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Paid Social Media Advertising

WHERE YOUR
AUDIENCE
ALREADY IS.

Paid social across Meta, TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat and Reddit — planned around audience behaviour, not platform defaults. Multi-market audience modelling for Canadian brands scaling into the US, the UK and Europe, with cross-border lookalikes that actually travel.

Talk to Us About Paid Social
$5bn
Canadian Social Ad Spend — 2023 (CAD)
IAB Canada / eMarketer, 2024
33M
Social Media Users in Canada
DataReportal, 2024
84%
Canadian Internet Users Active on Social
DataReportal, 2024
+20%
Social Video Ad Spend Growth — Year-on-Year
IAB Canada, 2024
The Medium

THE LARGEST
ADVERTISING CHANNEL
IN THE WORLD

Social media is now the largest advertising channel globally by spend — and in Canada, 33 million people use it regularly. The opportunity is not whether to be here. It is how to plan it intelligently.

Canadian social ad spend reached approximately $5 billion CAD in 2023 — accounting for over a third of all digital advertising investment. The channel is not maturing. Video investment on social grew more than 20% year-on-year in 2024, as audiences shifted decisively toward short-form and long-form video across every platform.

The challenge for most advertisers is not access to the platforms — it is knowing which platform to prioritise, which audience to build, which format to back, and how to read the data to make the next decision better than the last. That is where we focus.

Our Approach

DATA-LED.
AUDIENCE-FIRST.
PLATFORM-AGNOSTIC.

We are not advocates for any single platform. Every brief starts with the audience — who they are, where they spend their time, what they respond to, and what the data from previous activity tells us about where to invest next.

We plan and buy across the full social landscape: Meta, TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, Reddit, Pinterest and X. We follow the audience, not the platform's own sales pitch. The right platform for a 35-year-old homeowner researching financial products is not the right platform for a 22-year-old gaming enthusiast — and treating them the same way is how budgets get wasted.

Creative matters enormously in paid social — but we are not a creative agency. We work with your assets or refer creative development to our partners. What we bring is the data intelligence to know what the creative needs to do, and the buying expertise to put it in front of the right audience at the right moment.

Platforms We Buy

THE FULL SOCIAL
LANDSCAPE

Meta
Facebook · Instagram · Reels · Stories · Threads

The largest social advertising ecosystem in Canada. Facebook reaches over 23 million Canadians; Instagram's ad reach among 18–34 year olds in Canada sits above 75%. Meta's audience data and targeting depth remain unmatched — and Advantage+ automation, used intelligently alongside manual audience controls, can significantly improve efficiency at scale.

23M+ Facebook users in Canada · 75%+ of Canadian 18–34s reachable on Instagram · Source: DataReportal, 2024
TikTok
In-Feed Video · TopView · Spark Ads · Search Ads

TikTok reaches approximately 35% of Canadian adults 18+ — and per-capita engagement in Canada is among the highest in the world, with users spending well over 38 hours per month on the platform. TikTok functions as both an entertainment channel and increasingly as a search and discovery engine — particularly for under-35s.

35%+ of Canadian adults (18+) reachable · 38hrs+ monthly average Canadian usage · Source: DataReportal / Sprout Social, 2025
YouTube
Pre-Roll · Bumper Ads · Connected TV · Shorts

YouTube has the highest advertising reach of any social platform in Canada — approaching 90% of internet users. It operates as both a social platform and a search engine, reaching audiences actively seeking content in every category. YouTube on connected TV is a growing priority — audiences watching long-form content on the biggest screen in the house.

~90% of Canadian internet users reachable · Fastest-growing CTV format · Source: DataReportal, 2024
Snapchat
Snap Ads · Story Ads · Filters · AR Lenses

Snapchat's Canadian audience is dominated by 13–34 year olds — a demographic that is systematically under-reached on Facebook and increasingly competitive on TikTok. For brands targeting younger audiences, Snapchat's immersive full-screen formats and AR capabilities deliver formats that genuinely feel native to the platform rather than interruptive.

