Advertising can be a great way to build brand awareness and generate new customers. But just where should you be displaying your adverts? Below are just five of the best types of platforms.
#1: Search engines
Want more customers to visit your website? Millions use search engines like Google and Bing every day to search for products and services. Roughly 41% of all search engine clicks go to the first three sponsored ads, making this a great way to build leads. These platforms allow you to pay for search engine ads – when you do this, your website listing is displayed at the top of the rankings as a sponsored ad.
To create a sponsored ad, you need to sign up to Google Ads or Bing Ads. You can then set the parameters of your ad, including which keywords will trigger your ad to display (it’s worth doing some keyword research before creating your ad).
#2: Social Media
Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter also get millions of daily users. Advertising on these platforms could be a great way to build brand awareness and generate leads. The likes of Facebook offers two different ways to advertise – Boosted Posts and Facebook Ads.
Boosted posts are simpler to use, but have limits to customization. With Facebook Ads, you can target your ad more specifically. Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram can be great places to advertise too.
#3: Streaming Platforms
Streaming platforms have been increasing in popularity every year. YouTube is the most popular streaming platform for videos and is a great place to experiment with video ads. These are displayed at the beginning or during other videos on YouTube.
Advertising on YouTube is much cheaper than trying to advertise on TV and allows you to target your ads more specifically. In addition to YouTube, it’s also worth considering music streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. As marketing expert Joey Armstrong states, “music streaming grew by 20% in 2020, while the number of radio listeners decreased”.
You can place audio ads and video ads on these platforms. Spotify ads are much cheaper than radio ads and you can target them much more specifically.
#4: Mobile Apps
More of us are using mobile apps – particularly mobile games. In-app advertising could be another effective way of advertising your company. This involves displaying ads within apps. In-app advertising relies less on pay-per-click and more on bidding for ads. This handy guide to in-app advertising by Aparna Sosale explains more on how to create such ads.
#5: Niche Physical Locations
While digital marketing dominates the landscape today, physical advertising still holds value, especially when targeted strategically. Traditional formats like billboards, flyers, and transit ads may not have the reach they once did, but they can still be highly effective for building brand awareness in the right context. The key is choosing niche physical locations where your ideal audience is likely to be.
For example, a landscaping business would benefit more from advertising in suburban neighborhoods with yards rather than densely populated urban areas full of apartment buildings. Another often-overlooked method is small booklet printing. Distributing informative, branded booklets in relevant settings, like garden centers, real estate offices, or local coffee shops, can leave a lasting impression while providing useful content.
When done right, physical advertising offers a tactile, memorable experience that digital ads can’t always replicate. It’s all about meeting your audience where they are–both online and offline.
