Advertising is all around us—on news sites, in our mailboxes, and in our social media feeds. With so many messages competing for attention, it takes a strategic approach to connect with the right customers and grow.
Americans are exposed to nearly 10,000 ads per day. Digital platforms like Google and Meta can help you stand out and remain accessible, and they are a key part of any effective marketing plan.
Here is a beginner’s guide to digital advertising, exploring the most popular channels and how to use them for real results.
What Is Advertising?
In its most general sense, advertising is about persuading or influencing an audience to take a specific action.
While many ads focus on getting people to buy something, some simply raise awareness or build a connection with an audience. The form of advertising depends on your goal and the specific group you’re trying to reach.
Today, thanks to the rise of digital media on platforms like Google and Meta (Facebook/Instagram), advertisers have endless ways to reach people online. The key is having a smart, well-researched plan that matches your audience’s needs—so your campaign delivers results, not just impressions.
What Is Online Advertising?
The average American spends almost seven hours looking at a screen each day.
Online advertising (or digital advertising) is all about placing your promotional materials where those potential customers are—on the Internet.
This can include:
- Search ads on Google/Bing
- Social media ads on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter (X), LinkedIn
- Display ads on third-party sites
- Video ads on platforms like YouTube
Digital advertising can promote anything—home services, restaurants, legal practices, and more. The best part is that you can adjust your budget and targeting to reach exactly who you want, making online ads a powerful tool for businesses of all sizes.
Popular Digital Advertising Platforms
Facebook (Meta) Ads Manager
Despite an ever-growing array of social platforms, Facebook remains a top choice with nearly 5 billion users.
Advertisers can target people by:
- Location, age, and interests
- Previous engagement with your brand
- Audiences with similar interests to your customers
Ad formats include:
- Story ads: Short, full-screen vertical videos or images
- Photo ads: Static images that highlight your product or service
- Lead ads: Built-in forms for easy sign-ups
- Video ads: Great for tutorials or brand storytelling
Cost Example: You may pay around $0.97 per click and $7.19 per 1,000 impressions, or $1.07 per like and $5.47 per download for an app promotion.
Actual costs vary based on competition, demographics, and your ad’s overall quality.
Google Advertising
As the world’s most popular search engine, Google offers immense reach through its paid platform, Google Ads.
Your ads can appear:
- Above or below the organic search results for relevant keywords
- On partner sites via Google Display Network, reaching users through banner ads or rich media formats
Google Ads is a straightforward way to ramp up website traffic, generate leads, and build brand visibility. Costs vary by keyword and industry, with an average cost-per-click of around $2.32 in the U.S.
The flexibility of Google Ads lets you fine-tune daily budgets so you never overspend.
Instagram Advertising
Owned by Meta, Instagram has over 2.3 billion monthly active users worldwide. It's a top platform for brand-building through visuals and short videos.
This platform lets you:
- Promote your posts and stories through a business account.
- Promote your page’s ads through Instagram.
- Access Meta's full targeting capacities to create campaigns
Ad types include:
- Photo ads: High-quality images to show off products or services
- Video ads: Short videos for brand promotions or how-to demos
- Story ads: Quick, vertical posts that disappear after 24 hours
- Explore section ads: Reach users browsing fresh content
Since Instagram ties into the same ad system as Facebook, you can unify your targeting and budgets for a broader Meta campaign.
TikTok Advertising
With over 1 billion monthly active users, TikTok is rapidly growing and is no longer just for teens.
It offers:
- In-Feed Ads: Appear in users’ “For You” feed
- Brand Takeovers: Full-screen ads when users open the app (premium placement)
- Hashtag Challenges: Encourage user-generated content around a branded hashtag
- Spark Ads: Strengthen existing organic content with paid support
TikTok is evolving beyond brand awareness to include direct-response ads with “Shop Now” buttons or links, allowing you to drive website visits and sales—especially if you have creative video content.
YouTube Advertising
With 2.5 billion monthly active users, YouTube is the second-largest search engine.
Ads can appear:
- Before, during, or after videos
- In the “Related Videos” feed or as standalone ads in YouTube search
Using Google Ads for YouTube, you can target by interests, demographics, or specific channels. Videos can effectively convey your story or demonstrate how your product/service works.
The first step with YouTube is to make sure you have a YouTube channel for your business. Afterward, you can start creating videos and ads to showcase on YouTube channels and even put ads in front of your videos. Test on YouTube Ads to see which type of ad works best for you.
X (formerly Twitter)
Twitter, rebranded as X, has an estimated 450–550 million monthly active users. While smaller than Meta or TikTok, it remains a hub for real-time conversations and niche communities.
Ad Formats:
- Promoted Posts (formerly Tweets): Improve visibility for specific posts
- Promoted Accounts: Get more followers by recommending your handle to relevant users
- Promoted Trends: Place your hashtag or topic in trending sections
X advertising can be effective if your customers are active on the platform—particularly for real-time announcements, news, or event-based marketing.
