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From Google to Meta: Expanding Skills into Social Media Marketing and Advertising

After building a strong foundation in Google Advertising, it was time to expand into one of the most dynamic areas of digital marketing—Social Media Marketing & Advertising.

At Brainster’s Digital Marketing Academy, this four-week module focused on creating and managing Facebook and Instagram campaigns, planning content strategies, analyzing ad performance, and understanding the underlying algorithms that govern social media success. It was all about turning attention into action across Meta’s platforms.

My Expectations for the Social Media Marketing & Advertising Module

Coming off the Google Ads module, I expected the Social Media Marketing & Advertising course to be just as hands-on—but with a bigger emphasis on engagement, creativity, and audience psychology.

I wanted to:

  • Understand how Facebook and Instagram advertising works behind the scenes
  • Learn how to use Meta Business Manager and Ads Manager professionally
  • Develop social media ad campaigns that convert, not just get clicks
  • Create content calendars and activity plans for brands
  • Analyze and optimize ad performance with real data

I was excited to explore the world where brand storytelling meets data-driven advertising—and this module delivered on all fronts.

Certificate of completion of the Social Media Marketing & Advertising module for Andrej Stojkoski

What I Learned in the Social Media Marketing & Advertising Module

The module was structured across four intense weeks, each adding a new layer to our skill set in paid social media marketing.

🔹 Week 1: Introduction to Facebook and Instagram Advertising

   We began by exploring:

  • How Facebook and Instagram Ads Work: From auction mechanics to ad placements
  • Social Media Algorithms: Understanding how content is ranked and displayed to users
  • Ad Visibility Experiments: Conducting personal experiments on our newsfeeds to study what types of ads we saw and why

This week was all about understanding what makes social media advertising unique compared to search advertising.

🔹 Week 2: Mastering Meta Business Manager

   Next, we deepened our practical knowledge:

  • Meta Business Manager Overview: Learning to centralize all assets—pages, ad accounts, data sources—in one hub
  • Available Tools: Audience Insights, Event Manager, Commerce Manager, etc.
  • Organizing Workflows: How to assign roles, manage ad accounts, and collaborate effectively
  • We created social media case studies for products or services, putting theory into practice by analyzing competitor activity and audience behaviors.

🔹 Week 3: Diving into Meta Ads Manager

   Here’s where things got even more exciting:

  • Building Campaigns in Meta Ads Manager: From campaign objectives to ad set targeting
  • Bidding Strategies and Budget Management: Understanding how to balance cost per click (CPC) with campaign goals
  • Metaverse and Business Suite Tools: An early look into how Meta’s broader vision impacts marketers today

Our team created and published real social media ad campaigns for a Brainster learning partner, focusing on precision targeting and compelling creative.

🔹 Week 4: Campaign Optimization and Reporting

   The final week focused on making campaigns better:

  • Optimization Techniques: Adjusting targeting, budgets, placements, and creatives based on data
  • Data Breakdown Analysis: Using CTR, CPC, CPM, conversions, and other KPIs to guide decisions
  • Reporting: Building clear, actionable reports for stakeholders

We learned how to read data stories—translating raw metrics into insights that drive performance improvements.

How I Applied the Social Media Marketing & Advertising Module in Practice

Our final project involved creating, launching, and tracking Facebook and Instagram campaigns for a real client—NU College.

Here’s what we delivered:

  • Content Strategy: Developed posting calendars and activity timelines
  • Audience Research: Built custom audiences based on demographics, interests, and behaviors
  • Campaign Building: Created campaigns from scratch with tailored ad creatives
  • Optimization: Monitored campaigns daily, making real-time optimizations to improve performance
  • Reporting: Compiled full reports with performance metrics, insights, and optimization suggestions

This project gave me end-to-end exposure to what it takes to run professional social media ad campaigns.

My Experience with the Social Media Marketing & Advertising Module

This module was extremely dynamic and creative. Unlike Google Ads, which felt more transactional, social media advertising was about building connections, sparking emotions, and driving conversations.

Some highlights for me:

  • Seeing firsthand how audience targeting affects campaign performance
  • Understanding the delicate balance between creative quality and data optimization
  • Learning to adapt content and messaging to different ad placements (feed, story, reels)

Thanks to this experience, I now feel equipped to run full-funnel social media campaigns that deliver both awareness and conversions.

Tools and Concepts I Worked With

Tool/Concept

Purpose

Meta Business Manager

Managing assets and collaboration

Meta Ads Manager

Creating and optimizing ad campaigns

Audience Insights Tool

Researching and refining audience segments

Social Media Content Calendars

Planning posting strategies

Campaign Reporting Templates

Summarizing and presenting ad performance

Top Skills I Gained from the Social Media Marketing & Advertising Module

✅ Social Media Campaign Creation

Building, managing, and optimizing Facebook and Instagram ads.

✅ Budgeting and Bidding Strategies

Managing daily and lifetime budgets effectively.

✅ Audience Targeting Expertise

Crafting custom audiences and lookalikes based on behavior and interests.

✅ Creative Development for Ads

Writing compelling ad copy and selecting effective visuals.

✅ Optimization and Reporting

Using KPIs like CTR, CPC, and conversions to refine and scale campaigns.

Why Social Media Marketing and Advertising Are Crucial Today

In today’s digital-first world, social media isn’t just where audiences hang out—it’s where they discover, evaluate, and interact with brands.

Well-structured social media marketing and advertising campaigns allow brands to connect authentically, drive engagement, and achieve measurable business results—faster and more affordably than many traditional channels.

Through this module, I gained the tools to turn conversations into conversions and deliver real ROI through strategic, targeted, and optimized campaigns.

Final Thoughts: Crafting Conversations That Convert

The Social Media Marketing & Advertising module was the perfect evolution after Google Advertising, giving me a comprehensive view of the digital advertising landscape—from search to social.

Now, I can create campaigns that not only reach the right audience but also inspire action, loyalty, and long-term brand love.

Armed with skills across SEO, Google Ads, content marketing, and social media advertising, I’m ready to deliver fully integrated digital marketing solutions that drive real results.