Ever wonder why some brands seem to pop up everywhere? They’re on your feed, in search results, even between videos. Well, that’s paid advertising in action.
With the paid advertising spend forecasted to go up to $1.17 trillion, it’s no surprise that we see ads everywhere. After all, paid advertising can build awareness, bring in traffic, drive sales, and get a ton of exposure for your new products or services.
In this article, we take a look at the types of paid ads and their benefits. We also share a few strategies to help you make the most of your paid advertising, whether it’s in a regulated industry like finance and wealth management or something more chill like fashion.
Paid advertising refers to companies paying for an ad space on social media, search engines, or other platforms. It can be in the form of texts, images, photos, videos, or GIFs. There are many different types of paid ads; let’s look at a few common ones.
Paid search advertising means paying for ad space on search engines like Google, Yahoo, Bing, or Ask.com.
With this type of paid ad, you can choose your custom bid and the keywords you want to appear for. Then, it’s as simple as writing your ad and letting the search engine do the rest.
Here’s an example from Nespresso that appears for relevant keywords like “coffee pods.” Even though they haven’t earned the #1 spot in the search engine result pages (SERPs) through SEO, the paid ad makes it look like they’re on top. This builds authority, especially on search engines like Google.
Your success with paid search advertising depends on how much you’re willing to bid. With enough money, you can even appear before the organic search results.
When it comes to paid advertising, social media is the most lucrative platform. The global market is already at $207 billion, which is only expected to grow. Social media paid advertising refers to paying for ad space on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.
Let’s look at some paid advertising examples on Facebook.
This sponsored post from Burger will show up on all relevant customers’ newsfeeds and entice them to order the new spicy chicken nuggets. Meanwhile, the convenience “Order Now” button makes the deal even better. The craving would go away for most customers if they had to go through the hassle of finding the restaurant’s website.
Paid social media advertising is a good way to engage potential customers while they’re still in a pleasant mood, catching up with loved ones, or watching their favorite videos. Plus, you can’t doubt its reach – 60% of the population uses social media.
Most importantly, paid advertising on social media allows you to target a niche audience. Most platforms, such as Instagram and Facebook, let you target users by gender, location, age, and other factors. You can opt for images, videos, GIFs, reels, and even just texts to advertize on these platforms.
Display advertising uses images, videos, and text to entice viewers to visit their website. Google Display Ads are the most well-known type.
The Google Display Network boasts two million+ websites and apps on which you can display your ads. Shockingly, these ads can reach up to 90% of all web users. Keep in mind that Google will share your ROI for these ads.
Here’s an example from IE University.
Since display advertising is image-led, it perfectly targets mobile users. They typically don’t have the time to engage with text-based ads, but a quick picture-and-CTA ad will catch their attention.
Display ads raise brand awareness by repeating the same ads on different platforms. The average person needs to see your brand at least seven times before they buy anything.
Since the pandemic, there’s been a huge spike in the preference for visual content. In fact, video creation is up 29% since last year.
That’s also why video streaming and content creation apps like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok have enjoyed a huge surge in views. You’ve probably spent hours watching Reels without realizing it.
Video advertising places short video ads between your flow of organic content on social media platforms. You can view the ad and scroll past it or click on the CTA to learn more. Video ads are much more engaging than other paid ads because they’re more likely to get your audience’s attention.
Here is an example of Tesco's Video Advertising on YouTube:
Paid advertising costs can vary depending on the channel. Let’s look at a few examples.
When working with paid ads, it may be tempting to dive right in. We admire that approach, but it’s even better to first map out a good strategy.
Here’s how to do that in six steps.
When you get into paid ads, here’s the first thing you’ll ask: What’s the right channel for my business?
In some cases, one channel is enough to get the job done. In others, you must take a multi-channel approach to reach your goals. Ask yourself these questions before you decide:
Now, let’s zoom in on those paid ad goals a little. It’s crucial to pinpoint what you want out of your paid ads strategy. You may want more:
Whatever your goal is, it needs to be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely. That means it’s not enough to just say, “My goal is to improve our conversion rate.” You’ll also need to specify:
The following video does a great job of explaining how to set SMART goals.
Above all, the goal must be realistic and relevant to your business objectives. For example, there’s no need to track vanity metrics like page views or email subscribers.
High-quality paid ads compel customers to want to learn more. Here are some tips to create ads that drive clicks:
Here’s a great example from INDIRAP. When ILPMP wanted to modernize its digital presence, we stepped in with a creative paid advertising and content strategy.
We developed animated explainer videos, ad visuals, and marketing materials that communicated ILPMP’s message while engaging their audience. The best part? The content was flexible enough to stay relevant long-term. So, it saves the company future ad spend and production costs.
Your paid ad strategy isn’t something to set and forget—it needs constant revision. It’s best to check your campaigns at least once a week to ensure they’re working as expected.
This is also the chance to run A/B testing. That means creating two versions of the same ad, with minor differences in CTAs or image choices. Run them both to see how audiences respond to each.
Budgeting is where your paid advertising strategy really takes shape. If you overspend too early or spread your budget too thin, things will go wrong. Start by setting a total monthly or campaign-specific budget that aligns with your overall marketing goals.
Then, decide how to allocate it. For example, you may spend 40% on search ads, 30% on social, and 30% on retargeting. Keep a small portion aside (around 10%) for experimentation so you can test new platforms or creative formats without risking your main spend.
Pro Tip: Use daily or lifetime caps to prevent ad overspend. Most platforms, like Google Ads and Meta, let you pause or adjust spending in real-time. Track which campaigns deliver the highest ROI, and funnel more of your budget there instead of keeping a fixed split.
The best thing about paid advertising is how easy it is to track results. Most platforms have robust data analytics and reporting features, which allow you to track your ad’s performance and how people are responding to it.
So, what should you consider when tracking paid ad KPIs? Let’s look at a few key metrics to measure.
Of course, you don’t need to track all these metrics – just find ones that suit your goals. For instance, track impressions if you want to increase brand awareness. However, the conversion rate is more important to track to generate more leads.
Now that we know the different types of paid advertising, let’s explore its benefits.
.gif)
So, here’s the deal, paid advertising doesn’t mean throwing money at clicks. It’s about getting smart with your strategy. When you understand the different types of paid ads and how they work, you can actually make every dollar count.
If you’re ready to get your brand seen, start small, stay consistent, and keep learning. You’ll also want to hop on this train if you want to bring the right audience to your doorstep.
Book a free, no-obligation Discovery Call with INDIRAP today. We are one of the leading video production agency in Chicago, ready to help you get started with your paid advertising campaign with zero hassle.
Paid ads are not necessarily better, but they’re definitely faster. They give your brand instant visibility, while organic marketing builds trust over time. The best results usually come from using both together for steady growth and long-term impact.
There’s no magic number. Start small, maybe $10 to $20 a day, and track performance. Once you see which ads convert best, scale your budget toward those winning campaigns.
Some ads bring results within days, others take weeks. It depends on your platform, goals, and targeting. Give your campaigns time to collect data before tweaking, as rushing changes too soon can skew your results.
Yes, you can. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok let you promote directly through posts or messages. Still, having a website helps build credibility and gives your audience a place to learn more.
.png)
.png)
