PPCChat | Beyond Google & Facebook – Finding Success on Other Platforms | 15th August 2023

Posted by & filed under PPCChat.

During this week’s PPCChat session, host Julie F Bacchini sought experts’ views on PPC platforms other than Google & Facebook, what other platforms have they used and found success and more.

Q1: What percentage of the advertising budgets that you manage are spent on Google and/or Facebook? And for what industries are you managing advertising?

My clients are very heavily Google Ads right now. Probably 85% or more. @NeptuneMoon

Due to recent major issues in Canada, we are investing MUCH less in Meta. We’re omni, so depending on clients a pretty big chunk of our $ go to Google, including YT, PMax, etc. but things are shifting. @JuliaVyse

We are about 50-75% Google, up to 25% social (LI/FB), and the rest Bing or other channels like Reddit. @beyondthepaid

For a bit more on why, here’s a US-based overview: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/02/business/media/meta-news-in-canada.html @JuliaVyse

~80%+ Google / Meta spend (edit – currently in healthcare)  @Galliguez

70% GGL / 30% FB across B2B, home services, telecom, insurance, etc @HeatherCox

For higher ed, about 75% is Google/Meta. For ecommerce it’s more like 50% Google/Meta. @robert_brady

Approx. 70% Meta, 20% Google, 10% other @teabeeshell

70% of our clients budgets. Then you got Microsoft and Amazon ads. Plus some TikTok. @duanebrown

Interesting not seeing LI here as a place people are actively advertising! @NeptuneMoon

Heavily allocating towards Google Ads; probably ~75% across all clients (who are mostly in the B2B or lead gen space). The other 25% depends on the client and is mainly focused on LinkedIn or Microsoft Advertising. 0% going to Meta right now. @adclarke10

We are doing way more LI than FB. It works way better for B2B @beyondthepaid

Q2: What ad platforms, other than Google or Facebook, have you used for your accounts? On which have you found success?

Microsoft and Amazon Ads are great for ecom, DTC and retail brands. @duanebrown

MS (Search/LinkedIN) and StackAdapt for programmatic… pulled back on. @Galliguez

TikTok was the popular “new frontier” for the past year, and product/spend dependent, it can rival Meta for TOF performance. It’s performance at scale is the limiting factor.I still maintain that Pinterest (organic) is a sleeper. Its ad platform has come a long way over the last ~decade, but it remains a “junior” ad platform. Other’s I’ve been eager to explore further are Quora and Reddit. @teabeeshell

Microsoft, Amazon, Pinterest, LinkedIn, TikTok and Snap have been great. and of course we do CTV, TV and Radio for bigger campaigns. @JuliaVyse

Bing and LinkedIn! Bing is great for our clients – performs better than Google in many cases – and LI is better than FB for B2B as mentioned in the other thread. @beyondthepaid

I second what @duanebrown is saying about Amazon for ecommerce. For B2B and higher ed we have a healthy LI budget. @robert_brady

Historically, I have used Microsoft Ads, LinkedIn, Twitter and Quora. Success has varied on the platforms. Microsoft is such an easy add-on if you’re already doing Google Ads! And despite clients complaining about the cost of LI, it is literally the only place where you can actually get the targeting B2B wants, so. @NeptuneMoon

Microsoft is great because of the ability to import campaigns from other platforms, and the spend is typically much lower (as well as lower CPA and higher ROAS). LinkedIn is the other main platform our clients are on – varying levels of success here though. @adclarke10

Sometimes high CPMs mean quality. @JuliaVyse

I really like Quora. I blame JD Prater for getting me into that platform! If your strategy involves trying to create brand evangelists to get your client onto the shortlists for consideration, Quora and Reddit are great for that type of reach. @NeptuneMoon

Flag that they are NOT great for regional campaigns. the freq caps are nonexistent, and your ad will be a meme. …Ive heard. @JuliaVyse

Q3: Have you advertised on a platform that really surprised you, either by how well or how poorly ads performed on it? Any ideas as to why it worked or did not work for your accounts?

Biggest surprise (and in a few presentations) Tinder. It went really well for a campus-targeted safety campaign. It’s become a staple for us. @JuliaVyse

It surprises me how often FB does poorly for B2B. 4-5 years ago that was not the case but LI is just eating FB’s lunch now. @beyondthepaid

@beyondthepaid It continues to amaze me that essentially zero effort is made by any platform besides LI to build anything that would be desirable to B2B advertisers. There is so much $$$ there to be had to someone who even put out an ok option! @NeptuneMoon

Always ready with a swerve! @JuliaVyse

Couldn’t agree more @NeptuneMoon Even Google constantly leaves B2B $$ on the table. @beyondthepaid

Hmm…maybe one or a few of us should start a b2b-specific platform. @JuliaVyse

I think the elephant in the room is Amazon. There are search-based ads, sponsored placements, and off-Amazon display. Pros:

