by Venchito Tampon Jr | Last Updated on July 19, 2023

The marketing world is dynamic and always changing, which is why small businesses need to be proactive and adapt their strategies as new platforms and trends emerge.

And while traditional marketing methods like print, radio, and TV advertising are still viable options, nowadays, most consumers do their research online before making a purchase, which is why it’s so important for small businesses to have a strong online presence.

That’s where online advertising comes in. By placing ads on popular websites and search engines, small businesses can reach a larger audience and generate more leads and sales.

In fact, by 2026, advertising online will be a $335 billion industry. That being said, every small business should be taking advantage of online advertising.

To determine which ones are the best for your business, you need to consider your budget, your target audience, your location, and your advertising goals.

In this article, you will learn:

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15 Advertising Opportunities For Small Business Owners

Here are 15 different ideas for places to advertise your business online. These platforms are all effective and affordable, so you can choose the one that best suits your needs.

1. Google

As one of the largest search engines in the world, Google receives billions of searches every day.

That means there’s a good chance that people looking for products or services like yours are using Google to find what they need.

Google ads have taken a giant step forward since it became the leading local business directory. According to Corporate Eye, Google makes up almost 97% of the company’s income through Google advertising.

With Google Ads, you can create text, image, and video ads that show up on Google’s search engine results pages (SERPs) when people search for keywords related to your business.

You only pay for your ad when someone clicks on it, so you can control your budget and only spend what you’re comfortable with.

Types of Google Ads:

Text Ads: These are the traditional Google ads that you see on the SERPs. They consist of a headline, two descriptions, and a URL.

Image Ads: These ads can appear on the SERPs and on websites that participate in Google’s Display Network. They can be static or animated and usually include images and/or videos.

Video Ads: These are video ads that appear on YouTube and websites that participate in the Google Display Network.

 

2. Facebook

Facebook is the largest social media platform in the world, with 2.9 billion monthly active users.

It’s a great place to advertise your business because you can target your ads to people based on their interests, demographics, and even behaviors.

For example, if you want to reach people who live in a certain area and are interested in your type of product or service, you can create a Facebook ad campaign specifically for them.

You can also use Facebook ads to boost your posts, so more people see them in their newsfeeds. When you boost a post, it appears as an ad on people’s timelines.

 

Types of Facebook Ads:

Boosted Posts: These are posts from your Facebook page that you pay to appear as an ad in people’s newsfeeds.

Promoted Page Likes: These ads appear in people’s newsfeeds and are designed to get more people to like your page.

Clicks to Website: These ads send people to your website from Facebook. They can appear in people’s newsfeeds, on the right side of the screen, or as an ad in Instant Articles.

Website Conversions: These are similar to Clicks to Website ads but are designed to get people to take a specific action on your website, such as filling out a form or buying a product.

 

3. Instagram

With over 1 billion monthly active users, Instagram is a great place to reach potential customers, especially if you’re targeting millennials or Gen Z.

Instagram ads work similarly to Facebook ads. You can target people based on their interests, demographics, and behaviors.

You can also use Instagram ads to promote your posts, so they appear as ads in people’s feeds.

 

Types of Instagram Ads:

Photo ads: These are static images that you can use to show off your products or services.

Video ads: Through reels or short videos, you can show potential customers a behind-the-scenes look at your business or showcase your products in action.

Carousel ads: These are ads that contain multiple images or videos that people can scroll through. They’re a great way to showcase different products or services that you offer.

Stories ads: These are short videos or images that appear in between people’s Stories. They’re a great way to grab attention and get your message across quickly.

 

4. Twitter

With over 206 million daily active users, Twitter is another great social media platform for advertising your business.

Twitter ads work similarly to other social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. You can target people based on their interests, demographics, and behaviors.

You can also use Twitter ads to promote your tweets, so they appear as ads in people’s timelines.

Types of Twitter Ads:

Promoted tweets: These are tweets that you pay to appear as an ad in people’s timelines. For small businesses, this is a great way to get your tweets seen by more people.

Promoted accounts: You can pay to have your Twitter account appear as an ad in the “Who to follow” section on people’s timelines.

