Expanding the use of advertising platforms can help promotional campaigns reach targeted audiences through channels other than the more popular ones such as Google and Facebook using text, video, and audio ads.
While Google and Facebook both have distinct advantages, they aren’t the only platforms for promoting a brand online. There are many alternatives and it may be time to look into some of them.
An important thing not to be underestimated is that if a user views an advertisement on a channel other than those he uses on a daily basis, he may be more receptive to deepening the topic.
What’s more, brand-name awareness is increased, i.e. brand awareness when people see the name of the business on multiple sites and platforms.
The first thing to do is to follow a common sense approach to advertising on the platforms that is believed to be the best for reaching your target audience.
Immediately after you have to create advertisements that highlight the advantages of the brand, carry out some split-testing in order to optimize the campaigns, and finally go to double what works.
When you have successfully developed a strategy for a platform that is giving you a positive ROI, you need to choose a second one from the list above and start the same process as in the first.
At this point, the collected data will start talking and repeating the same operations on different platforms will allow you to find the best way to follow until you find the type of ads that will produce a profit on the market.
17 advertising platforms to consider.
1) Microsoft Advertising
If you want to reach people on Bing, you need to use the Microsoft Advertising platform (formerly Bing Ads). There are a couple of free options because Microsoft Advertising runs ads not only on Bing but also on two other search platforms like Yahoo and AOL.
Here are some statistics on the total audience you can reach with Microsoft:
- 116 million daily users
- 5.5 million monthly desktop searches
- 36.2% of the total US desktop search market
Microsoft also offers a variety of advertising goals to help boost its business. Using the platform, you can:
- Generate more phone calls
- Increase engagement
- Bring the localized traffic to the local store
- Selling products online
- Increase conversions
Additionally, Microsoft also offers an assortment of advertising products that include:
- Advertising extensions
- Shopping campaigns
- Dynamic search ads
- Tracking conversions
- Shared budget
Those familiar with the typical features offered by Google will find it easy to switch to Microsoft Advertising.
Virgin Australia, for example, has adopted Microsoft Advertising and has seen 18% year-on-year revenue growth. The company used its first-party data to target potential customers. David Rossi, one of the leaders of Virgin’s digital marketing team, says Virgin Australia applies models based on users’ likely propensity to purchase flights to certain destinations.
Rossi’s solution involved feeding data collected from websites and apps directly into Microsoft Custom Audiences. He has also set up several bid modifiers for greater flexibility. Overall, the company increased its investment in Microsoft Advertising by 18%.
2) Quora
There are some advertising platforms that have really stepped up their game over the past year. One of these is Quora.
Quora is a Question and Answer platform. People log in, ask a question (anything, actually), and then other in-the-know users come up with the answer. More people can answer, however, there is often only one answer highlighted as the best and it makes it easier for others to find it.
Part of the challenge when running a business is to reach the people who need digital marketing services right now. Quora allows you to do this by running an ad to people asking questions about online marketing.
For example, if someone logs into Quora and asks: Which advertising platform is best for eCommerce sites? You can show your ad to these people.
Quora also offers the same types of sophisticated targeting options found on other platforms, such as lookalike audience, website match audience, and list match audience…
3) AdRoll
The AdRoll platform employs a solution called IntentMap that tracks 1.2 billion shopper profiles with trillions of intent data points and makes more than 80 billion AI predictions every day. It’s designed to reach potential buyers who are most likely to convert.
It is also possible to use AdRoll to create cross-platform experiences in a specific target market. You can run online ads, email marketing campaigns, and website promotions to guide people on the customer journey, while also getting a reporting feature that includes multi-touch attribution.
If you run an e-commerce store, AdRoll integrates with some of the more popular platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce.
4) Amazon
Although you may think that a product is unique and that you can create an online store parallel to Amazon that is effectively competitive, it is always good not to underestimate the idea of using the American giant of online sales.
Why is there a need to post ads on Amazon? Because the competition on Amazon is fierce.
The bad news is that profit margins are penalized when selling and advertising on Amazon. Often you have to make some adjustments to your business model.
However, Amazon is a great place to land if you’re looking for a way to increase brand-name awareness and sales.
Amazon also offers targeting features and a rich reporting system so you can fine-tune your strategy.
5) Taboola
Taboola stands out from other advertising options because it is a native advertising platform.
