Unlocking the Power of Paid Social for Publishers
In today’s digital-first world, publishers are constantly seeking innovative ways to grow their audiences and drive revenue. One of the most effective tools in the modern marketer’s toolkit? Paid social. At NPS Media Group, we specialize in helping publishers harness this power to achieve real, measurable results. And in June, at the CRMA Conference, our team was asked to present on paid social, and how we’ve found success developing campaigns to drive subscriptions for our publishing clients.
What Is Paid Social and Why Does It Matter?
Paid social refers to digital advertising on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Unlike organic posts, paid social allows you to reach beyond your existing followers, targeting users based on demographics, interests, and behaviors. It’s a powerful way to drive:
Awareness
Consideration
Conversions
Loyalty
Advocacy
Paid Media 101: The Basics
Before diving into paid social, it’s important to understand the broader landscape:
SEO (Search Engine Optimization): Boosts organic visibility in search engines.
SEM (Search Engine Marketing): Uses paid ads to appear in search results.
Paid Social: Targets users on social platforms with tailored ads.
Each plays a role in a comprehensive digital strategy, but paid social offers unique advantages in audience targeting and real-time optimization.
The $100M Question: How Do You Drive Subscriptions with Paid Social?
Here’s the five-part formula we use at NPS Media Group:
Audience First: Leverage all your first-party data—subscriber info, newsletter lists, and more.
Creative Variety: Test everything—formats, offers, imagery, and messaging.
Trust the Algorithm: Platforms like Meta learn and optimize. Let them work for you.
Monitor and Adjust: Use real-time data to refine your campaigns continuously.
Test Relentlessly: From landing pages to ad placements, always be testing.
Organic vs. Boosted vs. Paid
Organic Posts: Free content shown to your followers.
Boosted Posts: Paid promotion of existing posts to a broader audience.
Paid Ads: Fully customizable campaigns designed for specific goals.
Measuring Success: The Big Three (and More)
We focus on:
Ad Spend
Cost Per Acquisition (CPA)
Orders/Leads
But we also track:
Click-through rate (CTR)
Impressions and reach
Conversion rates
Cost per click (CPC)
Lifetime value (LTV) and retention
Real Results: Missouri Life Case Study
Our work with Missouri Life Magazine shows what’s possible:
CPC: $0.98
CPA: Less than 18% of subscription price
Conversion Rate: Over 4.1%
Final Thoughts: There’s No One-Size-Fits-All
Every brand is different. The key is to build a strategy that aligns with your goals, audience, and resources. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to optimize existing campaigns, paid social can be a game-changer for publishers.
Want to see how your marketing stacks up?
Take the NPS Marketing Assessment or reach out to Natalie Sorge at nsorge@npsmediagroup.com for the complete presentation deck.