The best place to spend your ad dollars is the platform that matches how your customers buy, not the platform you happen to be most comfortable posting on. After running campaigns across every major platform since 2009, here is how we think about each one.
Meta (Facebook and Instagram) is still the workhorse for most businesses. The reach is enormous, the targeting is strong, and the cost is hard to beat. Across our current clients we run a blended CPM of $3.49 against an industry median of $13.48, which means the same budget reaches roughly four times the people.
Google Search captures people who are already in the market for what you sell. It is the highest intent traffic there is, and it pairs naturally with Meta: search catches demand, social creates it.
YouTube is where video does its heaviest lifting. It reaches people during research and entertainment time, and it rewards real video content over static ads.
TikTok is a discovery engine, strongest for products with visual appeal and audiences that skew younger. Creative has to feel native or it fails.
LinkedIn costs more per click than any platform here, but for B2B offers where one customer is worth thousands, precise job title and industry targeting earns it.
Microsoft Ads is the quiet value play: cheaper search clicks, an older and more desktop-heavy audience, and less competition.
There is no universal answer, and the right split usually changes month to month as the data comes in. If you want a starting point for your business, take our free two minute platform quiz or map out a budget with the ad budget planner.