Social media advertising has grown at an exponential rate, with different platforms racing each other to introduce new features, targeting tools, in-platform purchasing options and more. There’s a reason for this. While it’s possible to connect with your customers on social media relying solely on the content you post and organic engagement, it’s incredibly difficult to do so effectively enough to consistently drive sales in a satisfying fashion. Brands that are winning on social media are doing so with a combination of paid advertising and regular content: you simply need both if you’re going to break through the noise and reach a realistic number of relevant viewers.

Here’s what’s new in the world of social media advertising this week:

Facebook Lead Generation Ads Add Video, Mail Chimp Integration& More

Facebook’s Lead Generation ads are powerful tools that can be used to encourage viewers to sign up for a newsletter, schedule an appointment, or complete another action step that moves them further down the sales channel. This week, Facebook debuted video lead gen ads, which integrate the call to action content in the body of the video, strongly urging viewers to take the next step. These ads are being introduced as being especially appealing to realtors, automakers, and the financial services field, but we imagine it won’t take long for other industry sectors to adopt them.

Additionally, Facebook has taken steps to allow the back end of the lead gen ads to integrate more successfully with popular CRM and email marketing platforms, such as Constant Contact and MailChimp. Finally, if you’re doing business internationally, be aware that Facebook lead gen ads now can be configured to include a checkbox that users can click granting permission to share their information: this is vital in countries that require double opt-in.

[Tweet “You need both paid and organic content to break through the social media noise.”]

Pinterest Opens Promoted Pins to All; Radically Increases Number of Targeting Tools

While Promoted Pins have been available on Pinterest to selected retailers for a while now, not everyone could access them. Now the self-serve ad portal, called the Promoted Pins Ad Manager, is open to everyone. We’ve been creating Promoted Pins for some of our clients and can report the interface is fairly easy to use, although you are going to want to pay careful attention to the images and copy you upload: with an expected new flood of Promoted Pins to appear on the platform, it’s the really well-composed and carefully crafted ads that will stand out.

Pinterest has also radically increased the number of ad targeting options from 30 to 420. Now advertisers will be able to add in multiple layers of interest, so users who are doing a particularly specific search, such as Seaside Wedding Accessories Mermaid Hairpieces will have relevant Promoted Pins shown to them. To make best use of these interests, you’ll want to spend a little time familiarizing yourself with what’s available: it’s really a dazzling selection.