Promoted trends: These are trending topics that you pay to appear as an ad on people’s timelines.

 

5. LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a social media platform specifically for professionals. With over 810 million users, it’s a great place to reach potential customers or clients who are decision-makers in their companies.

LinkedIn ads work similarly to other social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. You can target people based on their interests, demographics, and behaviors.

You can also use LinkedIn ads to promote your posts, so they appear as ads in people’s feeds.

 

Types of LinkedIn Ads

There are different types of LinkedIn ads that you can use:

Sponsored content: This is content that you pay to appear as an ad in people’s feeds. It can be a blog post, article, or video.

Text ads: These are short, text-based ads that appear in the right-hand column of people’s LinkedIn feeds.

Display ads: These are banner ads that appear on people’s LinkedIn feeds.

 

6. Tiktok

While there are many businesses who are hesitant about advertising their business on Tiktok, there are many opportunities for businesses to reach potential customers on the app.

In 2021, Tiktok was the most downloaded app in the world. It has been downloaded 2.6 billion times worldwide, and with over 1 billion monthly active users, it’s a great place to reach potential customers, especially if you’re targeting Gen Z.

TikTok advertisements could be a good investment for you if your business appeals to a younger audience. This isn’t the platform for businesses that target older audiences, with 66% of TikTok’s users being under 30 (41% are 16–24 years old).

 

Types of Tiktok Ads:

There are different types of TikTok ads that you can use:

In-feed ads: These are short videos or images that appear in between people’s TikTok videos.

Brand takeovers: These are ads that appear when someone opens the app. They’re a great way to grab attention and get your message across quickly.

Hashtag challenges: These are ads that appear when someone searches for a specific hashtag. They’re a great way to get people engaged with your brand.

 

7. Reddit

Quite different from the previously mentioned social media platforms, Reddit is a social media platform where people can post content, vote on content, and comment on content on different subreddits. Subreddits are like mini forums on specific topics.

Content that gets the most upvotes rises to the top of the feed, while content with the most downvotes sinks to the bottom. People can also comment on posts, and these comments can be upvoted or downvoted as well.

With over 50 million daily active users, Reddit is a great place to reach potential customers. However, because of its unique format, it can be a challenge to advertise on Reddit.

The best way to advertise on Reddit is through native advertising, which is advertising that is in the same format as the other content on the platform.

New Reddit marketers should be cautious about how they promote their business on Reddit, as the community is quick to call out anything that looks like spam. Breaking simple rules like title structure, linked video length, or image use might result in your post being immediately removed and even your account being banned.

The key to getting success on Reddit is to be truly authentic. Don’t try to hard-sell your product, but rather provide value and be helpful.

 

8. Youtube

Youtube is a video-sharing site where users can upload, view, and share videos. It’s the second largest search engine after Google, and with over 2 billion monthly active users, It’s also an excellent platform to attract new consumers.

As video is one of the most consumed forms of content, it’s no surprise that businesses are using Youtube to reach potential customers. In fact, 6 out of 10 people would rather watch online videos than television.

Successful business owners are using Youtube to create valuable content that educates, entertains, and inspires their target audience. However, with over 500 hours of video being uploaded to Youtube every minute, it can be a challenge to stand out from the crowd.

To be successful on Youtube, you need to create high-quality content that is relevant to your target audience. You also need to be strategic about your marketing and use Youtube ads and SEO to get your videos in front of as many people as possible.

 

Types of Youtube Ads

Youtube ads come in a few different forms:

Pre-roll ads: These are short ads that play before a video starts. They can be skipped after 5 seconds.

Mid-roll ads: These are ads that play in the middle of a video. They can be skipped after 5 seconds.

Bumper ads: These are short, unskippable ads that play before, during, or after a video.

Overlay ads: These are banner ads that appear on the bottom 20% of a video.

Card ads: These are small ads that appear in the corner of a video.

 

9. Quora

Quora is a Q&A platform where people can ask questions and get answers from experts in the community. It’s a great place to find out about new products and services, as well as to learn about different topics.

