Social media advertising is the use of social media platforms, such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+, to market a product or service. Social media advertising can be done in a number of ways including paid search, display ads, and retargeting.

The most common way to use social media marketing is through paid search. The paid search involves placing ads on search engines that are specifically designed to attract clicks from people who are looking for products or services similar to those being advertised. Paid search also allows advertisers to target users based on their interests and location.

Display ads are another type of social media advertising that is placed on websites and can be seen by users when they visit the website. Display ads are typically larger than paid ads and can be targeted towards specific demographics, such as age, gender, income level, etc.

Retargeting is a form of social media advertising that uses cookies to track the online activity of users who have visited websites previously. After tracking this activity, retargeting ads can be delivered on other websites that the user visits. This allows marketers to continue reaching the user even after they have ceased using the original website.

There are countless reasons to use social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn for advertising, but some of the most common reasons include reaching a wider audience, building brand awareness, and engaging with customers. Additionally, social media platforms can be used as a powerful tool for marketing research and customer feedback.