Sally-Anne Kaminski

For many small businesses, paid social advertising has always been aspirational. Quarterly ad spend and access to company ad reps who can help with best practices could potentially cost upward of tens of thousands of dollars.

But with organic reach shrinking by the day as the social space becomes more cluttered with brands sharing their messages, paid social advertising is suddenly becoming more important and almost necessary to make sure your messages get seen.

What you may not know, though, is the top three social ad platforms all offer self-service options without the hefty price tag. Simply select a budget, even if it's as little as $50, and you'll only pay for the engagements your ads receive.

Once you have a budget determined, what about access to those best practices? How will you know where to use those dollars? Here are some tips you may find beneficial to help you get started:

While many brands are reviewing posts and engaging with people who directly mention their Twitter handle or post on their Facebook wall, they are only seeing a fraction of the conversation. Using social listening to uncover indirect mentions will help you see the bigger picture.