Beyond Google and Facebook Advertising: 7 Digital Advertising Platforms You Can’t Ignore

Hey, there Hyrolian. It’s another great day on the interwebs! And it’s another great day to talk about uber-exciting advertising platforms. 

Let’s just be honest.

When it comes to digital advertising platforms, most of us immediately think of Google and Facebook. They are the well-known heavy hitters in that space. You know it, I know it. It’s just how it is.  

You need digital advertising to grow your business in the online space and to improve your bottom line. In light of that, don’t you want as many advantages as possible? Google and Facebook are not the only dogs in the hunt.

There is this saying. “Ignoring the signs is a good way to end up at the wrong destination.” And you know what? This saying is definitely true in light of digital advertising. 

Let’s say that you are going to the beach. You freaking love the beach. The beach is calming and restorative for you. You can have your favorite libations while listening to the waves. And you will have enough head space to focus on making some seriously epic business plans.

You need to be at the beach. That destination has a definite purpose for you.

And you’re planning to drive there. You know you can take interstate 75 or 65 to get there. Those are the major highways that everybody and their brother drive to get to the beach. 

But the people who do their research know that there are quite a few other routes to take to the beach. The other routes have things you can’t access on the big highways. And yet, those other routes will absolutely take you to the beach. 

So, you’re driving and there are warnings on your apps and signs posted on the roadways telling you that there is major traffic ahead. A bridge is out. You’ll need to go a different way. 

If you keep ignoring the signs or think you just know better, you are going to have a much harder time reaching your destination. You cannot ignore the signs any longer. Remember, the destination is your goal. You can’t forget the goal. 

So, stop ignoring signs. Stop ignoring the fact that there are other digital advertising platforms that can help you reach your business goals. You may not know what they are, but they are definitely there … 

All seven of them.

Are You Reaching as Many New Customers as Possible with Your Digital Ad Platforms? 

You might consider digital ad campaigns to be a necessary evil. Nevertheless, they are necessary if you want your business to keep growing. That begs a question. Are you finding it hard to reach new customers with your digital advertising campaigns?

Google and Facebook advertising are both great. We know that. That’s why you’re using them. That’s why I’ve used them. But … It’s time. It’s time for you to go beyond traditional platforms like Google and Facebook to find targeted prospects.

You may be staring down the numbers for your ad campaign and scratching your head. Are you struggling to get people to notice your campaigns because of the already-saturated marketplaces on these two juggernauts? You are not alone. And if this is you, then I have some pretty great news for you. 

There are plenty of alternative advertising platforms that have their own merits. But now what? What exactly can you do with this knowledge?

Where Do You Start? 

Yep. Where exactly do you start? You can go down a long, dark rabbit hole. There are so many options available that it can be overwhelming. After spending hours of research on your own, you might just be sick of looking. I don’t blame you. It is a pain. And frankly, doing hours of research without finding a definite answer feels kind of evil.

But it isn’t necessary. So it’s an evil I’m gonna help you avoid.

To save you time, we have curated a list of 7 lesser-known yet highly effective digital advertising platforms that could make a huge difference in your ad campaigns. (Do a little cheer. Sigh in relief. Whatever makes you happy when you take that off your plate!) That being said, if you want to take your online marketing strategy up a notch or two, it’s worth exploring these seven options strategically and intelligently.

To keep growing and adapting to current trends, you need to strongly consider diversifying your digital advertising strategy beyond the usual Google and Facebook options. You can’t hide and shrink away from the reality of having an online presence when you’re actually planning to succeed in the long run. 

Your online presence should be growing increasingly prominent. This means that your advertising strategies have to grow right alongside your expanding presence to ensure that your target audiences are reached. Growth is a good thing. Don’t ignore reality and become a shrinker. (I think “shrinker” is probably the technical term.)

I’ve said it before, and I’m just gonna say it again. You are not in kindergarten. You are swimming with the big fish. You want big fish growth, so you have to make big fish decisions.

No two businesses will have the same needs when it comes to marketing and advertising. That’s a given. However, today’s technology offers you quite a few different platforms for reaching those potential customers. Knowing which of these platforms will offer your business the most bang for its buck is essential for success in the digital age.

From Instagram-sponsored posts to banner ads, there are a large number of digital tools available for your business. If you want to get more out of your digital spending, then you need to look beyond Google and Facebook Advertising.

All signs are pointing you to look beyond these two digital highways! You’ve got to pay attention.

Lucky for you, we have done the research for you. We did a bit of a deep dive into seven unique platforms that can help increase customer acquisition and visibility outside the usual realms—each with its own distinct benefits.

Here we go … I’m going to spell it all out for you so you cannot deny any of the signs!

7 Digital Advertising Platforms You Can’t Ignore

You have to up your digital advertising game. Period. Most businesses think of just Google or Facebook when they start thinking about digital advertising platforms, but that’s not what you’re gonna do. You are going to be smart. You are going to read Alex Becker’s blog and watch his YouTube channel. 

You are going to pay attention to these 7 alternatives to Facebook and Google!