If you are unfamiliar with native advertising it is a way to promote someone else’s content on a website. The ad format resembles the content of the hosting website.
There is usually some sort of disclaimer that makes it clear to careful observers that the content is an advertisement.
Taboola recently announced a merger with Outbrain and together they form the strength of an online advertising option that will help anyone target the right people, gain more exposure, and offer reports that will allow them to adopt any strategy.
Taboola also allows you to use a variety of creative formats, including video, social or advertising content. There is also a smart bidding feature that allows you to automate your optimization strategy.
6) Reddit
Reddit is an online forum for user-generated content. People who like what others post will vote for it by clicking on an up arrow next to the content title. People who don’t like what they see will vote for it by clicking on a down arrow.
Unsurprisingly, content with a lot of upvotes tends to emerge towards the top of people’s feeds.
What kind of content can be found on Reddit? The answer is everyone. Reddit offers forums (called subreddits ) for almost any topic imaginable.
Reddit allows you to create posts on the platform and then use it as an ad. Of course, it will show up with an Ad disclaimer next to it, but people will see it anyway.
If the title is catchy enough, people might see the content. If the content is useful it is possible to attract a few more customers.
Don’t think that Reddit is an advertising platform only for emerging marketers desperate for attention, keep in mind that well-known brands like Audi and L’Oreal have used the platform effectively.
Reddit, by the way, is another one of those platforms that have significantly improved its features throughout 2019. You will appreciate the results.
7) BuySellAds
BuySellAds is a self-service platform that allows you to target developers, designers, and niche audiences. In other words, if a business model plans to reach high-tech people, BuySellAds should be placed on the list of alternative advertising platforms.
One of the coolest features of this platform is that it allows you to reach people with a variety of ad formats, including:
- Native ads
- Content ads
- Podcast ads
- Display ads
- Email ads
The company’s website includes several success stories from brands such as Hello Sign, Rollbar, Circleci and Storyblocks.
Storyblocks used the BuySellAds platform to identify designers when they were looking for inspiration and resources. This is how the company reached an audience at the lower end of the sales funnel.
8) Infolinks
If there is one word that defines the Infolinks advertising platform, it is this: Intelligent.
Infolinks gives you the ability to reach people in your target market when they are most likely to convert. It does so with a sophisticated algorithm that only presents ads relevant to surfers.
It is also possible to use the platforms to reach an international audience as infolinks boasts a billion users worldwide.
In addition, the tool allows you to:
- Choose from a variety of ad units
- Choose from advanced targeting options
- Optimize your strategy
- Track your results
- Search and view ads
The platform’s client list includes Digitas, Starcom Mediavest Group, Mediacom, McCann Worldgroup and MEC.
9) LinkedIn
LinkedIn ads are a cost to be calculated for doing business if you are in B2B.
Put simply: There isn’t a place online where you are more likely to find entrepreneurs and leaders who are part of the potential customer pool.
As of today, there are approximately 630 million active professionals on LinkedIn. Of these, 180 million are senior-level influencers, 63 million are decision-makers and 10 million are C-level executives.
With LinkedIn, you can use several advertising options, including:
- Sponsored Content
- Sponsored InMail
- Video ads
- Text ads
- Dynamic ads
- Carousel ads
In addition, the platform offers many of the features one would expect to find on cutting-edge advertising solutions, such as:
- Tracking conversions
- Contact Targeting
- Website retargeting
- Lead generation
- Audience network
Companies like Lenovo, Marketo, Intel, AIG, and American Express have used LinkedIn Ads to successfully promote their brands.
Finally, it is always good to remember that LinkedIn is owned by Microsoft. So you get the benefits of the Microsoft big data platform and the targeting possibilities that go with it when running ads on LinkedIn.
10) Pinterest
Pinterest is another advertising platform that has significantly improved its advertising offer this year, with a particular focus on the world of women, because they are the vast majority of users.
Also, if a brand places a lot of emphasis on image marketing, Pinterest is a great option because it’s social for image sharing.
Always remember that an ad on Pinterest is called a Pin, so you have to upload an image that promotes the business, and then it will advertise.
We can choose to pay for fees or website visits. Either way, you will only pay when people show interest.
Pinterest also offers a solid tracking platform so you can see which strategies are paying off.
11) Snapchat
If a sizeable portion of the target audience is younger, the option of advertising on Snapchat should be considered. This is because over 70% of Snapchat users are between the ages of 18 and 24.
