If you’re new to the world of online advertising, the choices can be overwhelming. When choosing a platform, you’ll want to evaluate your audience, budget, and goals. Which platform is going to help you reach the right people in a way that meets your company’s online advertising goals?
We broke down a few of the platforms that have been the most effective at generating ROI for our clients to help you decide where you’ll get the most bang for your buck.
Learn How To Choose The Right Platform For Your Online Advertising
Google Ads
Search Network
These are the ads that show up at the top of the page for Google search results on mobile and desktop devices, like the example above.
Consider search network ads if:
- You want to drive traffic to your site.
- You want to increase brand awareness with people who are searching for products or terms related to your site.
- You’re looking to generate leads among people looking for your product or service.
- You’re willing to spend a bit more money and time for great results. Google Ads can be extremely effective, but they’re often more expensive than Facebook or Instagram ads.
Display Network
With Display Network ads, your ads are matched to sites across the internet that have content that relates to your site. These sites include everything from small fashion or food blogs to the New York Times and LinkedIn.
Consider display network ads if your goals include:
- Generating brand awareness among target audiences who have interests that relate to your company.
Facebook Ads
Boosted Posts
You can boost posts you’ve already made to people. Your posts will appear in your target audience’s news feeds much like if they followed your page.
Consider boosting your Facebook posts if:
- You’re new to online advertising and want to start small.
- You have great blog posts or other content and want to reach a wider audience.
- You want to drive traffic to specific content or pages on your site.
- You’re looking to establish yourself as a thought leader with customers or other people interested in your industry.
Like Growth
These ads appear in people’s newsfeeds suggesting that they like your page. They allow you to target Facebook users with specific interests and demographic information.
Consider like growth ads if:
- You already have Facebook content for people to engage with, or plan on posting frequently, and want to grow your audience.
- You want to build brand awareness.
Web Traffic
These ads drive traffic to your site or a landing page on your site and allow you to target a specific audience just like like growth ads do. They can appear in a number of places throughout Facebook, but we suggest placing your ads in the newsfeed or on the right-hand side of the newsfeed for the best results.
Consider web traffic ads if:
- You want to drive traffic to your site among people you know are interested in your products or services.
- You’re interested in improving your site traffic, but your budget is too small for Google Search Network ads to truly be effective.
Instagram Ads
Web Traffic
These work like web traffic ads on Facebook. A link to your site or landing page appears in people’s Instagram Feeds, inviting them to learn more, shop now, etc. Facebook owns Instagram, so all your Instagram ads will be run through Facebook.
Because Instagram is such a visual platform, these ads are great if you have a product or service that’s extremely visual. For example, our client Randy Peters (ad shown above) is advertising using photos of their breathtaking wedding venue.
This is great if your goals include:
- Generating leads for a product or service with great visuals.
- Driving web traffic with a specific target audience that uses Instagram heavily. (Foodies, for example.)
LinkedIn Ads
Sponsored Content
Like a Facebook boosted post, this gets your existing posts to more eyeballs, driving web traffic. Selecting the “Increase followers for my Company Page by adding a Follow button“ option also allows you to gain new page followers! You can promote a link post, a carousel post with multiple images, or even a video!
Include LinkedIn Sponsored Content in your online advertising strategy if:
- Your target demographic is professionals or if you’re a B2B company.
- You’re looking for web traffic.
- You’re looking to establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry.
These are the platforms and formats that tend to be the most popular or effective for our clients, but there are definitely others available! When you’re looking into online advertising, make sure you’re working with an experienced agency that understands your goals and audience, so they can create an effective strategy for you. If you’re interested in a platform that you don’t see here, or if you don’t think any of these quite fit your goals, schedule a call with us!