How to combine Social and PPC for smarter campaigns
Added: 17 November 2023
Most small businesses treat social media and PPC as separate efforts. But when you combine them, they amplify each otherand the results are far more powerful.
Here’s how to make your paid search and social strategies work together for real business growth.
Use Social to build warm audiences for PPC
Running cold Google Ads? You’ll pay more per click.
Instead, use social platforms (like Instagram or LinkedIn) to build awareness and engagement first then retarget that audience with PPC.
Example:
Run a helpful video on Facebook introducing your service, then follow up with a Google Search ad offering a consultation. These warm leads convert better and cost less to acquire.
Match messaging across platforms
Your PPC ad talks about one thing. Your social post says another. Confused users don’t convert.
Make sure your offer, voice, and visuals are consistent across your campaigns—even if they’re running on different platforms.
Consistency = trust = conversions.
Use Social feedback to inform PPC copy
Your social comments and post reactions are gold.
See what your audience responds to then take those phrases, pain points, or benefits and build them into your ad headlines, descriptions, and landing pages.
This leads to stronger ad relevance and better Quality Scores in Google Ads.
Retarget across platforms
Don’t stop at just one channel.
If someone clicks a Google ad but doesn’t convert, you can follow them up with a Facebook or LinkedIn ad. Likewise, if they engage with your social posts, follow up with a search ad when they’re ready to buy.
This cross-channel visibility keeps your brand front of mind at every stage of the journey.
Measure results together, not separately
It’s not about “which channel did better” it’s about how they worked together.
Use UTM tracking and tools like Google Analytics 4 to understand the bigger picture: which touchpoints influence conversions and where budget shifts will make the most impact.
Ready to run smarter, integrated campaigns?
With over 20 years of experience in PPC and digital marketing for Devon businesses, I help you create multi-channel strategies that actually work without the confusion or bloated fees.
