Most foreign trade website owners that Naiba has encountered primarily choose Google Ads and Facebook Ads for their advertising campaigns. However, if you're choosing them, your competitors likely are too. This leads to high ad costs and intense competition. We can also consider other advertising platforms. Here are some international ad platforms you can use for promotion.
Microsoft Advertising
Bing is also a search engine. While its domestic market share might not be huge, that doesn't mean its international presence is insignificant. Therefore, we can leverageMicrosoft Advertising(formerly known as Bing Ads) to run ads and promote their websites and products. Microsoft Advertising runs ads not only on Bing but also on two other search platforms: Yahoo and AOL.
Here are some statistics about the total audience you can reach with Microsoft:
- 116 million users daily
- 5.5 million desktop searches per month
- Accounts for 36.2% of the overall US desktop search market
Microsoft also offers various advertising objectives to help you grow your business. Using the platform, you can:
- Generate more phone calls
- Increase ad engagement
- Drive traffic to your local store
- Sell products online
- Increase conversions
Additionally, Microsoft provides various advertising products, including:
- Ad Extensions
- Shopping Campaigns
- Dynamic Search Ads
- Conversion Tracking
- Shared Budgets
Therefore, if you are familiar with the typical features offered by Google, you will find it easy to transition to Microsoft Advertising.
Quora
Zhihu in China is Quora abroad. People log in, ask a question (actually any question), and then other users who know the answer provide answers. Multiple people can answer, but usually one answer stands out as the „best,“ making it easier for others to find the answer.
Part of the challenge when starting a business is immediately attracting people who need digital marketing services. Quora allows you to do this by placing ads in front of people who are asking questions about online marketing.
For example, if someone logs into Quora and asks, „Which advertising platform is best for an e-commerce website?“, you can display an ad in front of that person.
Quora also offers the same sophisticated targeting options as other platforms, such as lookalike audiences, website match audiences, and list match audiences.
You can also target Quora users based on their history on the platform.
AdRoll
AdRoll's platform employs a solution called IntentMap, which tracks 1.2 billion shopper profiles andtrillionsintent data points, making over 80 billion AI predictions daily. It aims to attract potential shoppers most likely to convert.
You can also use AdRoll to create the ultimate cross-platform experience for people in your market. Run online ads, email marketing campaigns, and website promotions to guide people through the customer journey. You'll also get a robust reporting feature that includes multi-touch attribution.
If you run an e-commerce store, AdRoll integrates with some of the most popular platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce.
Amazon
You might think your product is unique and that a virtual store can compete effectively with Amazon, but it's harder than you might learn; in reality, it won't work.
When this happens, you need to use Amazon's platform to sell products. Then you also need torun ads on Amazon.run ads on it.
Why do you need to run ads? Because competition on Amazon is brutal. There are too many players in the game.
The bad news is that when you sell and advertise on Amazon, your profits will take a hit. So you may have to make some adjustments to your business model.
However, if you're looking for a way to increase brand awareness and get more sales, Amazon is still an ideal landing spot.
Amazon also offers targeting features and a rich reporting system, so you can adjust your strategy.
Taboola
Taboolastands out among other advertising options because it is anativeadvertising platform.
If you're not familiar with native advertising, it's a way to promote content on other people's blogs. The ad format resembles the content on the hosting site.
Oh, there's usually some kind of disclaimer that lets careful observers clearly know the content is an ad. But this disguise still works.
Taboola recently announced a merger with Outbrain, together forming a powerful force in online ad selection, helping you target the right people, gain more exposure, and provide reports that allow you to adapt your strategy.
Taboola also allows you to use various creative formats, including video, social, or content ads. There's also a smart bidding feature, so you can automate optimization strategies.
Redditis an online forum for user-generated content. People who like content posted by others will „upvote“ by clicking the up arrow next to the content title. Those who don„t like what they see will “downvote„ by clicking the down arrow.
Unsurprisingly, content with many upvotes tends to float to the top of people's feeds.
What kind of content can you find on Reddit? The answer is yes.
Seriously, Reddit has forums (called „subreddits“) for almost every topic imaginable.