While Quora isn’t traditionally thought of as a social media platform, it can be a great way to connect with potential customers. This is because people come to Quora when they’re looking for information, which means they’re already in the research phase of the buying cycle.

To be successful on Quora, you need to focus on providing value. This means answering questions honestly and helpful, without trying to hard-sell your product.

You should also take advantage of Quora’s targeting features to make sure your content is being seen by people who are most likely to be interested in what you have to offer.

While some may only see it as a Q and A platform, Quora is actually a great way to get in front of your competitors using Quora ads.

 

Why Use Quora Ads?

There are a few reasons why you would use Quora ads as an additional platform for online advertising:

  • Quora is a search engine: This means that when people are looking for information on Quora, they already have the intent to buy your product. This makes Quora a great place to target potential customers who are already interested in your product.
  • You can target specific interests: Quora allows you to target your ads to specific interests, which means you can reach people who are more likely to be interested in your product or service.
  • You can target specific questions: Quora also allows you to target specific questions, which means you can get your ad in front of people who are already looking for information about your product or service.

Quora Ad Formats:

Quora’s advertising formats are:

Promoted answers: These are answers that appear at the top of a question page.

Promoted questions: These are questions that appear in the sidebar of a topic page.

Display ads: These are banner ads that appear on the Quora website.

 

10. Bing

Bing is a search engine that is owned by Microsoft. It’s the second-largest search engine in the world, with a market share of 20%.

While Bing doesn’t get as much traffic as Google, it’s still a valuable platform for businesses. This is because people who use Bing are generally more affluent and have higher incomes.

This makes Bing a great place to target potential customers who are more likely to be able to afford your product or service.

To be successful on Bing, you need to focus on creating high-quality ads that are relevant to your target audience. You should also use keyword research to make sure your ads are being seen by people who are searching for terms related to your business.

Bing Ads allows you to advertise on both Bing’s search network and its partner networks, Yahooo and AOL.

 

Ad Formats of Bing:

Bing’s advertising formats are:

Search ads: These are text-based ads that appear at the top of the Bing search results page.

Display ads: These are banner ads that appear on websites in the Bing network.

 

11. Pinterest

Pinterest is a powerful traffic-generating tool. It’s a marketplace where consumers may discover amazing products, ideas, and solutions to their problems.

As a business, you can take advantage of this by creating pins that showcase your products or services. You can also use Pinterest to drive traffic to your website or blog.

As of this writing, there are 478 million people who use this platform every month to find ideas for their next purchase. That being said, this platform should be added to your online marketing strategy in order to reach your preferred audience.

To be successful on Pinterest, you need to constantly focus on creating high-quality pins that your audience will want to save. You should also use keywords in your descriptions to make sure your pins are being seen by people who are searching for terms related to your business.

 

Ad Formats of Pinterest:

Pinterest’s advertising formats are:

Standard pins: These are pins that appear in the main Pinterest feed.

Promoted pins: These are pins that appear at the top of the Pinterest search results page and in the home feed.

Carousel ads: These are pins that appear in the form of a slideshow.

Video Pin Ads: These are video pins that appear in the main Pinterest feed.

Shopping Pins: These are pins that allow users to purchase products directly from retailers.

App-Install Pins: These pins allow you to link to any Apple Store or Google Play app URL.

12. Waze

Waze is a GPS navigation app that is owned by Google. It’s used by millions of people every day to get around town.

While Waze doesn’t have as many users as Google Maps, it’s still a valuable platform for businesses. This is because people who use Waze are generally more engaged and are more likely to take notice of your ad.

If you’re a small business owner who’s constantly looking for ideas on how to drive more foot traffic to your store, then Waze might be a good fit for you.

To be successful on Waze, you need to make sure your ad is relevant to the user’s current location.

 

Waze’s advertising formats are:

Branded pins – This serves the same purpose as shop signs: They tell and remind drivers about your business.

Promoted search – Your business will be displayed to large audiences when Waze users search for your name and see all of your locations listed first.

Nearby arrow – Whenever nearby users open the app, this arrow will immediately appear on their screen.

 

13. Press Releases

A press release is a written statement that is distributed to the media to generate publicity for a product, service, or event.

