Digital marketing has drastically evolved over the years, and with the rise of PPC (pay-per-click) advertising, businesses have been offered a lucrative avenue to boost their online visibility. The growing popularity of PPC has led to the emergence of various platforms, each with its unique features and benefits. In this article, we delve into the 12 prime PPC platforms that can help skyrocket your business in 2024.
Defining PPC Platforms
PPC platforms, also termed as PPC websites, channels, or networks, serve as digital advertising arenas where businesses can promote their offerings. In the realm of PPC, the advertiser pays a fee each time a user clicks on their ad. The platforms offer diverse features, enabling businesses to target specific demographic profiles, geographic locations, or user behaviour.
Hand-picked PPC Platforms for 2024
While the market is brimming with numerous PPC platforms, we have shortlisted the 12 most effective ones for your business:
- Google Ads
- Microsoft Advertising
- Facebook Ads
- Instagram Ads
- LinkedIn Ads
- Twitter Ads
- YouTube Ads
- AdRoll
- Bidvertiser
- RevContent
- Pinterest Ads
- Taboola & Outbrain
Let’s explore each in detail.
1. Google Ads
Google, with its immense global presence, dominates the PPC realm. Thanks to its staggering search volume, Google Ads is positioned as a top-tier choice for businesses seeking expansive reach.
- Reach: Overwhelming global market share; approximately 40,000 search queries processed every second.
- Ad format: Google supports various formats such as text ads, responsive display ads, image ads, and video ads.
- Pricing: Cost is contingent on your budget, ad quality, and relevance, as well as the search volume and competition for keywords.
2. Microsoft Advertising
Second to Google, Microsoft Advertising offers a credible alternative for businesses seeking a less competitive yet effective PPC platform.
- Reach: Over 14 million monthly searches on Microsoft Search Network.
- Ad format: Microsoft supports image, animation, audio, and video ads.
- Pricing: The pricing depends on the demand for Microsoft Ads, with an average CPC (Cost Per Click) ranging from $1 to $1.50.
3. Facebook Ads
Known for its colossal user base, Facebook offers a robust PPC platform, allowing businesses to target audiences based on interests, demographics, and location.
- Reach: Approximately 2.93 billion users worldwide.
- Ad format: Facebook supports image ads, video, carousel ads, instant experience ads, and collection ads.
- Pricing: Pricing depends on the bidding model, industry, and competition, with an average CPC ranging between $0.50 and $2.
4. Instagram Ads
Instagram, with its millennial audience, offers a vibrant platform for PPC campaigns. Owned by Meta, Instagram Ads are managed through Facebook.
- Reach: 1 billion users worldwide.
- Ad format: Instagram supports image ads, videos, reels, stories, and image shop ads.
- Pricing: Pricing depends on the bidding model and ranges from $0.20 to $6.
5. LinkedIn Ads
LinkedIn, known as the professional’s social network, offers a unique audience targeting capability. It allows businesses to target professionals based on company, job title, and more.
- Reach: 830 million users worldwide.
- Ad format: LinkedIn supports single image ads, text ads, video ads, carousel ads, and dynamic ads.
- Pricing: Pricing is contingent on campaign objectives and ad relevance, with a minimum of $2 for CPC.
6. Twitter Ads
Twitter, one of the most popular social media networks, offers an effective PPC platform. Twitter Ads appear only on the Twitter platform, including both website and app.
- Reach: 330 million users worldwide.
- Ad format: Twitter supports image ads, video ads, text ads, carousel ads, and moments ads.
- Pricing: The cost for a promoted tweet can range from $0.50 to $2.
7. YouTube Ads
YouTube offers a lucrative platform for PPC campaigns. Ads are managed through Google Ads, and advertisers only pay when someone views at least 30 seconds of the video ad or clicks on the ad.
- Reach: 2.6 billion active users.
- Ad format: YouTube supports video ads, which include skippable and non-skippable video ads.
- Pricing: On average, it costs from $0.10 to $0.30 per ad view.
8. AdRoll
AdRoll, a platform specifically built for eCommerce businesses, allows businesses to display ads. AdRoll uses AI to optimize campaigns and analyze customer data.
- Reach: Access to 1-2 billion digital shopper profiles.
- Ad format: AdRoll supports static and dynamic ads.
- Pricing: 3 pricing options for monthly packages –$12/month, $25/month, and a free starter plan.
9. Bidvertiser
Bidvertiser is a direct advertising platform for pay-per-click campaigns. It allows businesses to create campaigns to be featured on partner websites.
- Reach: Over 78,500 partner websites.
- Ad format: Bidvertiser supports Native Ads, Direct Ads, Pop Under Ads, and push notifications.
- Pricing: The minimum bid for an ad is $0.05 while the minimum daily budget is $5.
10. RevContent
RevContent is a native advertising platform, meaning the ads are designed to match the content of the platform they appear on.
- Reach: Reaches about 97% of households in the United States, according to Quantcast.
- Ad format: Supports sponsored content ads and video ads.
- Pricing: RevContent shares pricing info on request, but according to reports, the average cost per mille (CPM) is about $0.44.
11. Pinterest
Pinterest, with its millions of users looking for inspiration and products, is an effective platform for a PPC campaign.
- Reach: 400 million monthly users.
- Ad format: Pinterest supports Static pins and ads, video pins and ads, Carousel pins and ads, Collection pins and ads, Shopping ads, and Idea ads.
- Pricing: You can set a budget for each day. The average cost per 1,000 impressions ranges between $2 and $5.
12. Taboola & Outbrain
Taboola and Outbrain, two advertising platforms, decided to merge in 2019, forming one unified platform.
- Reach: Taboola reaches about 1.4 billion people per month, and Outbrain reaches about 1.2 billion people per month.
- Ad format: Native ads, including video and content.
- Pricing: Pricing for Outbrain is quote-based while for Taboola, pricing starts at $10.
The Functioning of PPC Platforms
PPC platforms usually employ an auction system. Businesses compete for ad space on different platforms by bidding on keywords. The higher the search volume for keywords, the higher the price. When a user searches for a keyword that you have bid on, a PPC platform runs an auction to evaluate which ad is most eligible to appear at the top of the results. The PPC platforms generally involve four main processes: Bidding, Targeting, Optimization, and Analytics.
Choosing the Right PPC Channel
The choice of the right PPC platform involves considering your target market, specific goals, advertising budget, bidding model, and analytics. Once you have identified the platform, it’s time to kickstart your campaign and reap the benefits of PPC.
Remember, a successful PPC campaign can dramatically enhance your online visibility, drive more qualified traffic to your website, and potentially increase conversions. So, choose wisely and make the most of your PPC campaigns in 2024.