LinkedIn Advertising
LinkedIn has over 900 million monthly users, predominantly professionals and B2B audiences.
Ad formats include:
- Sponsored Content: Appear in users’ feeds as promoted updates
- Sponsored InMail/Messages: Deliver direct messages to selected users’ inboxes
- Text Ads/Dynamic Ads: Placed in the right column to catch professional audiences
LinkedIn ads tend to cost more per click but can be worth it if you’re targeting higher-value B2B leads or specialized professionals.
Google Display Advertising
Rather than appearing in search results, Google Display Ads show up as banners or images on participating websites. While considered more “traditional” in style, they can be highly targeted by interest, demographic, or website context.
Native Advertising & Sponsored Content
Native ads are paid posts that mirror the look and feel of the platform they appear on—blending in with regular editorial or social content.
Examples include:
- Recommended articles on news websites
- Promoted posts in social feeds
- Sponsored listings in online marketplaces
Native ads can be less disruptive, providing a seamless user experience and encouraging engagement.
How to Get Customers Through Digital Advertising
Nearly all online interactions begin with a search on Google/YouTube or Bing/Yahoo. That’s where your online advertising efforts can start. By placing your services where your audience is most likely to see them, you're increasing your chances of more people contacting you for your business.
What's more, online advertising doesn’t necessarily have to cost you money. You can attract and engage an audience by posting relevant content you know they’ll love and establishing a connection using their favorite social media channels.
Things to keep in mind:
- Define Your Audience: Know who you’re trying to reach, from age range to location.
- Select the Right Channels: Whether that’s Google, Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube, pick platforms that your audience actually uses.
- Set Clear Goals: Are you looking for clicks, calls, or email sign-ups? Track these to gauge success.
- Focus on Budget: Start small and increase spending if you see a positive return.
- Test & Tweak: Use analytics to learn which ads resonate and adjust your strategy accordingly.
By posting relevant content, using pay-per-click (PPC) ads on key platforms, and staying engaged with your followers, you can build brand awareness and see a solid return on investment.
If the task seems overwhelming, we're here to help. Scorpion is a top provider of technology and marketing services for thousands of small businesses across the United States. We can work with you to research your customers, develop your website, and create digital ads to bring in your ideal customers.
Steps to Launch Your Online Advertising Campaign
1. Research Your Audience, Goals, & Budget
Figure out who you’re targeting and what problems your products or services solve. Tools like Google Analytics or simple customer surveys can reveal audience insights. Next, decide how much you can invest in ads and what success (more calls, sales, or web visits) should look like.
2. Create Your Budget
Decide where your ads will run—Facebook, Google, display networks, or a mix. Factor in design costs if you need help creating visuals or videos. Setting a realistic budget from the start gives you a benchmark to measure against as you gather data.
3. Develop Your Ads
Craft ad images, videos, or copy that speak directly to your audience’s concerns. If you’re running ads on Google Search, choose keywords a customer might type in when they’re ready to buy. For a more visual platform like Instagram, focus on high-quality, engaging imagery.
4. Launch & Monitor Results
Different platforms have different ad setup steps. But each offers analytics to track performance—clicks, impressions, conversions, etc. Monitor these closely. If something isn’t working, adjust your images, keywords, or target demographics. Small tweaks can make a big difference.
Quick Overview: Setting Up an Ad
Facebook Ads
You can set up Facebook ads in five simple steps:
- Choose a goal (more leads, page likes, local awareness).
- Create your ad with text, visuals, and a clear call-to-action button.
- Define your audience based on location, interests, or past engagement.
- Set your budget and duration.
- Decide where ads appear (Facebook feed, Instagram feed, Stories).
Google Ads
To promote your product or service through Google:
- Sign in to your Google Ads account.
- Click on Campaigns in the left-side menu.
- Select New Campaign and choose a goal (sales, leads, etc.).
- Pick a campaign type (Search or Display).
- Follow on-screen instructions to define your budget, location, keywords, and ad creative.
With Google, you will also want to make sure you are actively monitoring your Google Business Page to make sure your reviews are strong. That will only benefit your overall ability to get leads through Advertising.
Moving Forward with Digital Advertising
Regardless of your industry, digital ads can strengthen your online presence and drive measurable results. They let you reach the exact people who are most likely to become customers—and you can adjust at any time if something isn’t working.
Combining online ads with other tools like search engine optimization (SEO) can compound your results. For instance, high-quality blog content can improve your site’s visibility in organic search, while paid ads bring in quick traffic.
How Scorpion Can Help
At Scorpion, we’ve spent over 20 years helping small businesses grow through technology and marketing.
Our digital marketing technology and expertise:
- Predicts performance before you spend so you can make data-backed decisions.
- Maximizes ad spending through partnerships with Google, Bing, and other platforms.
- Adapts constantly based on results, ensuring you don’t waste any of your advertising dollars.
Ready to get started? Let’s talk about your digital advertising goals.
