02 Dec 5 Social Media Myths That Are Wasting Your Ad Spend
Consumers are seeing advertisements from all angles these days—Linear TV, CTV, Display, OOH, and of course, paid social. With so many channels, it can be challenging to know which strategies are right—and, more importantly, which ones are wrong. At Ignite Social Media, we focus solely on the social media space. Because it’s an ever-changing landscape, plenty of misconceptions still exist about how to run effective paid social campaigns. And with every marketing dollar being crucial to a brand’s success, knowing what not to do is just as important as knowing what works. As we wrap up 2025 and look ahead to 2026, here are five social media myths that are wasting your ad spend and tips on how to maximize it instead.
What Are the 5 Myths That Are Wasting Your Ad Spend?
Myth 1: A bigger budget guarantees bigger results
Reality: It doesn’t. A larger budget may generate a higher volume of results, but it won’t necessarily maintain the same rate of return. One of the most common misconceptions is that increasing spend will automatically improve performance. However, several factors must be evaluated before investing more: competition, opportunity within the auction, platform updates, frequency issues, audience size, and more. Don’t let your additional marketing dollars work against you without considering these challenges.
Myth 2: You must be on every social media platform
Reality: You don’t. It all depends on where your target audience actually is. At Ignite, we use a third-party vendor to analyze audience behavior and identify where they spend most of their time on social. It’s far more effective—and cost-efficient—to be strategic with platform selection rather than trying to be everywhere at once. While we encourage channel diversification when appropriate, we also want to spend every dollar wisely.
Myth 3: Boosting a post is the same as running a targeted ad
Reality: It’s not. Using Meta as an example, boosting organic posts through the mobile app offers limited targeting, minimal campaign objectives, and a lack of reporting. While boosting may seem convenient, it does not deliver the same impact as running ads through Meta Ads Manager, which provides robust targeting capabilities, clearer objectives, and deeper performance insights.
Myth 4: The algorithm knows best, so I’ll let the platform handle placement and optimization
Reality: Not quite. While AI and machine learning have come a long way, they’re not perfect (yet?). Although automated placements and algorithmic optimizations can work well for some brands, they don’t work for all. We’ve tested this across a wide range of industries and have seen inconsistent results. When the algorithm underperforms, it raises questions about why spend was allocated where it was. Whether the issue is demographic targeting, placements, or both, algorithms are not one-size-fits-all. Strategy, monitoring, and optimization are still essential to ensure your dollars reach the right audience.
Myth 5: If my ads hit my target audience, the content doesn’t matter that much
Reality: It absolutely does. Content quality is more important than ever. With the barrier to entry for social advertising at an all-time low, there are more low-quality ads competing for user attention. Your content needs to stand out—and it needs to feel relatable, authentic, and native to the platform.
While AI-generated content is appealing for its efficiency, user sentiment around AI-generated ads is shifting. Younger audiences, in particular, are increasingly vocal about their dislike for AI-driven creative (as highlighted in a recent eMarketer article). Strong creative can make or break a campaign.
These are just a few of the major myths surrounding paid media. As we all know, the social landscape evolves quickly. Fortunately, our paid media experts at Ignite—who collectively bring 20+ years of industry experience—are constantly adapting and refining strategies as the platforms change. Staying informed, strategic, and adaptable is the key to ensuring your ad spend works as hard as possible.
If you’re ready to take the next step in your brand’s social advertising, contact us today.