In high-growth ecommerce and DTC organizations, social media and advertising are no longer secondary activities. They’re mission-critical engines for acquisition, retention, and brand building. For CMOs and Heads of Growth, the real challenge isn’t deciding whether to invest—it’s about clarifying who should own the strategy, execution, and performance of these channels.
This ownership debate is more urgent than ever. With algorithms changing weekly, creative fatigue setting in fast, and customer acquisition costs rising, the need for real-time decision-making and integrated execution has never been higher. Platforms like Meta, TikTok, and Google aren’t just places to tell your story. They’re marketplaces that demand precision, speed, and full-funnel mastery.
To scale effectively, your team needs a centralized, data-powered framework that connects creative, analytics, media buying, and attribution. In this guide, we’ll explore why strategic ownership matters and how to structure your team around it.
What is Social Media and Advertising?
Social media and advertising combine to form a data-rich foundation of performance marketing for today’s ecommerce brands.
Social media refers to platforms where billions of people spend hours each day—Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn, Twitter, and more. Advertising within these ecosystems leverages audience data, creative placements, and AI-powered algorithms to deliver highly targeted, performance-optimized campaigns.
When done right, social media and advertising:
- Drive new customer acquisition through platform-native creatives
- Power retargeting loops for mid- and bottom-funnel outcomes
- Enable A/B testing at scale thanks to real-time analytics
- Allow granular control over spend and pacing by channel
With tools like first-party data integrations, predictive analytics, and platform-level automation, brands can execute high-performing, full-funnel strategies. Social media and advertising aren’t just awareness plays—they’re measurable growth vehicles.
Who Should Own Social Media and Advertising?
Ownership of social media and advertising directly impacts performance outcomes. In high-performing teams, this function sits at the intersection of creative, performance, and strategy—not in silos.
Here’s why that matters:
- Performance and brand can’t be separated: You need precision targeting without sacrificing storytelling.
- Execution speed is everything: Complex workflows slow results.
- Attribution clarity drives smarter spend: Fragmented ownership leads to inconsistent measurement.
We recommend placing social media and advertising under a growth or performance function that collaborates cross-functionally. This ensures:
- Rapid creative iterations based on real-time results
- Unified data strategies tied to key metrics like CAC, ROAS, and LTV
- Strategic alignment across paid, organic, and brand efforts
The most successful teams empower media buyers, growth leads, and creatives to operate in a loop—shared goals, integrated analytics, and fast feedback.
How to Launch Social Media and Advertising the Right Way
Launching effective campaigns requires more than flipping the switch on Meta Ads Manager.
Follow this checklist to hit the ground running:
Define your audience: Use first-party data to build precise segments.
Align messaging to funnel stages: Top-of-funnel and bottom-of-funnel content should look different.
Select platforms based on ROI: Meta may drive scale, while TikTok drives top-of-funnel; don’t treat all platforms equally.
Run structured creative tests: Test concepts systematically to avoid noise in your results.
Track blended CAC and LTV: Focus on business outcomes, not just in-platform ROAS.
Use feedback loops: Hold weekly performance reviews and optimize continuously.
High-performance social media and advertising strategies are built on agility, clarity, and data. Launching campaigns without a testing and learning engine risks burning budget without insight. Learn more about social media tools for DTCs.
When Should You Double Down on Social Media and Advertising?
The right time to invest isn’t always during peak seasons. In fact, smart brands find opportunities in less crowded auctions.
Use data-driven signals to guide investment timing:
- Behavioral insights from CRM or customer data platforms
- Micro-trends in platform engagement or click-through rates
- Internal factors like product launches or inventory cycles
- Auction dynamics and ad pricing trends
For example, some DTC brands reduce CAC by launching campaigns just before a competitive quarter rather than during it. Syncing media bursts to customer intent—not just holiday calendars—lets you scale more efficiently.
Centralizing Ownership Unlocks Full-Funnel Growth
When social media and advertising sit within a central media or growth team, brands gain strategic clarity and executional speed. This model improves alignment across creative, analytics, and buying decisions.
Top-performing organizations deploy this structure to:
- Drive faster creative iterations tied to performance data
- Allocate budget dynamically based on real-time results
- Reduce CAC and improve ROAS through targeted execution
Most importantly, centralized ownership gives marketers end-to-end control:
- Media buyers can control bid strategy, pacing, and audience segmentation
- Creatives can test concepts based on actual feedback loops
- Analysts can map multi-touch attribution to LTV and profitable cohorts
By merging implementation and insight, ownership becomes a growth lever—not a political debate.
Why Admetrics is Essential for Social Media and Advertising Success
Admetrics empowers DTC and ecommerce brands to take control of their media performance. Our AI-powered platform equips your team with:
- Unified multi-platform reporting across Meta, TikTok, Google, and more
- Incrementality analysis that separates signal from noise
- Advanced attribution modeling that factors in blended CAC, LTV, and ROAS
Whether you're optimizing creatives, reallocating budgets, or validating your next campaign, Admetrics helps turn data into profitable decisions. Book your demo and start scaling smarter. Book here
Top FAQs About Social Media and Advertising in 2024
What is the best platform for ecommerce advertising?
It depends on your product and audience, but Meta and Google consistently offer high scale and return on ad spend.
How can I measure ROAS across multiple channels?
Unify your data sources and use multi-touch attribution to understand how channels interact across the funnel.
Should we still invest in Facebook ads?
Yes. Despite changes in targeting, Meta delivers strong performance when paired with smart creative and rigorous testing.
What’s the best way to scale ad spend without losing efficiency?
Use tiered budget increases, run creative refreshes weekly, and monitor blended CAC metrics.
How important is creative in social media and advertising?
Creative is often the most important performance lever. A great ad can outpace targeting or bidding improvements.
What attribution model should we trust post-iOS 14.5?
A combination of modeled attribution and incrementality testing yields the most reliable insights.
