7 Best Advertising Platforms for Small Businesses in 2024

Today’s digital marketing world is moving fast, and big ad platforms are part and parcel for business to reach their target audiences. Ways in which businesses could connect with customers have since emerged, which was impossible in traditional marketing. The catch in is to choose a digital advertising platforms wisely — ones that align perfectly with your specific business goals.

Why Online Advertising is Critically Important for Your Business

Your business can’t be sustained without online advertising. Online ads allow businesses to access a massive global audience on an unimaginable scale, with its power firmly grounded in its ability to target certain demographics and interests. It allows marketers to control ad spend and to measure its effectiveness on all online ads, no matter the size of the business.

1. Allocation of budget and ROI: Online advertising platforms allow businesses to allocate their budget with precision because each cent spent could generate exposure to the right people at the right time. Performance metrics, such as click-through rates (CTRs) and conversion rates enable advertisers to optimize effectiveness in their campaigns and cut out wastage.
2. Highly Targeted Campaigns: Campaigns running over online media can be highly targeted, based on behaviors, geographic locations, or devices — unlike traditional media. Research has shown that personalized advertisements perform better compared to general ones, with 88% of marketers agreeing with this.
3. Cross-platform integration: Online advertising means the integration of your ad across different digital advertising platforms: social, organic search, and video. These ensure a single brand experience in terms of messaging across a wide spectrum of audience touchpoints.

Another important advantage of using online advertising platforms is that it is measurable in real time. Right from the very first click, marketers can count each step taken by any potential customer, which finally results in an actual purchase. This depth of insight helps businesses strategize better and refine their approach based on continuous, data-driven decisions.

With all of the above benefits, it’s a no-brainer as to why companies invest in this type of advertising to achieve their growth targets in varying sectors.

List of the Top Online Advertising Platforms

Below are the top seven unmissable online ad platforms. We discuss features and advantages, and, of course, outline which businesses these online advertising platforms fit best.

Google Ads

Google Ads remains undefeated as one of the best ad platforms. After all, over 92% of world searches take place on Google, with numerous businesses partnering with a PPC agency to optimize their campaigns. Moreover, over 80% of companies use Google Ads for their PPC efforts! The benefits of pay-per-click advertising, like precise targeting and measurable ROI, underline its importance in modern marketing strategies.

⚙️Key Features:

• Performance Max Campaigns
• Custom Audiences
• Keywordless Search Ads
• Responsive Search Ads —  AI-Powered Variations
• YouTube & Shorts Ads Video And Shoppable Ads
• First-Party Data Providing Better Tracking Without Third-Party Cookies Privacy-First Solutions
• Local Ads
• Insights Tab —  AI-Powered Trends And Consumer Insights For Smarter Campaign Decisions
• Lead Form Extensions

This points to the power of Google Ads in connecting businesses and entrepreneurs to audiences relevant to their products or services, well-echoed by the average CTR of 6.42% for 2024 from 6.11% in 2023.

About 75% of all retail search ad spend in the United States is driven by Google Shopping Ads.

DemandSage

▶️Ad Formats Available:

• Search Ads
• Display Ads
• Shopping Ads
• Video Ads (YouTube)
• Responsive Search Ads
• Responsive Display Ads
• App Promotion Ads
• Local Ads
• Discovery Ads
• Call-Only Ads
• Performance Max Ads

✔️Benefits:

• Advanced AI Automation
• Highly Targeted Ads
• Omnichannel Reach
• Real-Time Optimization
• Improved Ad Personalization
• Privacy-Friendly Tracking
• Increased Video Impact
• Better Offline Tracking

🧑‍💻Who Should Advertise on Google Ads?

Google Ads is perfect for helping businesses increase the number of visitors to their websites, increase online sales, and have more leads through targeted advertising on the vast Google network. Whether you’re a business owner or working with a Google Ads agency, these state-of-the-art targeting options really make this effective for any company wanting to reach your ideal audience and maximize ROI.

Facebook Ads

Arguably, Facebook Ads remain among the most powerful tools within the Meta Ads Suite currently available. The tool provides potential access to more than 3 billion daily active users across its family of apps, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger. These include targeting capabilities akin to hitting a continuous bullseye for advertisers, based on things like Custom Audiences and Lookalike Audiences which can help reach specific demographics, interests, and behaviours.

