The simple fact of the matter is that if you run a business in 2023, you need some form of digital advertising. It’s a competitive landscape and one that constantly shifts based on consumer trends and perspectives, but you can help keep your business a step ahead of your competitors by leveraging the right platforms.
Google
Advertising your business on Google is simple, effective, and pretty much mandatory if you’re operating in today’s world. According to Nerdwallet contributor Elizabeth Kellogg, Google is the top ad platform in terms of size and advertising dollars. But it’s every bit as impressive in how it makes the process of digital advertising simpler.
Google Ads offers a wide range of tools and tutorials that will give you ideas for how to leverage your advertising dollar, build an effective budget, and target the appropriate audiences. Google Ads provides comprehensive data that shows you how your campaigns are performing, allowing you to adjust as you go to maximize your results.
Having a Google Business Profile is also a must, especially if you have a physical storefront and want to reach local customers. This allows your customers to find you through Google Search, locate you on Google Maps, and easily find your website and contact information. Plus, you can use your profile to promote specials and build your brand with photos and posts.
Facebook
If Google is the No. 1 digital advertising platform, Facebook comfortably sits in second place. Meta boasts 2 billion active users every month across its platforms, and Facebook carries the lion’s share of that total alongside Instagram, WhatsApp, and Meta Quest. Like Google, Facebook offers all-in-one advertising solutions, allowing you to create posts and campaigns, boost them so that they’re more easily seen by your target audience, and collect information on sales and leads.
While Facebook is the most formidable of Meta’s properties, advertising through the company also makes it easy to leverage cross-platform advertising. Meta notes that ads are scalable across Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger, increasing your reach and potentially strengthening your impact with customers who use multiple platforms. And you’ll have a wide range of options for advertising, including videos, carousels, slideshows, and collections.
Other popular and emerging platforms
If you have a limited advertising budget to work with, Google and Facebook are probably your best bets because of what they have to offer. But if you have more room to experiment and try unique approaches, you can take advantage of platforms like LinkedIn, which will primarily put your advertisements in front of professionals and entrepreneurs. Kellogg notes that this approach is especially effective if you work in the business-to-business space.
For businesses that specialize in products and services geared toward younger audiences, it’s important that you stay on top of which platforms are popular and on the rise. HubSpot contributor Corey Braccialini notes that TikTok has exploded in popularity of late, so using it for digital advertising could pay dividends if you know what your audience is looking for.
With so many different platforms offering built-in tools to help you get the most out of your advertising dollar, putting together campaigns can be both easier and more overwhelming. A great way to make sure that you’re effectively managing your digital marketing needs is to hire a team of specialists or work with an experienced marketing agency that works with small businesses.