You have to be super creative about growth in this digital world. Companies are doing all sorts of things to get ahead, so you can’t afford to make any mistakes.

So one of the first things for digital advertising is to know which social media platforms are the best for advertising. This is exactly what we’ll talk about in this article.

Being Different in this Competitive World

One of the first things all run-of-the-mill marketers say is I’m an expert at Facebook. Or I’m an expert at Facebook/Instagram. They may add a little bit of Google as well, and even less so YouTube.

But what about those other platforms like TikTok, Snapchat, LinkedIn, etc. where you can advertise? What about other sources of traffic out there?

They would hesitate to talk about other less famous sources where advertising can be fruitful. If you are selling a product, most platforms I’ll talk about are good for you to advertise.

E-commerce is great on TikTok, Snapchat, Pinterest. Taboola and Outbrain work really well for lead generation and courses. Then we have Reddit that works really well for a lot of different industries. All of these mentioned platforms work for B2B and B2C.

Of course, we can’t ignore the big guns, Google and Facebook, because they have the capability of driving the most volume. Plus, they are easier to scale. Also, I include YouTube when I talk about Google because the same company owns these brands. But here’s the glitch: they are expensive.

On the other hand, we have Taboola and Outbrain that are fractions of the cost. They may not scale as well but you can spend as low as one-tenth and get the same conversions. Do these platforms help you get $100k a month? No. But you do have an opportunity of getting a solid ROI.

Here’s a good strategy if you want to work on smaller platforms and budgets. Work on six to seven of these platforms and earn a handsome ROI. Then tackle the big players later. These social media platforms are great for advertising if you are just starting out or you run a small business.

The 6 Best Social Networks for E-commerce Advertising

These are the best places to invest your ad money right now.

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter
• Pinterest
• LinkedIn
• Snapchat

Let’s get into more details for each platform.

Facebook Advertising

Boasting nearly 3 billion active users, you can’t ignore Facebook. It gives you the opportunity to reach virtually anyone and everyone.

It shines when it to comes to lead generation for e-commerce businesses. Many marketers report that it has cost them below $1 per lead.

A common way is to have a landing page and send people to it using Facebook ads. Your landing page should have a lead magnet so that people are convinced to give their email addresses.

You get advanced targeting options that you may not find on other platforms. You have the option to reach people by  location (within a 5-mile radius), job description, interests, past activity, and more.

As a general rule of thumb, remember that the more you spend, the more chances you have of getting a great ad performance.

According to an extensive study done by AdEspresso, the average cost per click (CPC) of Facebook ads as of 2016 was roughly .28 cents and the cost per 1,000 impressions (CPM) was $7.19.

Instagram Advertising

Facebook is the king of social media. But its hottest acquisition is nowhere behind. With over 500 million active users, it offers more engagement than Facebook and Twitter. That makes it another great social media platform for advertising.

But keep in mind that this platform has visual content. So you have to make more of an effort in terms of creatives. Also, be mindful that most of its user base is in the 18-29 age range and includes a lot of women and minorities. And in terms of cost, it’s not much different from Facebook.

If the above things align with your business, Instagram will be the best ad choice for your business.

Twitter Advertising

This platform has revolutionized breaking news and given a new way to connect to people. It is one the most popular social media out there, boasting 328 million monthly active users.

Twitter advertising shines in the sense that you don’t have to spend much money on it. What I mean is that it still offers a lot of space for organic engagement. On average, Twitter users shop online 6.9x a month, while non-users shop online just 4.3x a month.

Pinterest Advertising

Does your brand sell to women? Then go for Pinterest. It’s a great platform for female-centric products because of its 81% female user base. Its 175 million monthly users are highly engaging as well.

LinkedIn and Snapchat Advertising – Best Social Media Platforms

LinkedIn is a great option if you are in a B2B niche. And if you want to target a young audience, go with Snapchat.

Experiment on These Platforms Instead of Just Focusing on Google and Facebook

Most people stick with Facebook and Google. But you have to think out of the box.

First, you can experiment with Taboola and Outbrain. These two work great for both B2C and B2B. They also work for pretty much any industry.

Then, go for Snapchat and TikTok. Then you have Pinterest. These three platforms work well for B2C.

After that, you can go with an expensive but high converting option that is good for B2B companies: LinkedIn.

Do you have another great social media for advertising in mind? Let me know in the comments below!