Channels such as Google, Meta, TikTok or LinkedIn Ads have been and continue to be the most used by brands to develop their paid digital advertising strategy. But despite the fact that good results can be achieved in these types of environments, competition has become fierce and, consequently, the CPC has skyrocketed. In other words, advertising saturation in these channels is a reality and it is becoming increasingly difficult to capture the user’s attention and make every euro invested profitable.
At Pukkas, we have seen this situation in many brands that come to our digital marketing services: they only focus their advertising efforts on the big giants of the industry and find it difficult to grow in a sustainable way due to the high costs of these platforms. In these cases, we always tell them the same thing: the key is to explore paid routes that are less overcrowded and adapted to both your type of customer and the stage of the funnel they are in. We don’t believe in generic recipes or single formats, but in tailored strategies that go beyond the “jack, horse and king”.
In this article, we want to let you know which are those less massified and less known channels in digital advertising, but that can be more profitable if you know how to choose the right way.
Channels for digital advertising beyond Google and social networks
Below, we delve into 7 underutilized, but tremendously interesting digital advertising channels that can deliver very good results without sky-high CPCs and without having to face overwhelming competition.
In each case, we tell you what is the most interesting benefit it can bring to your strategy, in which phase of the funnel we recommend implementing it, in which segments or type of audience it works best and which sectors tend to have the best experience.
Sponsored email marketing, a digital advertising with direct impact on the inbox
When we talk about alternatives to Google Ads, Meta Ads, TikTok or LinkedIn, sponsored email marketing is one of the most underused channels. It consists of including your brand, product or message in third-party newsletters that already have a loyal and segmented audience. In this way, instead of building your own database, you rely on the credibility and reach of those who have already earned the trust of their subscribers.
Most interesting benefits: attention and credibility
Including your content in a well-crafted newsletter can achieve open rates of over 35%. In addition, this channel allows for ultra-precise segmentation. The subscribers tend to have very specific interests (technology, health, sustainability, finance, travel, etc.), thus ensuring thematic affinity.
Another key point is that the prestige of the author or the media that sends the email endorses your message. In addition, the reader’s experience is not interrupted. All this generates an immediate trust that other paid formats can hardly achieve.
Cost and efficiency: a highly cost-effective and scalable digital advertising channel
In terms of cost, CPM is often up to 5 times more cost-effective than channels such as Meta or Google. This, combined with a quality and segmented audience, makes it one of the most efficient paid advertising channels for brands looking for conversion and lead generation.
At what stage of the funnel does it work best?
Sponsored email marketing is especially powerful in the middle of the funnel (to generate consideration and educate about your value proposition) and at the bottom of the funnel (to capture registrations, qualified leads or even to close sales with exclusive offers).
For which audiences or sectors is this digital advertising ideal?
Sponsored email marketing works especially well for professional audiences, B2B niches and communities with specific and specialized interests. In that sense, it works well for businesses such as startups, SaaS companies, niche ecommerce, training and financial services companies, as well as very specific sectors related to technology, education or health, where affinity and trust make the difference.
Programmatic advertising
Programmatic advertising is the automated purchase of digital advertising space in real time. It is implemented through platforms that connect advertisers with the media or pages that sell their spaces, so you can show your ad on thousands of websites, applications, media and digital platforms.
Its great advantage is that it allows reaching the right person, at the right time and with the most relevant message thanks to the combination of data, algorithms and real-time bidding (RTB). In that sense, they also allow ultra-precise segmentation, allowing advertisers to target their campaigns according to demographics, interests, browsing behavior, geolocation or purchase intent.
This reduces the dispersion of the investment and makes it possible to get a high return on each euro invested. In addition, the automation of this type of digital advertising is also remarkable, which makes it a very scalable strategy. It is true that it is not always perceived as a “low cost” channel, but programmatic advertising, well managed by a digital marketing agency, can be more profitable than large platforms without paying overprices.
At what stage of the funnel does it work best?
Programmatic advertising is incredibly versatile and can work at any point in the funnel.
For which audiences or sectors is this digital advertising ideal?
It is ideal for brands that want to reach large or dispersed audiences, such as large retailers, ecommerce, banking, insurance, automotive, tourism and leisure. However, in B2B companies with long purchase processes it also has very good results as it can benefit from high precision in segmentation.
