With 97% of U.S. households owning a TV1 and 73% of U.S. adults using social media,2 advertising on both TV and social is a smart move.
Television and social media complement each other in powerful ways. TV can be used to build broad awareness and trust, while social media offers quick engagement and immediate ways to act. When used together, these platforms reinforce the same message across screens, helping small businesses reach more people, stay top-of-mind, and drive measurable results.
Media meshing: Why TV and social media work so well together
Today’s viewers rarely watch TV with only one device. Around 75% of adults engage in “second-screening”—using their phone while watching TV—to look up information, browse social media, or interact with content they see on screen.3 This behavior, known as media meshing, makes TV and social media especially effective partners. When people see a TV commercial and immediately grab their phone, your social ads can meet them right in that moment of curiosity.
TV and social media integration: A complementary effort
At a high level, TV attracts attention and social media keeps it going. When you run TV and social ads together, the platforms reinforce each other:
- TV generates broad awareness and credibility.
- Social media delivers frequency, conversation, and action.
- Together, they help your message “stick.”
Campaigns that combine TV and digital platforms deliver higher ROI than running either channel on its own. Nielsen found that using TV and digital together can deliver up to 16% incremental reach, helping advertisers connect with audiences that may not regularly watch TV or may scroll during commercial breaks.4
For small businesses, this means you don’t need a huge budget. Even a simple TV spot paired with low-cost social media ads can strengthen your message and reach customers at multiple touchpoints.
How to leverage social media and TV ads together effectively
Serving up a cohesive campaign across TV and social media is possible thanks to tools like addressable TV advertising. Much like the demographic, geographic, and interest targeting available on social media platforms, addressable TV advertising allows businesses to target their ads to TV audiences at the household level to reach their desired audience.
Here’s how you can combine targeted social media and TV ads to improve results:
Use TV to introduce your message.
This might be a 15- or 30-second commercial that features your core message such as a sale, new product or service, or seasonal reminder.
Use social media to repeat and deepen that message.
Repurpose video content from your ad spot to run a shorter spot that echoes your TV message. Personalize the social media ad copy to speak to something specific about your audience, such as their location. When viewers see both your TV commercial and your social ads in the same week, your message becomes harder to forget.
Keep everything consistent.
Social media ads must be shorter than TV commercials, but use the same tagline, offer, and call to action across both platforms to tie everything together.
For example, a local retailer holding a weekend sale might run a short, energetic TV ad that announces, “This Weekend Only: 25% Off Everything in Store.” At the same time, the retailer would run social ads featuring the same message along with countdown graphics and product photos, with post copy and calls to action that speak directly to the nearby location.
Reinforce your TV campaign with social media
TV and social media are a natural pair, and both are important facets of an omnichannel marketing strategy. TV helps your brand stand out by delivering strong storytelling and broad reach. Social media extends that message by reinforcing it on platforms where customers spend time every day. When these two channels work together, small businesses can increase awareness, drive engagement, and generate stronger results from their advertising budgets.
Ready to combine TV with your social media advertising? Contact us to start reaching your audience wherever—and however—they’re watching.
Sources:
1. Nielsen, “Beyond big data: The audience watching over the air,” January 2024.
2. Pew Research Center, “Americans’ Social Media Use,” January 1, 2024
3. GWI, “The Rise of the Second Screen,” 2024.
4. Nielsen, “The Power of TV and Digital Together,” 2022.