Meta reported 3.05 billion daily active users across its family of apps (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger) as of Q3 2023.

Meta Reports Third Quarter 2023 Results

The CPC averages at $0.97 and the conversion rate stands at 9.21%, making it possible for businesses to derive great results for next-to-nothing prices. Now, advertisers can further scale up this reach by running easy ads through Meta’s new product, the Advantage+ Campaigns, across Facebook, Instagram, and the Audience Network in one frictionless experience.

⚙️Key Features:

• Advanced Audience Targeting
• Lookalike Audiences
• Ad Formats Variety
• Dynamic Ads
• Facebook Shops Integration
• AI-Powered Ad Optimization
• Cross-Platform Advertising
• Campaign Budget Optimization (CBO)
• Video and Story Ads
• In-Depth Analytics

▶️Available Ad Formats:

• Image Ads
• Video Ads
• Carousel Ads
• Collection Ads
• Instant Experience Ads
• Slideshow Ads
• Stories Ads
• Messenger Ads
• Playable Ads
• Lead Ads

✔️Benefits:

• Precise Audience Targeting
• Cost-Effective Ad Spend
• High Engagement Rates
• Seamless Integration with Instagram
• Powerful Retargeting Capabilities
• Diverse Ad Formats for Different Goals
• AI-Driven Campaign Optimization
• Access to a Large Global Audience
• Strong Analytics and Performance Insights
• Affordable Tools for Analyzing Social Media Analytics
• Enhanced Brand Awareness and Visibility

🧑‍💻Who Should Advertise? 

Facebook Ads are great for e-commerce businesses, local businesses, and B2C companies with visually appealing products or services. It’s an ideal advertising platform for businesses looking to build brand awareness, drive website traffic, and increase engagement across social media advertising platforms.

Instagram Ads

Similar to Meta, Instagram will retain the title of the ultimate visual platform, offering unparalleled opportunities for publishing businesses to create and publish innovative content with great visual appeal to wide-ranging audiences​.

Instagram has over 2 billion monthly active users as of 2023.

Statista

Instagram Ads leverages this huge user base, combined with advanced targeting through Facebook Ads Manager, to help drive awareness, conversions, and interactions among brands.

⚙️Key Features:

• Advanced Targeting Options
• Shoppable Posts and Ads
• In-Feed Photo and Video Ads
• Instagram Stories Ads
• Carousel Ads
• Explore Page Ads
• Branded Content Ads
• Instagram Reels Ads
• Dynamic Ads
• Call-to-Action Buttons
• Cross-Platform Advertising with Facebook
• AI-Powered Ad Delivery and Optimization
• Audience Retargeting
• In-Depth Analytics and Insights

▶️Available Ad Formats:

• Photo Ads
• Video Ads
• Carousel Ads
• Stories Ads
• Reels Ads
• Explore Ads
• Shoppable Ads
• Branded Content Ads
• Collection Ads

Instagram has also continued to extend the ability of business accounts to sell directly through Instagram Shops, to use Shopping tags in posts and stories, and even to host Live Shopping sessions. Such seamless integration of commerce makes Instagram an outlet for visually appealing products, especially within the fashion and beauty industry, as well as within e-commerce in general.

✔️Benefits:

• Global, Active Audience
• High engagement 
• Cost-effective 
• Visual Storytelling Opportunities
• Seamless Shopping Experience with Shoppable Ads
• Precise Targeting and Retargeting
• Cross-Platform Integration with Facebook
• Multiple Ad Formats for Creativity
• Increased Brand Awareness
• Strong Performance Insights
• Mobile-First Advertising

🧑‍💻Who Should Advertise?

Instagram Ads work best for brands that have a visually appealing feel; anything from fashion to beauty, lifestyle, and e-commerce will fit in. With shopping integrations and high engagement, the platform serves best for businesses trying to drive conversions directly within the platform.

LinkedIn Ads

Meanwhile, LinkedIn is still the largest dog in town when it comes to B2B advertising, with over 1 billion registered users across 200 countries and regions on the platform for connectivity and engagement. The business-focused audience does a great job at capturing good quality leads and promoting industry-specific products and services.

LinkedIn Ads have shown exceptional growth, with the platform’s advertising revenue reaching $5.93 billion in 2023, demonstrating its increasing influence in the digital ad space​.