Podcast advertising
It consists of inserting advertising messages (usually read by the podcast hosts themselves) within the episode. It can also be based on simply including the product on the map (in the case of a video podcast) so that those who consume it in visual format can see it (it would be the equivalent of the advertising placement, but in podcast version). In addition, podcast platforms such as Spotify also offer their own ad tool for brands to include their ads on the platform, both in audio and visual format.
Most interesting benefits: credibility and real attention
Podcast advertising has become one of the most interesting strategies for brands that want to connect with the public in a close, credible and memorable way. When it is an ad with a message transmitted by the podcast host, it will be better received by the audience compared to other channels, since listeners trust him and pay more attention to his recommendations, something that multiplies the recall rate.
Cost and competitiveness: affordable digital advertising without saturation
Another point in favor of podcast advertising is that there is low advertising saturation. This lesser competition for attention makes it possible to stand out and avoid the advertising fatigue in listeners that other more saturated channels do cause.
In which parts of the funnel does it work best and to which sectors do we recommend it?
Podcast advertising shines especially in the upper and middle part of the funnel, working really well when you want to reach very niche audiences. At Pukkas we usually implement it in brands that need to explain their value proposition well or that want to position themselves as allies on specific topics and build a good reputation.
Digital Out of Home (DOOH)
DOOH advertising recovers something essential in a world saturated with online advertising impacts: the physical visibility of your brand in the daily lives of thousands of people beyond smartphone screens. DOOH advertising is displayed on dynamic digital screens strategically located in the street, stations, airports or shopping malls, combining the best of traditional outdoor advertising with programmatic technology.
As for programmatic advertising, when managed in this way, it has all the benefits that it can have and that we have already mentioned before. But as for the benefits of physical advertising we find:
- Its great notoriety.
- Visibility guaranteed by the absence of ad blockers.
- High efficiency in the high funnel phase.
It is very interesting for brands that need to have a local or regional presence, as well as for businesses that combine the online and offline sectors, such as large chains with physical points of sale.
Influencer marketing on alternative channels (such as Twitch, Discord or Telegram)
Unlike influencer marketing on mass platforms, here the key is two-way conversation and community building. The great power that influencers have on more alternative platforms is the generation of engagement (interaction) with their audience. This translates into a much more authentic and relevant impact, especially for brands that want to go beyond mere product exposure and avoid saturated spaces that require a lot of investment such as Instagram or YouTube. In this case, costs are more accessible, especially if you collaborate with microinfluencers or emerging creators.
Influencer marketing in alternative channels is, in short, an excellent tool to build community and loyalty that works very well both in the middle and lower part of the funnel. We recommend it above all to brands that want to reach young generations, gamers, techies and niche communities interested in entertainment, lifestyle or online education.
In-game ads to connect with audiences where they spend the most time without disrupting their user experience
In-game ads are integrated within the game environment, and can be visual or environmental elements or interactive rewards and dynamics. Their great advantage is that digital advertising in this case does not interrupt the gameplay, but adapts in an immersive and contextual way. This results in a high exposure time to advertising, as users spend hours playing on these platforms (much more than the time they spend consuming social networks or more traditional digital content).
For all these reasons, brands that integrate in-game ads into their strategy have a more repeated and memorable impact on users. In addition, it is possible to develop a very precise segmentation and take into account age, gender, interests and other relevant behaviors to adapt each impact to the appropriate profiles.
As you can imagine, in-game ads are a very good option for brands that want to connect with generation Z and Alpha, more accustomed to move in digital environments and consume advertising in them. Fashion, gaming, technology or beverage brands are the ones that most develop this type of digital advertising in the upper and middle part of the funnel.
Conclusions: do I have to ignore traditional channels in my digital advertising strategy?
It’s not about completely eliminating traditional channels from your digital advertising strategy, but about expanding your marketing horizons by including new channels and choosing them wisely according to your business needs, the target audience you want to reach and what you want to achieve.
As you can see, the key is not to be everywhere, but to choose the right channels. But there is no magic recipe, it is a matter of analyzing each specific case and detecting the best way to get the most out of each euro invested to achieve outstanding and sustainable results.
At Pukkas, we are experts in analyzing each project, detecting opportunities and designing advertising routes that combine profitability, innovation and a results-oriented approach. If you want us to study your business to detect the best way to impact your target audience, write to us. We are here to help you grow without always relying on the same channels.
