlynn Barnes, the social media advertising coordinator at Pioneer, explains. “We love organic posts and appreciate organic likes and followers, but sometimes you want to reach everybody so they can see your story.”

Here are five ways Utility Pioneers can use social advertising to connect stories with consumer-members online.

1. Harness Precision Targeting

One of the key advantages of social media advertising is the ability to laser-focus your messaging to specific audiences.

“With social advertising, we can take specific service areas or ZIP codes, and drop that ad in for everyone in those areas to see,” Caitlynn says. “Your placement options are almost unlimited now. Your message will not be missed.”

Targeted options include:

• Address lists
• ZIP codes
• States
• Cities
• Interests
• Age
• Gender

While boosting is an option listed within Facebook, Caitlynn advises Utility Pioneers to create ads within Meta Ads Manager, instead.

“You get more targeting options, specific descriptions and interests,” she says. “Do you want to reach older people interested in gardening? What about younger members who listen to podcasts or parents of students applying to college? You can go to Meta Ads Manager and create detailed targeting profiles. On a boosted post, you only have an area or ZIP code you want to reach. No specifics, no age range, no gender range.”

A targeted advertising approach ensures your content reaches the right people at the right time, whether you’re sharing crucial safety information, announcing service outages or promoting scholarship opportunities.

2. Create Content that Captivates

While targeting is essential, creating compelling content is equally crucial for effective social media advertising.

“It’s usually the funnier things that go viral,” Caitlynn says. “Our team came up with a really great post a few years ago of a squirrel dancing on a line. That one had so many shares.”

Humor, relatability and even a touch of whimsy can be powerful tools for capturing attention and encouraging engagement.

3. Budget for Success

One of the most appealing aspects of social media advertising is its affordability, making it accessible to utilities of all sizes. Even modest budgets can yield significant results.

“Facebook has one of the lowest minimums for dollar-a-day advertising spend,” Caitlynn shares. “You can start at a dollar a day, which can earn up to a few hundred extra impressions daily. That’s not bad.”

While Facebook ads begin at $1 a day, other channels charge $20 per day. Some Pioneer Social subscribers budget $50 a month for targeted Facebook/Instagram advertising.

“You can give Facebook your monthly budget, and it’ll spend it. Most people we’re seeing spend between a dollar and $5. For higher-priced ads, a hiring ad or something more political, I’ve seen some people spending between $10 to $30 a day per ad. The choice is up to you.”

4. Leverage Call-to-Action Buttons

Social media ads offer features to drive user engagement, including call-to-action buttons.

“Call-to-action buttons give us a lot of options,” she says. “Typically, folks want to just see that ‘Learn More’ button and it adds the link taking you right to that destination.”

Buttons make it easy to take action, encouraging users to explore more information, apply for programs or engage with your utility’s content further.

“We can also purposefully show the ad to people who are most likely to click your ad, and the ad sends them to your chosen destination,” Cailynn adds.

5. Resonate with Local Stories

When it comes to content that truly resonates with audiences, Caitlynn emphasizes the power of featuring local faces and stories.

“Look at the people you work with—that’s who people are interested in,” she advises. “Folks want to know about the people who work with you.”

Showcasing your team members, their accomplishments and their connections to the community helps foster a sense of familiarity and strengthens the bond between your utility and the people you serve.

The Utility Pioneers at LightStream feature employees in videos on the co-op’s social channels. They shared a video compilation (below) at the 2024 StoryConnect conference; the full videos can be seen in LightStream’s video library and on the co-op’s social channels.

“I feel like it’s the things that make people laugh, make people giggle, that make great social ads,” Caitlynn says. “It’s those happy little nuggets in a day that makes your thumb stop, then you take a look at it and either give it a like, love, share or comment. Those are the things that I love to run as advertisements, because they bring happiness.”

Start Targeted Social Advertising

As utilities continue to embrace digital advertising, Pioneer Social’s team of advertising and engagement experts can help you build a comprehensive roadmap for success. By leveraging precision targeting, creating captivating content, optimizing budgets, utilizing call-to-action buttons and featuring local stories, Utility Pioneers can effectively share their narratives, engage their communities and amplify their voices on social media platforms.

Learn more about digital advertising options in our free eBook, “Seven Ways to Keep Ads on Target.”