Anyone who has ever run an advertising campaign knows of Google Ads and Facebook Ads. These two are the most popular advertising platforms, with a vast audience reach. However, with rising costs and intense competition, these may not always yield the best results.
If you are looking for other options that could help you reach a specific audience at relatively lower costs, you are in luck. There are many other advertising platforms beyond Google and Facebook. In this article, we have curated a list of nine great paid ad platforms you can use to run engaging ad campaigns.
Let’s get started.
9 Advertising Platforms You Can Explore Beyond Google and Facebook Ads
Before we get to the list, you should understand that not all of these platforms will be right for you. You need to pick the right ones, depending on your target audience, marketing goals, and budget.
For example, if you want to publish on multiple platforms with one campaign and need to reach a vast audience, then Microsoft Advertising is a great choice.
Similarly, if you are a retailer selling on Amazon, you need to leverage the platform’s ad options. You get the gist, right?
Now, let’s take a look at the best advertising platforms beyond Google and Facebook.
1. Amazon Advertising
Amazon Advertising is perfect for e-commerce brands that sell via the platform. It helps them show their products at the top for relevant search queries, improving product visibility on the platform and driving more sales.
Amazon Advertising is also useful for promoting a brand on various Amazon-owned platforms like Prime Video and Audible. You can also run ads on various Amazon devices, such as Fire TV, Fire tablet, and Echo.
Types of Ads
- Sponsored products
- Sponsored brands
- Display ads
- Video ads
- Audio ads
- Device ads
Pros
- Allows you to reach an audience with high purchase intent
- Ads look like native ads and drive high engagement and conversions
- Helps improve product visibility on the platform
Cons
- Suitable only for ecommerce businesses selling via Amazon and brands active on other Amazon sites like Prime Video
2. Microsoft Advertising (Formerly Bing Ads)
While Google is the most used browser, enough people use Bing for you to consider Microsoft Advertising.
It lets you place ads on multiple platforms owned by Microsoft across desktop, mobile, and tablet devices. With its recent partnership with Netflix, you can also place ads there in a connected TV environment.
The best part is that if you are familiar with Google Ads campaign management, then transitioning to this will be easy.
Types of Ads
- Search ads
- Display and native ads
- Video ads
- Ads on smart TVs and connected devices
- Retail media ads for shopping platforms
Pros
- Allows you to advertise on multiple platforms, such as Yahoo, MSN, and AOL
- Due to lower competition and fewer advertisers than on Google, search ads are typically cheaper
Cons
- Fewer people use Bing compared to Google, which limits audience reach
3. LinkedIn Ads
LinkedIn is the world’s leading platform for professional networking. If you want to reach a specific audience within an industry or niche, then LinkedIn Ads are perfect for you.
You can set advanced filters to show your ads only to your target audience and get a high return on investment.
Types of Ads
- Dynamic text, video, or image ads
- Sponsored content
- Sponsored messaging
Pros
- Ads on LinkedIn look like native content and have high audience engagement
- Through targeted campaigns, you can reach decision-makers within a company and boost sales for your business
Cons
- Advertising is limited to one platform
- It generally costs more to place ads on LinkedIn than on other social media platforms
4. X Ads
X (formerly Twitter) is a dynamic social media platform where people discuss current and trending topics. The platform has over 600 million monthly active users, mostly consisting of professionals who like to stay updated on current trends.
X Ads is useful for marketers who want to reach audiences based on keywords and interests. It enables you to run dynamic ads, which helps show relevant ads to different target segments, improving a campaign’s effectiveness.
Types of Ads
- Promoted text, image, video, and carousel ads for website and app
- Vertical video ads
- X Takeovers: timeline and trend takeover ads
- Dynamic Product Ads for retargeting and prospecting
- Collection ads
Pros
- Allows targeting based on terms users searched for or tweeted
- Helps you run both prospecting and retargeting ad campaigns
Cons
- The platform’s limited character limit makes creating ads challenging
- Advertising is limited to one platform
5. Taboola
Taboola is a content discovery and native advertising platform that allows you to publish ads on a vast network of sites. It has partnerships with top publishers like USA Today and Bloomberg and can place your branded content and native ads on authoritative sites.
