A beginners guide to Paid Social

Social media platforms are great tools for charities to connect directly with their supporters and beneficiaries. This is especially important for smaller charities that may not have the resources to reach a large audience through traditional marketing channels.  

A simple way to extend your reach is by using paid social media campaigns (also known as social media advertising) to promote content. By using social media effectively, your charity can reach a wider audience, raise awareness of your causes, engage with supporters, raise funds, and recruit volunteers. 

What is paid social? 

Paid social involves promoting content in the form of ads on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), LinkedIn, TikTok and more. Unlike organic social media, where charities rely on their existing followers and natural engagement, paid social allows charities to reach a wider audience beyond their followers. 

Why use paid social? 

Paid social offers many benefits for charities of all sizes to connect with supporters, build engagement, and share updates.  

Even for those with limited experience, setting up your first paid social campaign doesn’t need to be daunting, and can help amplify your organic posts, reach a larger audience, and drive more engagement compared to organic posts.  

Here are some reasons why charities use paid social: 

• Targeted Advertising: Paid social allows charities to target specific groups of people based on age,