Press releases can be an effective way to reach your target audience through the media. So whether your business is opening a new branch, launching a new product line, rebranding, or moving to a new location, it’s worth it to write and distribute a press release.

When writing a press release, make sure to include the following:

– A catchy headline

– Subheadings

– Bulleted lists

– Quotes from experts or customers

– A call to action

To be successful with press releases, you need to make sure your press release is newsworthy and well-written. You also need to distribute your press release to the right media outlets.

Here are some popular press release distribution platforms:

  • PR Newswire
  • PRWeb
  • Business Wire
  • Marketwired

Press releases are not only effective for getting publicity but they can also be used to improve your website’s SEO. This is because press releases often contain backlinks to your website.

 

14. Snapchat

Snapchat is a popular social media app that allows users to share photos and videos with their friends.

While Snapchat doesn’t have as many users as Facebook or Instagram, it’s still a valuable platform for businesses. This is because Snapchat users are generally younger and more engaged than users of other social media platforms.

If you’re targeting millennials or Gen Zers, then Snapchat ads should definitely be a part of your marketing strategy.

To be successful on Snapchat, you need to create engaging and creative content. This could include short videos, behind-the-scenes footage, or even just stylish photos.

 

Snapchat’s advertising formats are:

Snap ads: These are short video ads that appear between Stories.

Collection ads: These are full-screen ads that appear in the Discover section.

Filter ads: These are creative filters that can be used by Snapchat users.

Lenses: These are animated effects that can be used by Snapchat users.

 

15. Whatsapp

Last but not the least, Whatsapp is one of the most popular messaging apps with over 1.5 billion monthly active users.

While Whatsapp doesn’t have any in-built advertising features, businesses can still use it to reach their target audiences by creating posts through Facebook ads manager.

 

Tips on WhatsApp Advertising:

  • Keep your messages short and to the point
  • Use engaging visuals
  • Use a call to action
  • Create a sense of urgency

Common FAQs About Places to Advertise Online

How do I advertise my business locally?

There are a number of ways to advertise your business locally. Some common methods include:

  • Creating a website or blog and optimizing it for local SEO
  • Creating listings on local directories and review sites
  • Using social media to promote your business

Where else can I advertise my business for free?

On top of the ones we mentioned above, there are a number of other ways to advertise your business for free. These include:

  • Google My Business
  • Bing Places
  • Apple Maps
  • Yelp
  • TripAdvisor

 

How can I promote my business?

There are a number of ways to promote your business online. Some common methods include:

  • Social Media Marketing
  • Search Engine Optimization: link building, local SEO, mobile SEO
  • Content Marketing
  • Email Marketing
  • Pay-Per-Click Advertising

How do I get my small business noticed?

There are a number of ways to get your small business noticed online.

  • Creating a strong social media presence
  • Strategizing your local link building strategies for your business
  • Optimizing your website for search engines
  • Creating informative and shareable content
  • Advertising on relevant platforms
  • Getting involved in your local community

Where do I find ads?

There are a number of places you can find ads online. Some popular platforms include:

  • Google AdWords
  • Bing Ads
  • Facebook Ads
  • Twitter Ads
  • Instagram Ads

Are online ads effective?

Online ads can be effective if they are well-targeted and relevant to your audience. According to statistics, 26% of social media users tend to purchase products that they see advertised.

Make sure to test different ad formats and placements to see what works best for your business.

What is an example of online advertising?

Some common examples of online advertising include:

  • Search Engine Advertising
  • Display Advertising
  • Social Media Advertising
  • Video Advertising
  • Native Advertising

 

Find the Best Place To Advertise Your Business 

Now that you have a better understanding of the different types of online advertising, you can start to identify which platforms will work best for your business.

To get started, we recommend conducting a market analysis to understand your target audience and what type of content they are most likely to engage with. Make sure to consider your budget, business goals, and target audience when choosing the best place to advertise your business.

Once you have this information, you can always start experimenting with different advertising platforms to see what works best for you.

With a little bit of trial and error, you should be able to find the perfect mix of platforms to help you achieve your desired results.