A COMPLETE GUIDE TO DIGITAL ADVERTISING IN 2025

1. WHAT ARE DIGITAL ADS?

Digital advertisements, or paid media, are any form of marketing communication used by businesses to promote their brand, product, or service through online channels.

Unlike organic content, digital ads require a budget and directly target specific audiences.

In the Markempai context, digital ads are the mechanism used to put an Empathy Engineered message in front of the right B2B decision-maker at the right time.

WHY DIGITAL ADS ARE ESSENTIAL FOR BUSINESS GROWTH

• Targeting Precision: Ads allow you to reach customers based on demographics, job title, and behavior, ensuring effective ad spend.
• Measurability: Every click, impression, and conversion is tracked, allowing for clear Return on Investment (ROI) calculation.
• Speed: You can launch a campaign and see results almost immediately, crucial for testing and scaling digital marketing efforts.

2. TYPES OF DIGITAL ADS AND ADVERTISING PLATFORMS

Digital advertising is generally categorized by where the ads appear and the format they use.³ Understanding these types is key to a successful online advertising strategy.

3. BOOSTING VERSUS SETTING A CAMPAIGN (THE CRITICAL DISTINCTION)

Many social media platforms (like Facebook and Instagram) offer a “Boost Post” button, which is fundamentally different from creating a structured campaign through an Ads Manager.⁴ Understanding this difference is vital for maximizing ROI.

WHAT IS BOOSTING?

Boosting is the simplest form of paid promotion.⁵ It takes an existing organic social media post and pays to show it to a wider audience.

WHICH ONE IS MORE ADVISABLE?

For Markempai’s B2B focus, setting a structured campaign through an Ads Manager is always more advisable. Boosting may be acceptable for a very small business or for quickly generating awareness for a non-critical announcement (like a holiday hours change), but it is a poor choice for achieving B2B lead generation or complex marketing goals due to its limited targeting and optimization options.

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES

WHICH ADS CAN YOU DECIDE TO BOOST OR SET?

You can boost only posts that have already been published organically on the platform (e.g., a Facebook or Instagram post). You can set any type of ad, including search ads, display ads, video ads, and social ads, all of which are created outside of the organic feed, giving you more creative freedom and control over the destination landing page.

4. RULES TO SET AN AD AND APPROVAL PROCESSES

All major digital advertising platforms have strict rules and require every ad to be formally approved before it runs. These rules are in place to protect the user experience and prevent fraud.

COMMON RULES AND POLICY GUIDELINES

1. Prohibited Content: Ads cannot promote illegal products, services, or activities (e.g., illegal drugs, weapons).⁶
2. Accuracy and Honesty: Ads must not contain deceptive, false, or misleading claims, especially regarding financial products or health information.⁷
3. Third-Party Infringement: Ads cannot use copyrighted or trademarked materials that you do not have the right to use (e.g., using a competitor’s logo).
4. Community Standards: Ads must adhere to the platform’s general standards regarding hate speech, harassment, and violence.
5. Sensitive Categories (Special Ad Categories): Platforms often have stricter rules for sensitive topics like politics, social issues, credit, employment, and housing, requiring extra verification or limiting targeting options to prevent discrimination.

WHICH ADS NEED APPROVALS AND WHY?

Every single paid promotion, including a boosted post or a new campaign set in the Ads Manager, requires approval.

The Reason: The platform’s automated and human review systems check the ad creative and the destination landing page against the platform’s advertising policies. If the ad violates a rule (e.g., misleading text, linking to a broken page, or overly aggressive targeting), it will be disapproved, and your account could be flagged. This process protects the platform’s brand integrity and the user’s trust.

5. HOW TO SET UP A DIGITAL AD CAMPAIGN (THE 5-STEP PROCESS)

A successful digital ad campaign follows a universal strategic workflow across major platforms.

STEP 1: DEFINE THE GOAL AND BUDGET

What is the specific, measurable action you want? (e.g., Generate 50 B2B leads, Achieve $5,000 in revenue). Determine the total amount and the daily or lifetime ad budget.

STEP 2: CHOOSE THE PLATFORM AND FORMAT

Select the network(s) that align with your goal (e.g., LinkedIn for B2B, Google Search for intent). Choose the appropriate ad format (text, video, image).

STEP 3: DEFINE THE TARGET AUDIENCE (THE “WHO”)

Use the platform’s tools for precise targeting: Firmographics (job title, company size, industry) for B2B, and create Custom Audiences for highly specific retargeting.

STEP 4: CREATE THE AD CREATIVE AND LANDING PAGE

The ad creative (text, image, or video) must have a clear Call-to-Action (CTA). The destination landing page must perfectly match the ad’s message to maintain user trust and ensure high Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO).⁸

STEP 5: LAUNCH, MONITOR, AND ITERATE

Monitor key performance metrics closely. Adjust bids, targeting, or creative based on performance data to optimize ad spend.

6. BEST TIMINGS TO SET ADS (DATA VERSUS AUDIENCE BEHAVIOR)

In 2025, modern ad platforms use AI to optimize delivery, often making consistent 24/7 campaigns effective.⁹ However, strategic budget allocation should favor peak times for your target audience.

