Which platforms are the best to advertise online for your business in 2021?
The online advertising industry is evolving dynamically and becoming competitive every day. There are now a large number of platforms for advertising digitally. Companies are now aware of the online competitive market and are looking to digital advertising to attract more customers. It is also important to understand the various platforms, their pros and cons in order to choose which one works best to promote your business.
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Below is a list of the best places to advertise online in 2021.
#1. Google Search Ads
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Google Ads is a set of paid advertisements, which appear in search results google.com, allows you to create online ads to reach audiences through the Display Network and Google Adsense program. It runs on the PPC model and lets you pay every time a visitor clicks your ad.
Pros
- It improves the visibility of the brand in the online market.
- Google Display Network provides more targeting options
- Provides control over your budget by allowing you to choose how much you want to spend per day, and per ad and paying only when someone clicks your ad.
- Cost per click is low as compared to other ad platforms
- You can measure the results of your success and track the information regarding someone clicking your ad, purchasing the product, etc.
- Since Search Ads are shown only to people who show an intent to buy by searching for the relevant keywords the chances of conversion are higher
Cons
- The main disadvantage of paid listings is that you have to pay. It can be very expensive to use the right keywords. As an alternate SEO is an organic way of ranking you on top for relevant keywords
- You might fail to target the right audience if the keywords are not used properly.
- Google Ads provide many features but they are very complex for a novice.
- The audience might get irritated because of unnecessary ads.
#2. Facebook Ads
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Facebook ads are paid advertising that businesses place on Facebook with its broader audience network and it’s additional applications like Instagram and Whatsapp.
This platform gives the flexibility to express your voice and write your own.
Pros
- Facebook has one of the largest users – As of July 2020, according to Statista, Facebook had more than 2.6 billion users worldwide. (1)
- It can help to find the exact audience easily and help to grow organically.
- It is the cheapest form of advertising.
- It is the fastest form of advertising. It drives immediate results, drives traffic faster.
- It increases brand awareness with faster revenue, sales, and leads.
- It is measurable. You can track impressions, clicks, and conversions that you received.
Cons
- Some companies and websites are prohibited from advertising on Facebook. This is to ensure that people using Facebook enjoy a safe and secure user experience. Before ads appear on Facebook, they have to go through a series of processes which may take more than 24 hours which is very time consuming.
- Facebook will not accept the ad if it is filled with text more than 20 percent.
- Since more businesses are using Facebook ads, the chances of catching people’s attention and having your ad stand out will be challenging and expensive.
- The audience who see the ad may not have an intent to buy so ads might not give conversions.
#3. Instagram Ads
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Instagram ads are paid advertisements that allow you to put paid content on the Instagram platform in order to reach a more specific audience. Since Instagram is a visual platform, you will need an image or a set of images, or video accompanied by text to reach your audience.
Pros
- There are over 1 billion Instagram users who are active on the platform at least once a day. (2)
- It has access to the most advanced social media advertising capabilities and targeting options available.
- Sales and leads are trackable and clear ROI can be seen.
- If you are targeting the college and school going youth, instagram ads are a must
Cons
- Instagram has a limited number of audience.
- It takes time and risk to find the right influencer.
- It is time-consuming.
- Instagram ad features are less advanced than Facebook.
- It is expensive than Facebook
#4. YouTube Ads
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YouTube ads are a way of advertising your video content on YouTube or in search results on particular interests to increase reach and drive traffic.
Pros
- YouTube alone has over 2 billion users, and each day those users watch a billion hours of video, generating billions of views. (3)
- Increases brand awareness through videos.
- Influencers can help in advertising on Youtube which can lead to more engagement, and access to high level audiences.
- It is cost effective as it gives the advantage of starting low with YouTube ads to target the perfect audience.
- Advantage of skipping a video ad for the users can skip after five seconds of watch time.
Cons
- YouTube ads suffer from really poor sales conversion rates. Users mostly tend to skip advertisements feeling irritated.
- There is no control in YouTube advertising. Users no longer have the right to select the videos nor there’s guarantee that the ads will be shown related to the videos.
- YouTube targeting is not completely perfect. There will be difficulty in targeting YouTube advertising, if the users selected are different from the videos uploaded.
#5. LinkedIn ads
LinkedIn Ads are paid ads shared in LinkedIn. LinkedIn is the right medium to achieve more traffic. LinkedIn Ads can be very crucial for reaching a professional target audience.
Pros
- LinkedIn gives you higher conversion rates because it can place your ads directly in front of decision makers in the industry.
- LinkedIn makes it easy to promote the products directly to the targeted market.
- You can track profile visits.
- Very large community for networking
- Target professionals and industry leaders directly
- Provides LinkedIn learning platform
- Perfect platform for businesses who sell to businesses (B2B)
Cons
- Requires a lot of time to achieve the goals
- Interactivity and engagement is less compared to other platforms
- It is expensive
Given below is a table of comparison between the ad platforms with the factors responsible:
Sl No. | Factors | Google Ads | Facebook Ads | Instagram Ads | YouTube Ads | LinkedIn Ads |
1. | Community | 4.39 billion people uses Google | 2.6 billion people uses Facebook | 1 billion people uses instagram | 2.29 billion people uses YouTube | 740 million people uses LinkedIn |
2. | Kind of business | Both B2B and B2C | Primarily B2C | Younger B2C audience | Both B2B and B2C | Primarily B2B |
2. | Brand awareness | Primarily help in leads | Very helpful | Very helpful | Very helpful | Helpful |
3. | Targeting | Precise | Precise | Average | Average | Very precise |
4 | Conversions | Better as intent to buy is there | Average | Average | Average | Average |
5. | Cost | Low | Lower than Google ads | Expensive | Expensive | Very expensive |
6. | Advanced features | High level | High level | Less than Facebook | High level | High level |
7. | Tracking of results | Can be done | Can be done | Can be done | Can be done | Can be done |
Final Words
To conclude, the right platform is where you want to advertise your business, depending on the goals and the budget for your campaign. You have to ensure your target customers and your advertising priorities to decide which online advertising platform is best for your business and also ensure your budget doesn’t go very far. With an appropriate combination, if your budget permits, will allow the success for your business through the platform which suits the best.
References
- https://www.searchenginejournal.com/facebook-marketing-advantages/229849/
- https://www.lyfemarketing.com/blog/benefits-instagram/
- https://wearegrow.com/8-massive-benefits-of-using-youtube-for-business/
- https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/6123875?hl=en
- https://www.digitalvidya.com/blog/benefits-of-google-adwords/
- https://www.webfx.com/social-media/benefits-of-youtube-advertising.html
- https://www.cyberclick.net/advertising/linkedin-ads
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