Strongest reach among Canadian 13–34s · Immersive full-screen formats · AR lens capabilities
Reddit
Promoted Posts · Conversation Ads · Takeovers

Reddit is among the fastest-growing social platforms for Canadian ad audiences, with particularly strong penetration among 18–34 year olds in tech, gaming, finance and enthusiast categories. It is the internet's most active community platform — and advertising within genuine communities of interest delivers contextual relevance that broadcast platforms cannot replicate.

Strong among Canadian 18–34s in tech, gaming and finance · Community-context advertising · Source: Sprout Social / Metricool, 2025
Pinterest & X
Pinterest Discovery Ads · X Promoted Posts

Pinterest reaches approximately 10 million Canadians actively searching for ideas, products and inspiration — driven by discovery and shopping intent. X (formerly Twitter) has a distinct but declining audience — particularly for news, sport, politics and real-time conversation brands that need to be present in the moment.

Pinterest: ~10M Canadian users · Strong purchase intent · Source: DataReportal / Metricool, 2025
How We Plan

DATA-LED MEANS
THE DATA DECIDES

Audience Construction
We build audiences from the data up — first-party CRM lists, lookalike modelling, behavioural segments, interest stacking and contextual targeting. Not from platform defaults, which are deliberately broad because broader reach generates more platform revenue. On Meta we layer Custom Audiences and Advantage+ carefully; on TikTok we test interest vs. behavioural targeting independently; on Reddit we go community-first.
Budget Allocation
We allocate budget across platforms based on performance data, not intuition or platform reps' recommendations. Where an audience responds better on TikTok than Meta, the budget moves. Where a format underperforms its benchmark CPM or CPA, we cut it — regardless of the platform's own optimisation signals, which are not always aligned with your outcomes. We typically start with a test-and-learn sprint of two to three weeks before scaling.
Performance Signals
We track beyond platform metrics. Click-through rates and CPMs tell you how the platform is performing — conversion data, attribution modelling and downstream revenue tell you whether the campaign is actually working. We set up server-side conversion tracking and GA4 integration from the outset, so the data feeding Meta's CAPI and TikTok's Events API reflects real business outcomes rather than platform-inflated proxy metrics.
Continuous Optimisation
Paid social is not a set-and-forget channel. Every campaign runs on a structured weekly optimisation cadence — audience refresh cycles, creative rotation, bid strategy review and negative audience expansion built into the plan from day one. We report weekly against agreed KPIs in plain English, and flag what we've changed and why. No end-of-month surprises.
Campaign Types

PAID SOCIAL ACROSS
THE FULL FUNNEL

Awareness
Brand Reach & Recognition

Getting your brand in front of the right audience at scale — building familiarity, recall and consideration before the purchase decision is made. Optimised for reach, frequency and brand lift.

Video AdsReelsTikTok In-FeedYouTube Pre-RollStory Ads
Consideration
Engagement & Intent

Moving audiences from awareness to active consideration — driving traffic, video views, profile engagement, app installs and lead generation. Optimised for quality interactions over raw volume.

Carousel AdsLead Gen FormsCollection AdsPromoted PostsSpark Ads
Conversion
Sales & Action

Driving the specific action — purchase, booking, sign-up, enquiry. Retargeting warm audiences, optimising for conversion events, and connecting paid social activity to downstream revenue with proper attribution.