Key Rule: The ultimate best time for running your digital ads is determined by your specific audience’s behavior data within the ad platform’s analytics.

7. HOW TO TELL YOUR AD IS WORKING (KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS)

You measure ad campaign success by moving beyond simple impressions and focusing on Conversion and Cost.

• Click-Through Rate (CTR): Measures ad relevance.¹⁰ Higher CTR is better.
• Conversion Rate (CVR): Measures landing page effectiveness.¹¹ Higher CVR is better.
• Cost Per Acquisition (CPA): The cost to acquire one lead or customer.¹² Lower CPA is better.
• Return On Ad Spend (ROAS): The revenue generated for every dollar spent.¹³ ROAS greater than 1.0 is generally profitable.
• ROI (Return on Investment): The overall profitability of the campaign.¹⁴ The ultimate indicator of success for a digital advertising campaign.

8. HOW TO EDIT AND OPTIMIZE AN AD CAMPAIGN

Continuous optimization is mandatory for effective digital advertising.¹⁵

1. A/B Test Creatives: Test multiple ad variants (headlines, images, CTAs). Pause the lower-performing ads (low CTR) and duplicate the winner.
2. Refine Targeting: If your CPA is too high, narrow your audience. If your budget isn’t spending, expand your reach slightly.
3. Adjust Bids: Increase your bid if you are missing impressions, or lower your bid if your CPA is too high.
4. Optimize the Landing Page: If your CTR is high but your CVR is low, the problem is the destination. Edit the landing page for faster loading and clearer copy to improve conversion.

9. WHICH SOCIAL MEDIA WORKS WELL FOR B2B ADS?

For a B2B strategy focused on Empathy Engineered messaging, LinkedIn is the most powerful platform for social media advertising.¹⁶

• LinkedIn: Allows for surgical targeting based on Job Title, Company Industry, and Seniority, essential for reaching B2B decision-makers.
• YouTube: Excellent for educational video marketing (webinars, demos) to an audience researching solutions.
• Facebook/Instagram: Most effective for Retargeting previous website visitors and maintaining brand presence.

The most effective strategy always involves an integrated approach, where multiple platforms work together to nurture leads.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ) ABOUT DIGITAL ADVERTISING

Q1: WHAT IS PPC AND HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM SEO?

A: PPC (Pay-Per-Click) is a model of digital advertising where you pay a fee each time your ad is clicked, primarily used in Search Engine Marketing (SEM).¹⁷ SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the practice of optimizing your website to earn organic (unpaid) traffic.¹⁸ PPC delivers immediate visibility; SEO is a long-term strategy for sustained traffic.¹⁹

Q2: WHY IS MY AD CLICK-THROUGH RATE (CTR) HIGH BUT MY CONVERSION RATE (CVR) LOW?

A: A high CTR means your ad creative is compelling, but a low CVR indicates a problem with the landing page. The page likely doesn’t deliver on the ad’s promise, has confusing navigation, or loads too slowly. This is a common issue that requires Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO).

Q3: HOW MUCH SHOULD I SPEND ON DIGITAL ADS?

A: There is no universal answer. Your ad budget should be based on your CPA goal and your revenue targets. Start small with a test budget (e.g., $500 – $1,000) to find a working CPA, then scale the budget based on the ROI you achieve.²⁰

Q4: WHAT IS RETARGETING AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR B2B?

A: Retargeting (or remarketing) is showing ads to people who have already interacted with your brand (e.g., visited your pricing page).²¹ For B2B marketing, this is vital because sales cycles are long, and retargeting helps your brand stay top-of-mind, building the necessary trust to close the deal.²²

Q5: WHAT IS THE MAIN ADVANTAGE OF SETTING AN AD OVER BOOSTING?

A: The main advantage is control over the conversion event. By setting an ad, you can optimize your campaign specifically for valuable actions like “Request a Demo” or “Download Whitepaper,” directly driving business revenue, whereas boosting is limited to general engagement.

Don’t let your competitors gain the AI advantage. Contact Markempai today and let us help you transform your digital advertising into a precision growth engine for your Kenyan business.

Book your consultation with our marketing specialists today and discover how we can elevate your brand. Together, we’ll build connections that translate to sustainable business growth.

markempai.com |info@markempai.com.

Further Reading & Research:

Best Digital Marketing Practices In 2025: Best Digital Marketing Practices In 2025 – markempai.com

Effective Email Marketing Campaigns: A Guide for Kenyan Businesses: Effective Email Marketing Campaigns: A Guide for Kenyan Businesses – markempai.com

The Ultimate Guide to Search Engine Marketing: The Ultimate Guide to Search Engine Marketing – markempai.com

Digital Marketing Strategy: Digital Marketing Strategy – markempai.com

Optimizing for GEO and AEO in 2025: Optimizing for GEO and AEO in 2025 – markempai.com

What Is Digital Marketing? What Is Digital Marketing? – markempai.com

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