StatsUp

⚙️Key Features:

• Advanced B2B Targeting
• Sponsored Content Ads
• Message Ads (InMail)
• Dynamic Ads
• Text Ads
• Lead Gen Forms
• Audience Network Expansion
• Account-Based Marketing (ABM)
• Retargeting Options
• Robust Analytics and Reporting
• LinkedIn Matched Audiences
• Conversion Tracking

▶️Available Ad Formats:

• Sponsored Content Ads
• Message Ads (InMail)
• Dynamic Ads
• Text Ads
• Carousel Ads
• Video Ads
• Lead Gen Forms Ads
• Sponsored Job Ads
• Follower Ads
• Event Ads

Interestingly, 59% of the brands were perceived as high quality after advertising on LinkedIn. Further, exposure to ads on LinkedIn drove a lift in purchase intent for brands by 33%. The bottom line is, LinkedIn is driving conversions and helping improve brand perception among professionals.

Interestingly, 59% of the brands were perceived as high quality after advertising on LinkedIn. Further, exposure to ads on LinkedIn drove a lift in purchase intent for brands by 33%. The bottom line is, LinkedIn is driving conversions and helping improve brand perception among professionals.

✔️Benefits:

• Highly Targeted B2B Audience
• Professional and Industry-Focused Platform
• Effective for Lead Generation
• Access to Decision Makers and Executives
• Multiple Ad Formats for Flexibility
• Strong Analytics and Performance Tracking
• Enhanced Brand Credibility
• Account-Based Marketing Capabilities
• Seamless Integration with CRM Tools
• Precise Retargeting Options

🧑‍💻Who Should Advertise?

LinkedIn Ads provide powerful means for B2B companies to connect professionals with high-quality leads, thus driving awareness at a particular industry level. Advanced targeting and business decision-makers make LinkedIn an indispensable platform for reaching out to professionals in addition to helping drive credibility for the brand.

YouTube Ads

Considering the over 2 billion monthly active users across the globe in the year 2024, YouTube still happens to be one of the most utilized video ad platforms. Thus, it would become a powerhouse for any brand wanting greater outreach to big audiences. Depending on the required ad format, YouTube lets businesses showcase their products via either short, snappy clips or full, in-depth videos. This shows strength in the market, with $31.5 billion in ad revenue garnered globally through YouTube in 2023.

Over 90% of marketers use YouTube for their video marketing efforts​.

Wyzowl

⚙️Key Features:

• TrueView Ads (Skippable and Non-Skippable)
• Bumper Ads (6-second non-skippable)
• Video Discovery Ads
• Masthead Ads
• Overlay Ads
• Sponsored Cards
• YouTube Shorts Ads
• Targeting by Demographics, Interests, and Keywords
• Remarketing Capabilities
• Ad Sequencing
• Advanced Analytics and Reporting
• Integration with Google Ads for Cross-Platform Campaigns

▶️Available Ad Formats:

• Skippable In-Stream Ads (TrueView)
• Non-Skippable In-Stream Ads
• Bumper Ads
• Video Discovery Ads
• Masthead Ads
• Overlay Ads
• Sponsored Cards
• YouTube Shorts Ads

✔️Benefits:

• Access to a Large, Engaged Audience
• High Visibility with Video Content
• Variety of Ad Formats for Different Objectives
• Skippable Ads Reduce Wasted Spend
• Precise Targeting Options
• Seamless Integration with Google Ads
• Effective for Brand Awareness and Reach
• Strong Analytics and Performance Tracking
• Cost-Effective with Pay-Per-View Model
• Opportunities for Remarketing

🧑‍💻Who Should Advertise?

YouTube Ads can be in the sweet spot for any business looking to use video content for brand awareness, promotional items, or simple storytelling. With its global reach and flexible ad formats, combined with its cost-effective PPC model, it’s a powerful platform for any business looking to engage audiences visually.

Microsoft Ads (Formerly Bing Ads)

Microsoft Ads, or Bing Ads, offer a very viable alternative to Google Ads since they grant access to a more business-oriented audience. Though Bing has captured only about 3.91% of the worldwide market share, the intent of users has proved to be higher through increased click-through and conversion rates. In 2023, Microsoft reported $12.2 billion in search and news advertising revenue, showing solid growth.

