Many renowned platforms are monetizing data from paid advertising to make big money. From established Bing and Google to Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok, there are many names in the market.
With these growing opportunities, the market has become highly competitive, making it difficult to rely solely on organic (non-paid) channels for traffic.
Given this market reality, your business needs to adapt to paid ads, but it doesn’t require spending your entire budget on paid ads. This page will help you understand paid advertising and identify the best platforms for your needs.
Paid advertising is an online advertising model where advertisers bid to participate in real-time auctions to display their ads in designated slots on various platforms or networks.
This PPC system allows businesses to promote their products or services to targeted audiences, in return it increases visibility and drives traffic to their websites or physical locations.
Selecting the paid advertising platforms is the foremost thing to get started on your digital paid ads.
Depending on your budget and goals, you may opt to use multiple ad platforms to reach a wider audience. Of course, you probably don’t want to try using every single one on this list — that would be overwhelming.
That said, it’s still good to know all your options before you choose which paid ad platforms you want to use. And if you’re having trouble figuring out which ones are best for your business, have a look down below at the best options for advertising platforms.
Originally known as Google AdWords, this is a top choice for businesses looking to advertise on search engines. Now called Google Ads, it is one of the first pay-per-click (PPC) advertising platforms, alongside Yahoo and Microsoft, and it’s been a leader in the industry since its launch in 2000.
Today, Google Ads is more than just search ads. It offers a wide range of advertising options to reach people worldwide. What sets it apart is its use of new technology. Google Ads uses smart tools like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to power and optimise campaigns like Responsive Search Ads.
Advertisers looking to use Google Ads can launch nine types of ad campaigns, each capable of reaching worldwide audiences:
Although the company that owns Facebook is now known as Meta. But both Facebook and Facebook Ads have kept their original names till now. This digital advertising platform primarily aims to target audiences and Facebook users, making its potential reach over 2.9 billion people.
One of the notable features of Facebook Ads is its easy integration with the platform’s data, enabling advertisers to use highly detailed audience targeting options. In other words, advertisers can easily reach users based on the same demographic criteria available on Facebook itself.
Even though these options can promote any brand, product, or service, Facebook Ads are particularly effective for eCommerce marketing campaigns. The precise audience targeting tools make it ideal for attracting high-intent customers.
Advertisers using Facebook Ads can reach audiences on any of Meta’s properties, including Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and the Meta Audience Network.
Facebook ad formats include static images, video ads, carousel ads, slideshows, Instant Experiences (full-screen ads), Stories ads, and Collection ads.
Microsoft Advertising, also known as Microsoft Ads, is the digital advertising platform developed by the tech giant. It was originally launched in 2006 as MSN adCenter and was later rebranded to Microsoft adCenter and then Bing Ads. To this date, it is one of the top three pay-per-click (PPC) platforms which were created to compete with Google and Yahoo’s offerings.
Advertisers today may be familiar with its previous name, Bing Ads, which was its longest-running name from 2012 until a rebranding in 2019.
Partnering with Microsoft Ads, marketers, brand managers, and advertisers can reach audiences across various Microsoft-owned digital properties, including MSN.com, AOL, Yahoo, and the Bing search engine.
As per Microsoft, the platform can connect with over 653 million users monthly on the Microsoft Search Network and up to 250 million unique users through its display and native advertising channels.
Advertisers using Microsoft Ads can launch a variety of ad types, categorised into four main campaigns:
The platform supports text ads, native ads, search ads on Bing, display ads, multimedia ads, and mobile app install ads.
Microsoft Ads has several user-friendly features to help advertisers start new campaigns or switch from another digital advertising platform. For example, it includes a campaign import feature that allows for easy transfer of ad campaigns from Google Ads to Microsoft Ads.
Even though Meta owns both Facebook and Instagram, they have maintained separate advertising platforms for each due to their unique characteristics. Therefore, the optimal way to advertise on Instagram is by using the Instagram Ads platform specifically.
Instagram Ads, as a digital advertising platform, offers the same detailed audience targeting features as Facebook Ads, enabling advertisers to reach up to 2 billion active users monthly with highly targeted ads.
Typically, Instagram ads use native advertising to connect with potential customers. The ad content managed through Instagram Ads appears similar to standard Instagram posts, with the key difference being a “Sponsored” label indicating that it is a paid advertisement.
Instagram Ads offers eight different ad formats: standard Image ads, Story ads, Carousel ads, Explore ads, Reels ads, Video ads, Shopping ads, and Collection ads.
Each ad format supports various goals and objectives, allowing advertisers to focus on specific aspects of their business through Instagram ad campaigns. For example, Instagram Image ads can be set up to boost engagement, drive traffic, or increase sales. Additionally, the platform allows for the configuration of various call-to-action (CTA) buttons, such as “Apply Now,” “Contact Us,” or “Download.”
Conveniently, advertisers using the Meta Ad Manager for Facebook Ads can also manage Instagram Ads campaigns from the same dashboard. It’s also possible to create ads directly through Instagram, making it easy to produce high-quality ad content that seamlessly integrates with Instagram posts.
Amazon Advertising, which was previously called Amazon Marketing Services (AMS), is the digital advertising platform from the eCommerce giant Amazon, launched in 2012.
As of April 2023, Amazon Ads ranks as the third-largest digital advertising platform globally, following Google Ads and Facebook Ads.
The main purpose of Amazon Ads is to help advertisers promote their brands and products on Amazon, the largest eCommerce platform in the world. While any individual with an active Amazon Seller Central account can use Amazon Ads, its full range of features is available to certified Amazon Vendors with active Vendor Central accounts.
Amazon Ads supports three types of ad campaigns.
Clickadu offers a strong alternative to traditional advertising platforms with a focus on both web and mobile channels. It provides a variety of ad formats to help publishers earn more and allows advertisers to reach a global audience.
One of the key benefits of Clickadu includes its wide reach of over 6 billion daily impressions across 240+ countries. Plus it also has a high fill rate and detailed performance stats. What does this mean for publishers? It translates better monetization opportunities, while advertisers enjoy an easy-to-use interface, advanced targeting, and strong fraud protection.
Clickadu offers seven ad formats:
Unlike many other potential candidates, Clickadu values transparency with features like a self-serve platform and detailed stats, plus a dedicated support team. Though specific performance data is needed for a complete comparison, Clickadu seems like a solid option for a comprehensive and efficient advertising solution.
Airnow stands out from the other online advertising platforms we’ve discussed because it focuses specifically on mobile ads. It allows you to show your ads as push notifications, overlay ads, and other types within a variety of mobile apps for both Android and iOS devices.
A common threat with PPC advertising is the prevalence of ad blockers, which can prevent traditional ads from appearing on many websites. AdRecover addresses this issue by presenting ads in a way that ad blockers don’t detect, making it an effective solution for overcoming this obstacle.
Choosing the right advertising platform can significantly impact your marketing success. With so many renowned platforms businesses have ample opportunities to reach their target audiences. Understanding the strengths of each platform and aligning them with your specific marketing goals is how you can create a more focused and efficient advertising strategy. Use the insights from this guide to choose the best platforms for your needs, and watch your business thrive in the digital space.
A digital advertising platform is an online tool that lets you design and handle digital ad campaigns on different channels like search engines, social media, and websites.
Google AdSense, Amazon, AdRoll, and Clickadu are the best ad networks for publishers in 2024.
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