By Fernando Berrocal

Many small businesses around the world have been eager to reopen in the aftermath of the epidemic of the Covid-19 after a painful year and a half of rigorous lockdown. According to a recent study, around 58 percent of small business owners indicated they planned to increase the frequency of their targeted advertisements in the second quarter of 2021, while nearly half claimed things were already better than a year ago. Also interesting is the fact that around 70% of small business owners said they want to add more types of media to their marketing mix, and that 36 percent said they'll add more types of media to their paid plans to fiercely combat their main competition.

Even though most small business owners understand that digital marketing campaigns are a vital method to attract brand-new consumers during this digital age, determining which online advertising platforms to begin with may be challenging. In this post, we'll look at the three most important paid media channels to use and why they're such a good way to grow your small business.

1. Google Ads: This is a service provided by Google and an excellent internet advertising channel for any small business is Google. This search engine controls over 87 percent of the global search industry and processes more than 3.5 billion searches per day. While Facebook has the finest marketing targeting choices, Google offers the most impressive marketing intent tool. When someone searches on Google, the words and phrases they choose might reveal exactly what they want and when they want it.

Google also provides display advertisements, which appear on third-party websites and are customized to users' browsing patterns. These advertisements have similar audience targeting possibilities to Facebook's, although they aren't quite as extensive. In terms of price, you pay every time someone clicks on your ad. Google costs a little more than Facebook, with typical Cost-Per-Click (CPC) ranging from $1 to $6, depending on your business. While this may appear to be a significant sum, Google Ads generates an average of $8 in income for every $1 invested.

2. Facebook Ads: This online advertising channel has evolved into a powerful paid marketing platform for small businesses. Facebook users no longer just “mess around” on the platform of choice. They participate in heated debates, shop at the marketplace, and connect with their favorite brands. Facebook users' consumer engagement is real. The numbers show that Facebook has around 2.8 billion active users across the world and its advertisement has between 400 to 450% average return on investment.

It's a no-brainer to advertise on Facebook since the price plan is simple: you pay every time someone clicks on your ad. Clicks are very inexpensive as compared to Google, ranging from $0.50 to $3.50 depending on your business. Facebook also has extensive targeting options, which allow you to exclude and include certain sorts of audiences. Indeed, audience targeting is probably Facebook's strongest suit, something that no other marketing platform can match. Facebook gives a small business a lot of choices, from targeting customers who have made a previous purchase to target customers who are interested in something specific.

3. Advertising on Amazon:  Amazon's market share of the US e-commerce sector is expected to exceed 50% this year, and 49% of US internet users start their digital product search on Amazon. If you haven't already set up a shop on Amazon, now is the time to do so and gain access to Amazon's massive audience. Third-party sellers account for more than half of all Amazon sales, with 225,000 small businesses selling over $100,000 in Amazon shops in 2019. The possibilities are limitless. If you want to advertise on Amazon, the corporation, like Facebook and Google, employs a CPC method. Amazon marketers spend $0.81 per click on average, which is less than both Facebook and Google.

Develop into a Multifaceted Marketer:

Develop into a Multifaceted Marketer. Let's talk about the importance of multichannel marketing now that we've looked at the finest online advertising channels in the digital marketing industry. Each of the platforms we've covered doesn't have to be utilized alone. In reality, to get the most out of your marketing efforts, you should be in as many locations as possible, so you can reach a wider audience, grow your brand, avoid relying on third parties, and, simply put, increase sales. This isn't something you should do immediately. Build yourself up gradually. 

If you consider that Facebook Ads is the best online advertising channel, to begin with, get it up and operating before moving on to another platform. There are several excellent choices available to assist you in moving forward. That's the beauty of digital marketing: there's never a shortage of ways to help you advance.

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