According to Snapchat’s ad page, more than a third of the application’s user community is not on Facebook and Instagram. So it is possible to gain significant market share with Snapchat ads.
The platform allows you to choose one of three objectives for your ad:
- Website visits
- Visits to local shops
- App Installations
Snapchat also makes it easy to get an ad up and running in minutes with its self-service platform.
Finally, the tool offers tracking tools so you can measure and optimize your campaigns for maximum impact.
12) TikTok
TikTok is a short-form video platform boasting over 1.5 billion users worldwide. Over 60% of these people are between the ages of 16 and 24. So, once again, the ideal place if you want to reach a younger audience.
Unlike Vine, TikTok also offers an advertising platform to reach people in more than 20 markets around the world. The platform also allows for a way to create advertisements in a variety of formats and numerous targeting capabilities.
Guess Jeans, Universal Pictures, and Clean & amp; Clear used TikTok advertising to promote their brands.
13) YouTube
In the United States, 18- and 60-year-olds spend more time watching YouTube than any television network in an average month.
This is the claim you will read when you visit the YouTube Ads home page. It is a compelling reason to consider advertising on the platform.
YouTube Ads offers a targeting platform called Find My Audience which allows you to reach only the viewers who are most likely to become customers. You can go beyond simple demographics to identify people based on their habits and interests.
As in the case of other advertising offers, YouTube Ads also allows you to create In-Market Audiences and Affinity Audiences to further expand your reach.
And this is where YouTube TrueView Ads shine beyond traditional TV commercials – you only pay when someone watches at least 30 seconds of your ad.
Of course, you will have to invest some money in producing high-quality video commercials.
Lastly, YouTube offers some great analytics tools so you can track campaign performance and get the most out of your money.
14) Propel Media
Propel Media uses a DeepIntent algorithm that is designed to find high-value audiences in real-time.
How does it work? According to the company website, it combines AI with natural language processing to understand the relationships between 300 million people, places, products, and events. Targeting technology can reach future customers with lightboxes, TextLinks, and pre-roll video ads.
Another strong point is the partnership with streaming brands Roku, Apple TV, and Chromecast. These platforms give access to people who might not be found with traditional web advertising.
Finally, Propel Media also offers native advertising options for both national and international audiences.
15) Revcontent
Revcontent is another native advertising platform that offers what is expected of any native ad service: granular targeting options, real-time reporting, and flexibility with creatives.
One thing that can be achieved with Revcontent that is not so easy to do with some of the other platforms is the management of dedicated accounts. This kind of expertise can make the difference between profitable and unprofitable campaigns.
Revcontent is used by many well-known brands, including Forbes, Ziff Davis, Bank of America, Wayfair, and NASDAQ.
16) Spotify
Few people still consider audio advertising on Spotify ads .
The production cost for audio ads may be a bit higher than traditional ads, but Spotify’s advertising platforms includes a feature to create your own audio ad, which includes a voiceover. So it might not be expensive at all.
Beyond this, the potential to reach your core audience shouldn’t be overlooked. Millions of people use Spotify to discover their favorite music and listen to the podcasts they love.
Spotify advertising also gives you the ability to reach out to potential customers at unusual times, such as when they are working out, driving to work, relaxing, cooking, or cleaning.
17) Pandora
Pandora is a Spotify competitor, so the benefits of running ads on the platforms are similar.
Pandora boasts an audience of 118 million listeners. You can target a segment of these people using the platform’s first-party data and third-party data provided by Pandora.
First-party data includes segments such as:
- Basic demographic information (age, gender, etc.)
- Music preferences
- Position
- Listening times
Third-party data includes offline habits such as buying behavior and media interests.
When combined, first-party data and third-party data offer laser-like targeting capabilities, so you only reach the people who are likely to show interest in that particular brand.
With Pandora, you have the option of running 10, 15, or 30-second commercials. The platform also includes an Audio Everywhere product that seamlessly integrates the message with the listener’s preferred experience.
Finally, it is also possible to launch a campaign that combines the audio ad with a persistent visual component that works on all web and mobile platforms.
At the head of this campaign
Here’s your job: Review the list of alternative advertising platform options above and select the one you think is best suited to your business. For example, if you run a B2B store, you would probably choose LinkedIn.
| Related Post: |