1. Programmatic Advertising

Programmatic advertising is a key form of automated buying and selling of online ad space on real-time exchanges. It uses sophisticated algorithms to purchase based on target audience data in order to reduce wastage, meaning greater cost efficiency for the advertiser. For clients, this means targeted campaigns with much more precise results than standard banner ads.

2. LinkedIn Ads

LinkedIn ads are great for B2B marketing and have proven to be successful in forming valuable relationships with potential customers on a professional level. The network has a wide range of ad formats such as sponsored InMail messages which allow engaging conversations with other members where companies can promote content, services, or products naturally into the interaction between professionals. You can grab a pretty wide variety of people on LinkedIn. 

3. YouTube Ads

YouTube is the second largest search engine, second only to its parent company Google—giving it an even stronger advantage when it comes to digital marketing campaigns aimed at targeting audiences through video content and storytelling. This allows brands to leverage the mix of visuals with audio all in one go—especially as mobile continues being the go-to platform for most users today when consuming digital media. You can choose from different types of ads (like pre-rolls before videos or even splash screens served while videos are loading up) to generate better engagement from viewers who might turn your non-targeted visitors into brand customers later on down the line.

4. Amazon Ads

Amazon advertising includes display ads within search results pages and product lists pages; sponsored brands & suggested items ads featured uniquely in search result pages; customized landing & market pages featuring dynamic images; self-service ad creation tools with access tracking & monthly stats; automated campaigns optimized after user’s behavior tracked during visits inside Amazon websites around the world such as Mexico, UK, France, or Japan, stretching further out without getting limited to common eCommerce channels.

One by AOL is a solution that allows you to seamlessly promote product listings across other major online retailers, including Sears, Kmart, Walmart, Wayfair, Bed Bath & Beyond, etc., creating larger opportunities for gaining new consumers’ attention through directed calls-for-action messages built into ad designs displayed among impressions needled by programmatic networks plus agencies serving clients’ ads directly onto this web icon’s immense offerings catalog (containing millions upon millions of items listed).

5. Snapchat Ads

Snapchat is not just for your teenagers! Snapchat has become a powerful force in the industry due its unique engagement strategies. It offers advertisers the ability to aim at youth demographics, especially the under 30 age range crowd, that prefer more “stories” rather than browsing frontpages and tweets all day long. Other social media sources would usually require you to keep scrolling down. 

Browsing through so much content continuously shared worldwide every minute makes this mobile platform stand out as a frontrunner within traditional outlets. With over 10 billion daily active users (DAUs) registered after the multiplying growth rate sharply rose since the 2016 upsurge making this now the 3rd largest photo messaging app available.

Snapchat is not only useful but is also an increasingly important part of any successful integrated marketing strategy reinforced by creative design and an impressive customer retention component, while also operating hand-in-hand to develop loyalty programs over populated user bases, enabling businesses to reach wider prospects relatively quickly. 

6. Twitter Ads

Twitter remains an incredibly powerful social media tool—despite its downsizing from past years’ peak—situating them as a prime medal placement contender when debating potential online mediums. Twitter makes calculated efforts towards increasing ROI outcomes, directly correlating with customer segmentation. 

It drives traffic for consumers with similar interests, spurring curiosity and post engagements wherever a target-market group happens. There are endlessly expanding opportunities available and many companies are capitalizing on Twitter’s advantages, capturing customer demographics.

The diverse landscapes on Twitter make a global presence possible. Having both hashtags and posts tracked while they are consistently updated by users and influencers is a  fun way to discuss related topic areas. You can scale the customer journey activities, optimizing your ad campaign’s effectiveness.

7. TV & Radio Advertising

Television and radio remain valid methods of advertising, reaching the most buried depths and possibly affecting the target audience, particularly older generations who still watch or listen to analog broadcasting. (If you wear readers from your local dollar store or prescription bifocals, you may now be considered part of the older generation.)

Live streaming and several other diverse options are available nowadays. We can’t forget cable and satellite systems, staying in roughly the same environment. This is exactly where companies attempt to introduce products and services, reinforcing brand profiles domestically and internationally. 

Whether using a big or tiny screen it doesn’t matter. Any screens or connected devices that are running media can be affected by television and radio advertising. Unless you do the paid version of the app playing your music, you are being interrupted by ads, right? Yep.

So What?

I hope you see my point. There are at least seven other platforms you need to strongly consider if you want to stay relevant, reach new people, and grow your business. There is no reason for you to remain stagnant with so many opportunities waiting for you to explore them. 

All signs are telling you to diversify and start checking out the other routes to get to your destination—to reach your goals. I’ll say it one more time. Stop ignoring the signs!

And if you still want more guidance, just call me. I will do a free consultation with you. We will look at your business together, and I’ll give you my honest feedback. (By the way, if you don’t like honest feedback, well … Alex Becker is not your guy. I only shoot straight.)

You can probably expect me to mention Hyros because it’s just awesome, and it can probably help you improve your ROI and reduce your time spent chasing the wrong ads. 

Alrighty, that’s all she wrote, folks. 

This has been Alex Becker of Hyros. Thanks for checking out my blog today.