Digital Advertising 101
Which Digital Advertising Platform Is Right for Your Business?
“And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” - Colossians 3:17.
If you have ever looked at digital advertising and thought, “Wait…am I supposed to be advertising on Google, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn…all of them?” Take a deep breath.
In digital marketing, one of the most common misconceptions I see is the idea that a successful business needs to be everywhere. If Instagram is working, we should be on TikTok. If our competitor is running Google Ads, we should too. And LinkedIn? Well, everyone keeps telling us we need to be on LinkedIn, so we probably should be there too, right?
Before you know it, your marketing budget is divided into tiny pieces, your team is trying to keep up with six different platforms, and you’re wondering why nothing seems to be working quite as well as you hoped.
The truth is, there isn’t one universally “best” digital advertising platform (if only marketing came with a simple answer key!). The right platform depends on three things: who you’re trying to reach, what you’re asking them to do, and where they are in their decision-making process.
Think of digital advertising less like throwing spaghetti at a wall and more like choosing the right place to have a conversation. You wouldn’t give a sales pitch to someone while they’re casually scrolling Instagram in the same way you would speak to someone actively searching Google for exactly what you sell.
So, where should you actually spend your budget? Here are some of the major platforms to consider and what each one does well.
Google Search: “You were looking for me?”
Let’s start with the person who already knows what they want. Someone pulls out their phone and searches, “Catholic retreat near me,” or “financial advisor for small business.” That person isn’t casually browsing, they’re looking. That’s where Google Search advertising can be incredibly valuable.
You can reach people who have existing intentions. Search advertising allows you to show up when someone is actively looking for a product, service or an answer related to your business. It can be excellent for lead generation and you can learn from the searches themselves. Keywords can give you insight into the questions and needs your potential customers have.
Here’s something to consider though: Google Search can’t create demand that doesn’t exist. If no one is searching for your particular product or service there may not be much search volume to capture and competitive keywords can get expensive.
Google Display: “Just keeping you in the loop.”
Google Display advertising works differently. Instead of waiting for someone to search, Display can put your brand and message in front of people across websites and apps. This can be useful for brand awareness and remarketing — that wonderfully persistent advertising tactic where you visit a website once and then suddenly the internet seems very interested in reminding you about that product or service.
Display can reach a much broader audience than Search. It’s visual so you have more room to communicate your brand through imagery, headlines, and design. Then there’s remarketing. If someone visits your website and leaves without filling out a form, you can remarket to that user until they convert. This tactic helps keep your brand top-of-mind. Not everyone is ready to buy the first time they encounter your business.
Geofencing: “You were here.”
Rather than targeting someone because they searched for a particular keyword or fit a particular demographic, geofencing can help advertisers reach audiences based on their physical location or visits to specific places. For example, a local financial institution might want to reach people who visit competing banks. A college might want to reach prospective students visiting another university. Geofencing is great for local or event-based marketing, too.
Meta: “That looks interesting.”
Now, let’s talk about the platforms where people are often discovering things they weren’t necessarily looking for. Meta advertising (Facebook and Instagram), can be incredibly successful for awareness, discovery, consideration and remarketing. Here’s an important distinction: People generally don’t open Instagram because they are desperately hoping to find a new accounting firm. They’re there to see their friends, watch reels, admire someone’s vacation, look at someone’s adorable dog, and, occasionally, discover a product or business they didn’t know they needed.
This is what makes the platform interesting for advertisers. It’s visual, you can reach people before they begin searching, and remarketing can help you reconnect with people who have already interacted with your brand.
LinkedIn:“Is this relevant to my work?”
LinkedIn is a different animal. If you’re marketing to consumers, LinkedIn may not be your first choice. But if you’re marketing to business owners, executives, HR professionals, or decision-makers, LinkedIn can be useful.
One of its biggest strengths is its professional targeting. You can think more specifically about someone’s professional world: their role, industry, company, seniority and other professional characteristics. It’s great for B2B marketing and can be valuable for professional services, recruiting and thought leadership. However, LinkedIn can be more expensive than the platforms mentioned above.
So which platform should you use?
Here’s where I think marketers sometimes make things complicated. Don’t start with the platform, start with the person. Ask yourself:
Who am I trying to reach?
Is your audience local consumers? Young professionals? Business owners? Parents? College students? The more clearly you understand your audience, the easier it becomes to determine where they’re likely to spend their time.
What do I want them to do?
Do you want them to buy something, fill out a form, schedule an appointment, visit your locations, donate or sign up for an event? Your objective should influence your strategy.
Are they already looking for what I offer?
If someone is actively searching for your product or service, Google Search may be a natural fit. If you’re introducing them to something they didn’t know they needed, a discovery-oriented platform like Instagram may make more sense.
How important is location?
If your business serves a particular geographic area — or you're promoting something connected to a specific place or event — location-based strategies like geofencing may be the tactics you need.
You don’t have to advertise everywhere
You don’t need to be everywhere, you need to be somewhere intentionally. Your marketing budget is a resource, and good marketing requires stewardship of that resource. Maybe Google Search is exactly what your business needs, or Instagram is where your audience can discover you. Maybe LinkedIn is worth the investment because your customer is a very specific professional decision-maker.
Or maybe you need a combination of several platforms working together. The goal is to understand the people you’re trying to serve, meet them where they are, give them something worth paying attention to. Good marketing isn’t about shouting the loudest. It’s about having the right conversation with the right person in the right place at the right time.
Catholic Women in Business Social Media Manager Amber Apple is a Digital Marketing Manager and writer. When she’s not weaving tales for her novel, you can find her in her natural habitat—snuggled up on the couch, lost in the pages of a book, clutching a cup of tea. Her love language is baking French pastries, so if you’re craving a daily dose of mouthwatering recipes and delightful musings, visit her blog, mrsamberapple.com, or connect with her on Instagram @mrsamberapple.