Resources

Social Buying Best Practices in New Zealand

A practical guide to planning, executing, and optimising paid social in the NZ market — platforms, targeting, creative, and measurement.

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Why Paid Social Still Delivers

Huge reach

3.9M+ Kiwis on social; algorithms optimise to your goals.

Full-funnel

From awareness to DR; formats to suit every stage.

Fresh formats

Video, Stories/Reels, carousels, collections keep attention.

Great with search

Integrates across channels to lift overall performance.

NZ overview & benefits summarised from the open of the guide. (pp.1–2)

Key Platforms in NZ (Reach & Roles)

Meta

~3.5M on Facebook, ~2.2M on Instagram; strong across objectives.

LinkedIn

2M+ professionals; premium B2B targeting.

TikTok

1.5M+ users; algorithmic discovery and high engagement.

YouTube

4M+ monthly users via Google Ads; high VCR and viewability.

Snapchat / Pinterest

Niche, lower saturation; unique creative options.

Platform snapshot from page 3.

Common Objectives

  • Awareness/Reach • Traffic • Leads • Conversions • App Installs — pick based on funnel + KPIs.

Objective guidance from page 4.

Account & Campaign Structure

Campaigns

By objective (Awareness, Traffic, Conversion).

Ad Sets

By audience type (interest, lookalike, retargeting).

Ads

By format or message variant; test methodically.

Structure best practice from page 5.

Targeting Options

Demographic & Geo

Age, gender, suburbs/postcodes.

Interest/Behaviour

Followers, shoppers, device usage.

Custom & CRM

Site actions, uploaded lists, recency tiers.

Lookalikes

1–10% from converters; test seeds.

Broad

Let the algo find users; needs strong conversion data.

Targeting layers from page 6.

Creative Formats & Best Practices

Formats

Static, Video (short/long), Carousels, Collections, Reels/Stories.

Hooks

Grab attention in the first 3s, especially for video.

Mobile-first

4:5 and 9:16 ratios, legible text, thumb-stopping visuals.

Copy & CTA

Concise messaging with clear next step.

Test

A/B headlines, visuals, CTAs; rotate frequently.

Pages 7–8.

Placement Strategy

  • Automatic placements for reach/efficiency.
  • Manual where brand control is needed.
  • Adjust per platform (Feed vs Stories vs Reels).

Page 9.

Bidding & Budgeting

Lowest Cost

Default; maximise results within budget.

Cost Cap

Keep average CPA at/under target.

Bid/Target Cost

Advanced control; needs monitoring.

Daily vs Lifetime

Lifetime for flexible pacing across a flight.

Budget tactics from page 10.

Scheduling & Dayparting

  • Use start/end dates for promos; avoid pausing mid-flight.
  • Daypart for retail/service/B2B peaks; keep evergreen for always-on.

Page 11.

The Learning Phase

  • Aim for ~50 conversions/ad set/week for stability.
  • Avoid major edits; they restart learning.
  • Don’t kill underperformers too early; let data mature (7–14 days).

Key thresholds and timing from page 12.

Performance Metrics to Track

CTR

1–2% typical benchmark; track links & LPVs.

CPM/CPC

Efficiency indicators across platforms.

CVR

Actions from clicks; tie to business goals.

Video & ROAS

VCR/watch time; revenue per $ spent.

Page 13.

Retargeting Best Practices

  • Build audiences: site 30s+, 50% video viewers, form starters, cart abandoners.
  • Layer frequency caps (≈2–3/day; 15–20/week) to prevent burnout.
  • Sequence creative: awareness → features → proof → offer; refresh every 2–3 weeks.

Page 14.

Lookalike Audience Tips

  • Base on converters, not just leads.
  • Use 1% for precision; 2–5% to scale.
  • Refresh sources quarterly; test multiple seeds.

Page 15.

Common NZ Mistakes

  • Interest targeting without exclusions → overlap & high CPMs.
  • Ignoring mobile-first creative (most traffic is mobile).
  • No post-click conversion tracking; only clicks measured.
  • Skipping creative testing; running assets too long.
  • Daily budget changes; resets learning.
  • One-size-fits-all messaging across regions.
  • Weak landing page UX/speed for NZ traffic.

Page 16.

Measurement & Attribution

  • Combine platform analytics with GA4/Looker Studio.
  • Manage attribution windows; beware over-attribution.
  • Use consistent UTMs; standardise naming.
  • Account for cross-device journeys.

Page 17.

Scaling What Works

  • Duplicate winning ad sets; keep originals live.
  • Broaden audiences strategically (LLAs, interests, geo).
  • Increase budgets gradually (≤20% every ~48h); consider CBO.
  • Iterate creative and consider dayparting where it helps.

Page 18.

How KBR Supports Paid Social

Builds, audits, restructure

Lift ROAS with smart structure and targeting.

Creative & testing frameworks

Data-driven variations to prevent fatigue.

Dashboards & training

Unified reporting, monthly performance reviews.

Cross-channel strategy

Search + social plans and budget optimisation.

Pages 19–20.

Want to Improve Your Social Performance?

We’ll sharpen targeting, optimise creative, and scale with confidence.