Artificial intelligence (AI) can transform paid social media strategies for colleges and universities. From optimizing your audience targeting structure to assisting with creative, social media AI features are popping up left and right. There’s a lot to choose from — so where do you begin?
In our work, we’ve encountered and tested a variety of tools and found a few we think work well for higher ed institutions. Let’s review the best tools to help your institution save time and money.
Social Media + AI Tools to Try
Meta’s Advantage Suite
Meta recently rolled out a suite of AI solutions for audience, placement, and even ad optimizations. Here are the tools to know about:
Advantage Audiences
- What is it? Advantage audience options are Meta’s AI-powered targeting tools. It will develop an audience for you based on pixel activity, conversion history, and ad engagement. Advantage features can be applied to enhance a range of audience types.From custom to detailed, as well as lookalike audiences to expand upon in-market reach.
- How can you use it? Utilize this feature within your audience targeting parameters to increase overall campaign ad engagement metrics, conversion/lead volume, and ultimately CPA/CPL efficiency.
Advantage + Placements
- What is it? An automation tool that dynamically selects optimal placements to serve ads across Meta’s suite of products. It works on everything from the Facebook newsfeed to Instagram stories to cross-platform reels. It also prioritizes cost-effective options to maximize campaign results without additional expense.
- How can you use it? Use this tool to increase brand visibility in high-engagement environments and optimize return on ad spend. This tool will help you make strategic ad placement choices with a lot less guesswork.
LinkedIn’s Automated Offerings
LinkedIn is a go-to platform for reaching prospective students to promote a wide range of degrees and programs due to the diverse ad formats and advanced targeting options available. Now, it has several AI-powered campaign tools available for marketers to use.
Predictive Audiences
- What is it? Predictive Audiences combines LinkedIn’s AI with your owndata sources to automatically generate a new custom audience for your campaigns. You can use any data source you have such as lead gen forms, prospect lists, or Insight Tag.
- How can you use it? Expand your campaign’s in-market reach by creating an audience predicted to perform actions similar to those bucketed within your original source data.
What’s Next: Accelerate – Campaign Building Tool
- What is it? Accelerate is a new AI-powered feature aimed at streamlining the ad creation process. AI analyzes the advertiser’s website, LinkedIn page, and historical ads to recommend an optimized campaign structure. It also autonomously adjusts bids and budgets, targeting high-value consumers within LinkedIn’s community of over 950 million members. The tool will roll out globally in late 2024.
- How can you use it? Leveraging this tool can streamline daily tasks such as data analysis and generating initial drafts of creative content. This frees up valuable time for you to focus on enhancing creativity in your ads and refining audience targeting for optimal performance results.
TikTok’s Smart Tools
TikTok is one of the biggest social platforms on the internet. On TikTok, user-generated content thrives and trends are constantly changing. New AI features will help users create video content, spark inspiration, and make campaign creation and management more efficient.
Smart Creative
- What is it? Using machine learning algorithms, Smart Creative automatically tests and analyzes various combinations of ad components such as images, videos, captions, and CTAs based on TikTok user feedback and engagement data. This aids advertisers in optimizing their creative ad elements.
- How can you use it? Smart Creative will help you maximize your creative output by ensuring you’re always putting out your best work. Because it’ll dynamically adjust ad content, you can easily test multiple assets within a campaign and trust that the platform will optimize towards the best-performing creative asset combinations.
Smart Targeting
- What is it? Smart Targeting analyzes user behavior and preferences using AI, allowing you to create custom audience segments based on factors like demographics, interests, and behaviors.
- How can you use it? Use this to optimize your institution’s targeting strategy with an AI safety net. Smart Targeting will help you connect with users who are more likely to engage with your content and take desired actions.
Smart Performance Campaigns
- What is it? Smart Performance Campaigns analyzes campaign data and makes real-time adjustments to bidding strategies, targeting, and creative elements. This tool dynamically optimizes these components based on user engagement and conversion data.
- How can you use it? If you have flexibility with campaign elements, such as audience targeting and creative, Smart Performance Campaigns can fully take care of your campaign optimization.
There are lots of tools at your disposal. The most important thing is to find the ones that work for you, your team, and your institution’s goals. You don’t need to be using a huge suite of tools right away, consider starting with one tool on one platform and building up from there.
As you consider all of the capabilities the AI suite has to offer, remember that your most valuable asset will always be the people who make it work.
Looking for a partner on your social media marketing? Carnegie has you covered. Our experts are equipped with the industry knowledge to help you make the right decisions and find the solutions and tools that work best for you. Start a conversation with us today!
This blog is brought to you by Joy Nevin, Assistant Director of Social Media Marketing & Digital Strategy and Desiree Jones, Social Media Specialist.