It also offers some youcannotforums for topics you can imagine. But that's a topic for another article.
Reddit allows you to create your own posts on the platform and then run them as ads. Of course, it will display an „Ad“ disclaimer next to it, but people will still see it.
If your headline is catchy enough, people might check out your content. If your content is worthy, you may attract more customers.
And, lest Reddit be an advertising platform only for eager emerging marketers, remember that well-known brands like Audi and L'Oréal have used the platform effectively.
By the way, Reddit is another of those platforms that made significant improvements to its feature set in 2019. You'll appreciate the results.
BuySellAds
BuySellAdsIt is a self-service platform that allows you to target developers, designers, and niche tech audiences. In other words, if your business model involves attracting high-tech talent, you should add BuySellAds to your short list of alternative ad platforms.
One of the more attractive features of this platform is that it allows you to use multiple ad formats to engage users, including:
- Native Ads
- Content Ads
- Podcast Ads
- Display Ads
- Email Ads
The company's website features success stories from brands like Hello Sign, Rollbar, Circleci, and Storyblocks.
Storyblocks used the BuySellAds platform to identify designers when they were looking for inspiration and resources. This way, the company could attract audiences at the low end of the sales funnel.
Info Link
If there's one word that defines theInfolinksAn advertising platform, that is: smart.
With Infolinks, you can reach them in the markets where they are most likely to convert. It uses a sophisticated algorithm to do this, which only shows relevant ads to netizens.
You can also use the platform to reach international audiences. Infolinks has one billion users worldwide.
Additionally, the tool enables you to:
- Choose from various ad units
- Select from advanced targeting options
- Optimize strategies
- Track results
- Run search and display ads
The platform's clients include Digitas, Starcom Mediavest Group, Mediacom, McCann Worldgroup, and MEC.
If you are in the B2B field,LinkedIn AdsIt is actually a cost of doing business.
In short: There is no easier place online to find business owners and leaders who belong to your potential customer base.
As of now, there are about 630 million active professionals on LinkedIn. Among them, 180 million are senior influencers, 63 million are decision-makers, and 10 million are C-level executives.
In other words, the people you want to reach are there.
With LinkedIn, you can choose from several advertising methods, including:
- Sponsored Content
- Sponsored InMail
- Video Ads
- Text Ads
- Dynamic Ads
- Carousel Ads
Additionally, the platform offers many features you'd expect to find in the latest advertising solutions, such as:
- Conversion Tracking
- Contact Targeting
- Website Retargeting
- Lead Generation
- Audience Network
Companies like Lenovo, Marketo, Intel, AIG, and American Express have successfully promoted their brands using LinkedIn ads.
Finally, remember that LinkedIn is now owned by Microsoft. So when you advertise on LinkedIn, you get the advantage of Microsoft's big data platform and the targeting possibilities that come with it.
PinterestIt is another one that has significantly improved its advertising products this year. If you haven't checked out its rich feature set recently, you should.
This is especially true if women are an important part of your target market, as they are the majority of Pinterest users.
Additionally, if your brand places a high value on image marketing, Pinterest is a good choice because it's all about sharing images.
Remember: Your „ad“ on Pinterest will be a Pin. So you first upload an image that promotes your business, then make it an ad.
You can choose to pay for engagement or website visits. Either way, you only pay when people show interest.
Pinterest also offers a powerful tracking platform so you can see which strategies are making a difference.
Snapchat
If a significant portion of your target audience skews young, you should consideradvertising on Snapchat.This is because over 70% of Snapchat users are between the ages of 18 and 24.
According to Snapchat's advertising page, over one-third of the app's user basecannotis discovered through Facebook and Instagram. Therefore, you can gain market share through Snapchat ads.
The platform allows you to choose one of three advertising objectives:
- Website Visits
- Local Store Visits
- App Installs
Additionally, Snapchat's self-service platform lets you easily launch and run ads within minutes.
Finally, the tool provides tracking tools so you can evaluate and optimize campaigns for maximum impact.
TikTok
TikTok is a short-form video platform (the overseas version of Douyin) with over 1.5 billion users worldwide. More than 60% of these users are between the ages of 16 and 24. So, if you want to attract a younger demographic, this is where you want to be.