 Microsoft Advertising reaches over 100 million daily active users.

Microsoft Advertising

⚙️Key Features:

• 700 Million Unique Search Audience
• Search Ads
• Audience Targeting with LinkedIn Integration
• Expanded Text Ads
• Shopping Ads
• Dynamic Search Ads
• Responsive Search Ads
• In-Market and Custom Audiences
• Microsoft Audience Network
• Ad Extensions (Sitelink, Call, Location, etc.)
• Conversion Tracking and Analytics
• Automated Bidding Strategies
• Device and Demographic Targeting

▶️Available Ad Formats:

• Search Ads
• Responsive Search Ads
• Shopping Ads
• Dynamic Search Ads
• Image Ads
• Audience Ads
• Text Ads
• Multimedia Ads
• App Install Ads
• Product Ads

✔️Benefits:

• Access to a Unique Audience (Older, higher-income demographic)
• Lower Cost-Per-Click (CPC) than Google Ads
• LinkedIn Audience Targeting Integration
• Less Competition for Keywords
• Detailed Targeting Options (Device, location, demographics)
• Cross-Platform Integration (Windows, Xbox, Outlook)
• High Search Engine Market Share in Specific Regions
• Comprehensive Ad Formats
• Enhanced Analytics and Conversion Tracking
• Flexible Budgeting Options
• Offering PMAX Campaigns

🧑‍💻Who Should Advertise?

Microsoft Ads are a good fit for any business in need of an economical option to Google Ads, especially for targeting business-oriented and professional audiences.

X (formerly Twitter Ads)

X, previously named Twitter, remains one of the most important mediums for live engagement. Boasting more than 500 million monetizable monthly active users, X Ads can help an enterprise reach its users when moments and conversations are trending on the platform, making it a perfect place for running time-sensitive promotions. Moreover, ad engagement on the platform has grown by 22% from 2023 to 2024, indicating growing efficiency as a channel of marketing.

 X’s ad spend is projected to account for 1.6% of all U.S. social media ad spending in 2024​.

eMarketer

⚙️Key Features:

• Promoted Tweets
• Promoted Accounts
• Promoted Trends
• Fleets Ads (For short-term content)
• Video Ads
• Carousel Ads
• Conversational Ads
• Follower Ads
• App Install Ads
• Targeting by Interests, Keywords, and Hashtags
• Tailored Audiences for Retargeting
• Real-Time Engagement and Trending Topics
• Ad Performance Analytics

▶️Available Ad Formats:

• Promoted Tweets
• Promoted Accounts
• Promoted Trends
• Video Ads
• Carousel Ads
• App Install Ads
• Follower Ads
• Conversational Ads
• Image Ads
• Moment Ads

✔️Benefits:

• Real-Time Engagement with Active Users
• Targeting Based on Interests, Keywords, and Hashtags
• High Visibility in Trending Topics
• Cost-Effective Advertising Options
• Access to a Global Audience
• Direct Interaction with Followers
• Strong Mobile Reach
• Effective for Brand Awareness and Viral Campaigns
• Advanced Analytics for Performance Tracking
• Opportunity for Real-Time Conversations and Feedback

🧑‍💻Who Should Advertise?

Business entities that thrive on real-time engagement, like news outlets, entertainment brands, or companies with some time-limited promotions, benefit greatly from X by advertising.

Recap Table: The 7 Best Advertising Platforms in 2024

Our Methodology for Identifying the Best Advertising Platforms

We tested these platforms against our methodology for determining the best online advertising platforms.

We considered these platforms, based on several key factors for the best ROI that businesses may stand to gain:

• Reach and audience size: How well the platform can help you reach a large, engaged audience.
• Ad format diversity: Different formats are targeted for variability in their various marketing objectives, be it pure video creativity for engagement or search ads for direct conversions.
• Targeting options: Advanced targeting options enable businesses to reach very specific demographics based on behaviours, interests, and search history.
• Cost-effectiveness-CPC and CPM: Platforms must offer competitive pricing models for maximizing ad budgets.
• Advertiser Support and Optimization Tools: Strong tools should be available on each platform for the optimization of campaigns, which will help in real-time performance tracking.

These factors are likely to keep the recommended platforms the best for a

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 wide range of business types and objectives.

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