In our 2026 High Growth Study, social media advertising tied for 8th place in the list of marketing techniques used most often. Slightly more than a third (37.3%) of respondents said they do it.
Yet, it appears nowhere in the top-10 list of most impactful techniques used by high-growth firms. What are we to make of this discrepancy? And what does it mean for your own marketing program?
First, let me define my terms. In our study, we differentiate between social media advertising (on, say, LinkedIn or YouTube, for instance) and pay-per-click/digital display advertising (such as Google Ads). In professional services, social media advertising usually takes place on LinkedIn, though different industries may favor various social channels, too.
Next, I want to make a point: data alone doesn’t always tell the whole story. Sometimes, it helps to have a bit of context or familiarity with the situation to understand what is likely going on. And that’s what I’d like to explore briefly today.
In our experience, many firms that do digital advertising—whether on social media, Google or elsewhere—get poor results for a wide range of reasons. Often, they see their competition doing advertising and they feel like they need to get in on the action. This, in part, explains the popularity of this marketing technique.
What many firms lack, unfortunately, is a true strategy, which may explain why impact scores lag. Digital advertising, whether on social media or elsewhere, requires several things be in place in order for it to deliver any kind of respectable return:
- Clear goals
- Well-defined audiences
- Compelling calls to action
- Willingness to experiment with different messages and visuals
- Strong conversion pages
- An eye on analytics
- Readiness to follow up quickly
- Plenty of patience
Digital advertising also requires a significant financial and time investment. A small one-week experiment isn’t likely to get enough traction to produce results. Many firms dip their toe in the water, see no results and get out. That’s not a plan for success.
While high-growth firms have lower impact scores for this technique, theirs are significantly higher than the rest of the field. They use the technique because it works for them and because they know how to deliver with greater sophistication than average firms.
We have also found that social media advertising, particularly on LinkedIn, offers firms a precision tool to target very specific audiences. Because you can target job functions and even specific job titles in specific industries and company sizes, you can reach exactly the people you want. You can even target specific companies, which is a critical function of account-based marketing (also known as ABM).
While advertising is a big part of some firms’ marketing programs, others use it as yet another channel to reach and nurture their audience. As Google and AI search upend traditional SEO, firms use social media advertising to bridge the gap. It can be used in a variety of ways, from promoting important pieces of content you have produced to promoting events to building brand awareness.
Today’s marketing mantra is “be everywhere your prospects are.” Social media advertising can be an effective part of that strategy. If, and how much, you should invest in it will depend on your industry, your audience, and what you want advertising to accomplish.
