The 6 Best PPC networks to Increase Your Online Sales

For a marketer looking to select a new PPC network for their marketing budget, the choice of networks on offer can be somewhat overwhelming. 

From the more obvious choices of search engine results on Google Ads, to Social Media or native advertising - ppc networks provide multiple possibilities, tailored for different industries and marketing approaches. 

In this article, we're taking a look at some of the best ppc networks for digital marketers to use, giving you a sense of what it offers and whether it could be the right fit for your business. 

1. Google Ads

Okay maybe you saw this one coming, but it would be an oversight not to include Google Ads in a PPC network list. No matter your industry or niche, Google should certainly be a consideration when seeking to maximize exposure.

This remains the most popular ppc network due to the sheer volume of searches globally (3.5 billion daily) and the growing number of 3rd party domains joining the Google Display Network. 

Selecting Google means your ads have the possibility to be seen across the two million websites on the GDN, as well as on Google SERPs, Google Shopping, Youtube and across mobile apps. 

Ad Formats: Text, image, responsive, video.

Pricing: Cost per click (CPC) model based on the competition and ad quality. GDN allows Cost-per-1,000 impressions (CPM).

The downside? It's both a positive and a negative, but Google is the first choice; both for your customers and your competitors. From a ppc perspective, this means that prices can be higher when compared to other networks. 

Let's take a look at one of the other leading ppc channels globally:

2. Microsoft Advertising | Bing Ads

Known for its similarities to Google, Bing is a highly popular search engine and receives high traffic - at the beginning of 2020 the search engine received on average 6 billion monthly searches. 

 

So although it may sound like Bing is continually playing second fiddle to Google, there is clearly huge potential for you to begin using Bing Ads as a ppc network - especially if you already have an established Google Merchant Feed. 

Placements: Search engines, native content placements on MSN, Outlook.com, the Edge browser, and select quality partner sites

Ad Formats: Text for search, responsive for native placements.

Pricing: CPC model based on the competition and ad quality.

3. Facebook Ads

Facebook Ads have also included their newest platform Instagram to the network, making it possible to advertise on Instagram using the same PPC network. 

Placements: Facebook sidebar, desktop or mobile newsfeed, Instagram and audience network.

Ad Formats: standard photo, video ads, or carousel ads

Pricing: Cost per click (CPC) model based on the competition and ad quality.

4. Amazon Ads

Amazon PPC (also known as Sponsored Products) is an advertising platform to help sellers amplify their product sales online. 

 

 

You don't need me to tell you that Amazon is an ecommerce giant, so the ability to push your products to the top of customer search queries is extremely valuable. 

 

Amazon ads are one of the ideal ways for a seller to “get or buy” the top position of the Amazon SERPs.

Ad Formats: sponsored products, brands, and stores
Pricing: PPM, the advertiser pays for every 1,000 people who see the ad, versus those who click on the ads. 

5. Pinterest

Pinterest has 200 million low-funnel, monthly users who are researching ideas, and products.

Apart from the fact that it is a channel that is growing steeply in usage and popularity on a global scale, there are a number of reasons why e-commerce businesses should at least consider Pinterest as a PPC network.

(source: Statista 2020)

Two-thirds of all Pins are now also from a business website. Your competitors are (probably!) using it and you can be certain that your potential customers are.

Ad formats: Promoted pins, one-tap promoted pins, promoted video pins, cinematic pins, promoted app pins on Pinterest.com and Pinterest app.

Pricing: CPC for promoted pins, app installs, CPM for promoted video pins.

 

6. Instagram

I know I mentioned Instagram ads above while discussing Facebook Ads for ppc. But this separate ad platform doesn't require a Facebook Business account and offers a bunch of different formats - so I think it deserves its own place on this ppc networks list!

It’s been shown that Instagram users are around 10 times more likely to follow a brand or business they like on Instagram instead of Facebook.

What's more, in comparison to the other PPC networks listed here, Instagram has the highest click-through rate of any other social media platform. There are over a billion monthly active users, the majority of whom (over 70%) are under 35.

Ad formats: Photo ads, video, carousel, Instagram stories.

Bidding Strategies: The bid strategies on Instagram Ads are very simple. Cost per click, or cost per thousand impressions (CPM).

Pricing: It’s hard to nail down Instagram Ads average price, but it seems to be on a level with Facebook Ads. CPM can be as low as $2-3, or as high as $5 or more.

What is the right PPC network for you? 

As seen from the list above, each PPC network comes with its own positives and negatives. Our suggestion is to not put all your eggs in one basket, and start off by selecting a number of ppc networks to test what works best for your business. 

"The right ppc network to use is very much dependent on the retailer and the products they sell. Amazon is working incredibly well for essentials and gift-based products whilst Google/Microsoft are great channels for home and garden."

Nick Handley | Head of Performance Marketing, Fluid Digital

 

Getting your Products Listed on multiple PPC networks

Managing a multi-channel strategy can be time-consuming and highly challenging. Preparing feeds that meet the different requirements for each new export - plus optimizing the data content so it isn't just being listed, but actually competing - can be a struggle for eCommerce merchants and digital marketers.

The best way to ensure you are meeting the requirements and are able to regularly update your feed  is to select a data feed management platform that gives you the full toolkit of possibilities - and is easy to use.

 

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