With paid-for social media advertising very much an integrated part of many big (and small) advertiser’s budgets these days, one could be forgiven for thinking that the original issues many had with social ads (primarily around measuring returns) had been resolved; however, a new study reveals that this is far from the case. </p> <p>Most advertisers combining social media ads with other channels</p> <p>According to the research from Vizu (specialists in brand advertising measurement), two-thirds (66%) of advertisers surveyed said that they are now integrating paid social media advertising into their online campaigns; most of these advertisers (83%) integrate them with display ads. Just under half (46%) use social media in conjunction with online video marketing, and 40% use social combined with mobile advertising. </p> <p>When it comes to offline integration, just over half (52%) of those surveyed now combine paid social ads with print marketing, and just over a third (37%) are combining social media marketing with TV campaigns. </p> <p>Advertisers still struggle to measure branding impact</p> <p>Social ads are usually used for branding, and this is where the problem arises. Despite the significant take up, many advertisers still struggle to quantify the impact social media marketing has, and this is constraining the growth of the market. Advertisers understand that investment in social media marketing and content is positive for their brand but can’t clearly display how – and thus struggle to justify future spend. If you buy social media ads, how do you measure success?<br />