Though not as versatile as some other platforms, it is still a great option if you have great content that you would like to place on some of the world’s most authoritative websites.
Types of Ads
- Native ads
Pros
- Allows you to advertise on a network of authoritative sites
- Helps people discover your brand’s content and helps deliver high engagement with native ad placements
Cons
- It is useful only for native advertising and does not support other types of ads
6. YouTube Advertising
YouTube is, by far, the world’s largest video-sharing platform, with over 2.7 billion monthly users. YouTube Advertising allows you to create targeted ad campaigns to reach specific audiences.
It allows you to target viewers based on life events, demographics, purchase intent, match with your existing customers, affinity, and more.
Types of Ads
- Non-skippable in-stream video ads
- Skippable in-stream video ads
- Bumper ads
- In-feed video ads
- Outstream ads on Google video partners’ websites
- Masthead ads
Pros
- Allows you to publish ads not just on YouTube but also on Google video partners’ websites and apps
- Offers advanced audience targeting options
Cons
- In-stream ads may hinder user experience and seem intrusive
- Some ad formats, such as Bumper ads, have length restrictions
7. Pinterest Ads
Just like YouTube is the leading video-sharing platform, Pinterest is a leading image-sharing platform. Pinterest Ads here will help you reach your audience via stunning visual ads that appear as native content.
Types of Ads
- Standard image ads
- Videos ads
- Carousel ads
- Collection ads
- Shopping ads
- Ideas ads
- Showcase ads
- Quiz ads
Pros
- Offers a wide variety of visual ad formats
- People often come to Pinterest for product or design ideas, so it is great for capturing high-purchase-intent leads
Cons
- Advertising is limited to one platform
- The number of users on Pinterest is not as high as some other platforms, such as YouTube, limiting the reach of your ads
8. Quora for Advertisers
Quora is a popular online forum where people come to find answers to their questions. The brand claims to have over 400 million monthly unique visitors, making it a good place to advertise.
Given that most people come to Quora when they search for questions on search engines, they have a specific intent. You can leverage Quora Ads by placing ads that meet user intent, generating leads for your business, and driving conversions.
Types of Ads
- Video ads
- Image ads
- Text ads
- Promoted answers
Pros
- Allows contextual targeting based on keywords and topics
- Advertising on Quora is relatively cheaper than on most other platforms
Cons
- Does not allow video ads and dynamic ads
- Advertising is limited to a single platform
9. Reddit Ads
Reddit is another online forum, similar to Quora. However, unlike Quora’s Q&A format, Reddit Ads has online groups and communities centered around different topics, called subreddits.
Reddit has a large community for user-generated content and has over 1.2 billion monthly active users. By strategically targeting the right subreddits, you can reach a highly engaged audience through your ad campaigns.
Types of Ads
- Promoted posts
- Free-form ads
- Image ads
- Video ads
- Carousel ads
- Conversation placements
- Shopping ads
- AMA (ask me anything)
- Reddit takeover
- Front-page takeover
- Category takeover
- First view ads
Pros
- Allows contextual targeting as well as targeting specific subreddits to reach a niche audience
- Offers a wide variety of advertising formats
- Even though it is just one platform, the reach is significantly high
Cons
- Since ads appear mostly in user feeds, they may disrupt user experience
- The intent of people using Reddit is not to discover products but to engage in conversations, so ad conversions may be a bit tricky
Ready to Take Your Advertising Campaigns to the Next Level?
Advertising on multiple platforms has two key benefits:
- You reach a wide and diverse audience
- You minimize risks if one campaign fails or one platform does not work for you
All the advertising platforms listed above have their unique sets of advantages and challenges. Carefully consider each and pick the ones that best meet your requirements.
Do you need help running high-converting paid ad campaigns? Hire Momentum360 to manage your ad campaigns and achieve the desired results.
So what are you waiting for? Book your consultation now!