Unlike Vine, TikTok alsooffers an advertising platformcan reach people in over 20 markets globally. The platform also offers a way to create ads in multiple formats and with extensive targeting capabilities.
Guess Jeans, Universal Pictures, and Clean & Clear use TikTok ads to promote their brands.
YouTube
„On average each month, US adults spend more time on YouTube than on any TV network.“
That's the statement you'll read when you visitYouTube Ads homepage.. It's a compelling reason to consider advertising on the platform.
YouTube ads offer a targeting platform called „Find My Audience,“ allowing you to reach only the viewers most likely to become customers. You can go beyond simple demographics to identify people by habits and interests.
Like other ad options, YouTube ads also allow you to create purchase-intent audiences and similar-interest audiences to further expand your reach.
Here's where YouTube TrueView ads surpass traditional TV commercials: you only pay when someone watches your ad for at least 30 seconds.
Of course, you need to invest some money in producing high-quality video ads. This is an additional cost you'll need to discuss with your accountant.
Finally, YouTube offers excellent analytics tools so you can track your campaign performance and get the most out of it.
Outbrain
You can reach people in your target market through website lightboxes or TextLink withPropel Media.TextLink reaches target market people. The platform uses a „DeepIntent“ algorithm designed to discover high-value audiences in real time.
How does it work? According to the company's website, it combines AI with natural language processing to understand relationships among 300 million people, places, products, and events. The targeting technology can attract your next customers through lightbox, TextLink, and pre-roll video ads.
Here's another selling point: the company has partnerships with streaming brands Roku, Apple TV, and Chromecast. These platforms give you access to people that traditional web ads might not reach.
Finally, Propel Media even offers local ad options for domestic and international audiences.
Revcontent
Revcontentis another native advertising platform that offers the benefits you'd expect from any native ad service: granular targeting options, real-time reporting, and flexible ad creatives.
One thing Revcontent offers that other platforms may not is dedicated account management. This kind of expertise can make the difference between a profitable campaign and an unprofitable one.
Revcontent is used by many well-known brands, including Forbes, Ziff Davis, Bank of America, Wayfair, and Nasdaq.
Spotify
If you want to reach people in your target market in a way your competitors might overlook, consider using audio ads onSpotify Ads.use audio ads on
Audio ads can be more expensive to produce than traditional image ads, but the Spotify ad platform has features for creating your own audio ads, including voiceovers. So, it might not be expensive at all.
Beyond that, the potential to engage your core audience cannot be ignored. Millions of people use Spotify to discover music they love and listen to their favorite podcasts.
Spotify ads also allow you to target potential customers at unusual times, such as when they are exercising, driving to work, relaxing, cooking, or cleaning.
Pandora
Pandora is a competitor to Spotify, soadvertising on the platformhas similar advantages.
Pandora has 118 million listeners. You can use the platform's first-party data along with third-party data provided by Pandora to target a portion of these audiences.
First-party data includes the following parts:
- Basic demographics (age, gender, etc.)
- Music preferences
- Location
- Listening Time
Third-party data includes offline habits, such as shopping behavior and media interests.
When used together, first-party and third-party data can provide you with laser-like targeting, allowing you to reach only users who may be interested in your brand.
With Pandora, you can choose to run 10-second, 15-second, or 30-second ad slots. The platform also includes the „Audio Everywhere“ product, which seamlessly integrates your message with the listener„s preferred experience.
You can even launch a campaign that combines your audio ad with a persistent visual component running on web and mobile platforms.
Summary
When doing enterprise SEM promotion, you must consider multiple directions. Browse the list of other advertising platform options above and choose the one you think best suits your business. For example, if you run a B2B store, you might choose LinkedIn.
Then, follow a common-sense approach to run ads on that platform. Run ads that highlight your brand's strengths. Do some split testing so you can optimize your campaigns. Double down on what works.
After successfully adjusting the strategy for one platform and achieving a positive ROI, select a second option from the list above and start the same process for that platform.
Keep trying new advertising platforms to get more advertising returns.