Dynamic AdsRetargetingShopping AdsConversion CampaignsCPA Optimisation
Platform Reach at a Glance

CANADIAN SOCIAL ADVERTISING
REACH BY PLATFORM

Platform Primary Audience Strength Canadian Ad Reach
YouTube All adults, broad demographic spread Highest reach of any social platform; video and CTV ~90% of internet users
Facebook 25–54, broad Canadian coverage Largest platform by volume; retargeting depth 23M+ Canadian users
Instagram 18–44, style, lifestyle, commerce Visual brand building; shopping; Reels discovery 75%+ of Canadian 18–34s
TikTok 18–34 core; broadening rapidly Highest time spent; entertainment and discovery 35%+ of Canadian adults 18+
Snapchat 13–34, strongest among 13–24 Younger audience; immersive formats; AR Strong among Canadian under-25s
Reddit 18–34, tech, gaming, finance, enthusiasts Community context; intent-rich environments Strong among Canadian 18–34 enthusiasts
Pinterest 25–44, home, fashion, food, lifestyle Discovery and purchase intent; growing fast ~10M Canadian users
Sources: DataReportal Digital 2024 Canada · Sprout Social 2025 · Metricool 2025 Canada Social Media Statistics
Beyond Social Media

GAMING & CONNECTED
DEVICE ADVERTISING

Paid social is not the only way to reach audiences in digital environments. 23 million Canadians play video games, and 61% of Canadian adults are active gamers. We also plan and buy advertising across gaming platforms, in-game environments, streaming communities and connected devices — reaching audiences in the moments social media can't access. Find out more about our gaming advertising capability →

Gaming Advertising
Common Questions

FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS

How much does social media advertising cost in Canada?
Social media advertising in Canada can be started with budgets as low as $500–$1,000 CAD per month for a single platform, though most mid-market brands see meaningful results from $3,000–$10,000 CAD per month across two or three channels. Costs vary by platform: Meta CPMs typically range from $8–$18 CAD, TikTok from $10–$20 CAD, and YouTube from $5–$15 CAD depending on targeting and format. We help brands allocate budget where it will have the most impact.
Which social media platforms should Canadian brands advertise on?
The right platforms depend on your audience and objectives. Meta (Facebook and Instagram) reaches over 23 million Canadians and remains the most versatile platform. TikTok reaches over 35% of Canadian adults and is essential for youth-skewing or video-first campaigns. YouTube reaches approximately 90% of Canadians and is strong for consideration and intent campaigns. Snapchat leads with Canadian 13–34 year olds. Reddit reaches engaged 18–34 enthusiasts in specific interest communities. We recommend starting with 2–3 platforms aligned to your audience before expanding.
What social media ad formats work best in Canada?
Video consistently outperforms static across all major Canadian social platforms — video ad spend in Canada grew +20% in 2024. Short-form vertical video (Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts) delivers the strongest reach and engagement for awareness campaigns. Carousel and collection formats perform well for e-commerce and product discovery. For lead generation, native form ads reduce friction significantly. We test creative formats and iterate based on real performance data — not assumptions about what 'should' work.
How do you measure the success of social media advertising in Canada?
Measurement depends on your campaign objective. For awareness campaigns we track reach, frequency, video completion rates, and brand lift. For consideration, we monitor click-through rate and cost-per-visit. For conversion campaigns, we track cost-per-result (lead, purchase, sign-up) and return on ad spend (ROAS). We set up proper tracking — including Meta Pixel, TikTok Pixel, and Google Analytics — before any campaign goes live, so performance data is clean and attributable from day one.
Can social media advertising target Canadian audiences specifically, not just North America broadly?
Yes. All major platforms allow precise geographic targeting at the country, province, city, and postal code level. We build campaigns geo-targeted to Canada — or to specific Canadian markets like Ontario, BC, or Alberta — so your budget reaches Canadian audiences rather than being diluted across a broader North American pool. Canadian-specific creative and messaging also performs significantly better than US-repurposed content with Canadian audiences.

Also from Simplicity

Search Marketing → Gaming Advertising → Connected TV →

READY TO REACH YOUR AUDIENCE?

Talk to Us About Paid Social
Simplicity Media

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+1 (416) 848 7340
+1 (902) 943 3483
+44 (0)20 38 38 2009
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Toronto, ON, CA
London, UK

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