  • Advertising (not publically disclosed, but verified) boosts organic exposure and success
  • Still controllable with KW-level bids, so you can control for the cost of traffic, to an extent and if you can afford to slowly scale
  • Fluid, comfortable, reliable UX for shoppers (always)

Cons:

  • Tends to gravitate towards branded search (easy wins, but paying for existing awareness)
  • Non-brand search can become an arms race, far more extreme than we see on Google from a CPC perspective
  • Success often means you cannibalize on-site performance, unless you implement a SKU-holdout on the AMZ side
  • Display is, well, a money pit, unless you have beaucoup bucks to invest @teabeeshell

Amazon did like $50 billion in ads last year… IYKYK. @duanebrown

It’s not $220 Billion Google or $100 Billion Meta but it’s nothing to sneeze at. Now how I can steal more business away from Amazon-only agencies. @duanebrown

Q4: Is there a platform you’ve been thinking about testing but have not yet? Which one(s)? Why have you not done it yet?

I have access to a lot, so I’ll say I’d like to try out Disney+ when their platform opens up. We were first for Netflix and it did NOT go well. @JuliaVyse

Pitched a few clients on Target + (Amazon like ad marketplace). @duanebrown

I have not done anything on TikTok. Main hurdle is video assets (such a familiar refrain…) @NeptuneMoon

@JuliaVyse this post might be of interest to you…https://digitalcontentnext.org/blog/2023/08/15/advertising-popular-with-streamers-and-consumers/ @NeptuneMoon

@NeptuneMoon Ooo! see if there’s a tiktok creator your client can partner with. if there’s a comfy rapport, they will make great content for you, and it’s a fairly safe way to test. @JuliaVyse

@duanebrown I am always amazed by the paid ads showing up when I’m looking for stuff on Target. Walmart has been making a giant push to get part of that particular pie lately too. @NeptuneMoon

It’s been a long while since I’ve dipped my feet into the CTV/streaming platforms. I used to prefer Hulu for its ability to offer “Sponsored Programs” where advertisers put forth ad options for people to elect to view. After viewing (unskippable), the next 30-60 minutes of viewing was ad-free. Beyond that, I’ve simply not had advertisers willing to invest in “less trackable” ad platforms. It’s a tough sell, but it can be successful if treated like an investment that delivers a return “echo” in time. @teabeeshell

Well @teabeeshell as all of the traditionally more trackable ad formats and platforms get less and less trackable, maybe it will open up some easier discussions about these types of options? @NeptuneMoon

Since you mention it @NeptuneMoon, I’d like to try Quora. @beyondthepaid

@teabeeshell  there is really good data on YouTube on connected TV. Why not give that a whirl, and use the trackableness from a controlled YT test to inform a hulu/netflix/D+ test? @JuliaVyse

@beyondthepaid It does not have a ton of traffic, but if your audience is there, it can produce some nice results! Reminds me to mention a great tip from @duanebrown to put pixels for platforms you aren’t advertising on YET on your web properties and start gathering audience data! @NeptuneMoon

@JuliaVyse I like that idea a lot. YouTube is emerging as a popular “proving ground” for video-centric buys. Agree that this is the most likely inroad. @teabeeshell

Q5: Is there a segment that you think is not well covered by existing digital ad platforms? Where would you like to see this segment covered?

Those of us who want to go back to an analog world. @duanebrown

Cracks knuckles: there is a MAJOR difference between a 66-year-old and an 88-year-old. The needs, wants, incentives, shopping behaviours, and basically entire lifestyle are unique. there is NO reason for our age targeting to end at 65. Better retirement lifestyle, health needs, home life needs targeting is long overdue. @JuliaVyse

One demo that is hard to reach are caregivers of people 65+ – and that is a HUGE market that will only continue growing. @NeptuneMoon

I think the question + honest answer (even via ads) model is eroding with Google’s pivots this year. That’s why I’m bullish on Quora and Reddit. Both platforms leave functionality (frequency capping has been mentioned), but they preserve that Q&A format, which is helpful, above all else. There’s also something to be said for the reviews space, those that cannot be gamed. I’d love to see Yelp graduate their ad options. It’s not enough to pay for “engagements” when those can be profile views, menu views, etc. which traffic and calls are desired by restaurants/venues. @teabeeshell

I could just say “B2B” for my answer here. We have to employ a lot of workarounds no matter the platform just to get halfway decent results. @beyondthepaid

Yes, @beyondthepaid And honestly lead gen in general has to monkey around with functionalities. @NeptuneMoon

PPCChat Participants

Related Links

Stop wasted ad spend with Karooya

Stop the wasted ad spend. Get more conversions from the same ad budget.

Our customers save over $16 Million per year on Google and Amazon Ads.

Start free trial Schedule a demo

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.