Marketing budgets are getting picked apart more than ever. Everyone’s got their eye on the bottom line. No one’s flinging money around just to see their logo pop up on a billboard somewhere. People want results, not just “exposure.” Enter: performance marketing. This isn’t your grandma’s ad strategy. It’s all about real, trackable stuff—clicks, leads, sales. You pay when someone actually does something. Makes sense, right? It’s like, why would you pay for a pizza if it never shows up at your door?
But, here’s the problem: there’s a wild jungle of platforms and tactics out there. Search ads, Instagram campaigns, affiliate deals, influencers hawking products in their pajamas—it’s chaos. And honestly, what works for that hip online shoe store probably won’t vibe for a company selling accounting software to other businesses. Horses for courses, as they say.
And then, there’s the competition. I mean, have you seen how many ads hit your eyeballs in an average scroll? It’s nuts. Creative ads are cool and all, but you need more than just a cute
slogan or a dancing llama. You need to pick your channel like your life depends on it. Smart targeting, tracking every click, making sure you’re not just lighting your budget on fire.
So, let’s cut to the chase. I’m breaking down the top 10 channels where brands are actually getting results right now. I’ll spill on the perks, the best use cases, and who should even bother. Whether you’re hustling on a shoestring or you’ve got cash to burn, knowing which channel does what will save you headaches and, trust me, probably a bunch of money.
Alright, let’s get into it. Time to find out which performance marketing channel actually deserves your attention—and how to make it work for you, not the other way around.
1. Google Ads
If you’re even remotely into performance marketing, you kinda can’t ignore it. It’s basically the Swiss Army knife of digital ads—super versatile, kinda everywhere, and, honestly, if you’re not using it, what are you doing?
So, you’ve got two main flavors: Search Ads and Display Ads. They’re like the Batman and Robin of the Google ad world, but with less spandex and more data.
Search Ads: Capturing High-Intent User
You know when you Google something like “emergency plumber near me” at 2 a.m. because your bathroom is starting to look like a swimming pool? Those top results, with the little “Ad” label? Yep, that’s them. Search Ads are basically stalking people (in a helpful way!) who are *already* hunting for what you offer. These folks aren’t just browsing—they’re ready to throw money at their problems, which, in this case, could be your product or service. Higher intent, better chance of getting paid. Simple math.
Display Ads: Scaling Brand Awareness
This is the “Hey, look at me!” approach. You’re scrolling through a blog or watching cat videos on YouTube and—bam—some banner ad pops up for running shoes or a new SaaS tool. Maybe you weren’t even thinking about running, but now… who knows? With Google’s Display Network, your stuff can show up just about anywhere. Great for making people remember you exist, or for gently stalking folks who visited your site but bailed before buying (retargeting, baby). And don’t even get me started on Google’s targeting tools. You can get super creepy-specific with the audience. Like, “people-who-watched-three-videos-about-sourdough-in-the-last-week” specific.
Why Choose Google Ads?
Well, for starters, the analytics are fire. You can track everything—who clicked, who bought, who just ghosted you. Budgeting is flexible, too, whether you’re a broke startup or swimming in VC cash. And bidding strategies? Tons of those—CPC, CPA, ROAS—pick your poison. Plus, if you’re a data nerd, plugging in Google Analytics and Tag Manager is a total game-changer.
2. Facebook Ads
If you’re trying to actually get your stuff in front of the right people, Facebook Ads (and yeah, Instagram too—they’re basically siblings at this point) are pretty much the MVPs of online marketing. Billions of humans scroll those feeds every day, so odds are, your future customers are lurking somewhere between a cat meme and a weird cooking hack.
Dialed-In Targeting Like Nowhere Else
Here’s where Facebook really flexes: the targeting. You wanna show your ad to just 25-year-old coffee snobs who like indie movies and bought socks from you last month? You can. It’s wild. You can slice and dice audiences by interests, what they did online, big life moments, and even if they’ve already creeped on your website. So, you’re not just spraying ads everywhere and hoping for the best. It’s more like, “Hey, I know exactly who’s gonna vibe with this.” And honestly, that means you’re not blowing money on people who don’t care. Win.
Oh, and you can do that “lookalike audiences” thing, which is just code for “find me more people who act like my best customers.” Kinda spooky, kinda genius.
Scroll-Stopping Visuals
Let’s not forget—Facebook and Instagram are all about the visuals. If you’ve got pretty product shots, fun videos (unboxing, anyone?), or even those swipe-through carousels, you’re set. People don’t read walls of text—they want to see stuff that pops. If you’re eCommerce or B2C, this is your playground. Toss in a big juicy button like “Shop Now” or “Learn More” and just watch that traffic roll in.
Retargeting: The Silent Money-Maker
Now, here’s the secret sauce: retargeting. Basically, Facebook lets you chase after people who checked out your site, maybe filled their cart, then bailed at the last second. (We’ve all been there, oops.) You get a second shot at convincing them—usually for less money, too, since they already kinda know you. Higher ROI? Yes, please.
Why Bother With Facebook Ads?
Look, you get crazy-detailed targeting, all sorts of creative options, and tools like Meta Pixel that track what’s working and what’s not. You’re in the driver’s seat, tweaking stuff on the fly. Doesn’t matter if you want sales, app downloads, new email signups—whatever. Facebook Ads can scale up or down, depending on what you need.
3. Instagram Influencer Marketing: Authenticity That Drives Conversions
Instagram basically owns the influencer game right now. Two billion people scroll through those endless feeds every month—yeah, that’s a mind-boggling number—and everyone from fashionistas to dog moms is hustling for attention. The secret sauce? It’s not just pretty pics; it’s influencers slinging real talk (or at least what feels real) to folks who actually care. If you team up with the right creator, suddenly you’re not just another ad—they’re vouching for you like you’re their favorite pair of sneakers. That trust? Gold. It’s brand love and cha-ching conversions, all wrapped in a glossy, double-tapped bow.
Why Instagram Influencers Work
People are way more likely to listen to someone they follow and like than to a random ad shoved in their face. Influencers? Kinda like your cool friend who’s always discovering the best stuff before everyone else. When they rave about a moisturizer or some gadget, it doesn’t feel like you’re being sold to. It’s more, “Hey, I use this and it’s awesome,” not, “Buy this now, please.” Big difference.
And Instagram? That platform’s built for showing off. Photos, Stories, Reels, Lives—there’s a million ways to flex a product. Influencers can do a quick how-to, go wild with an unboxing, or just show you their everyday routine (featuring your brand front and center, of course). You get to see the thing in action, not just some boring stock photo. No wonder folks trust it more—it’s like a sneak peek into real life, not some staged commercial nonsense.
Tracking ROI Through Performance-Based Partnerships
If you wanna know if your influencer campaign’s actually doing something (besides draining your budget), you gotta track that ROI like your rent depends on it. Forget just “hoping for the best.” Throw in some affiliate links, promo codes, or those UTM-tagged URLs—yeah, the nerdy stuff. Suddenly, you’re not just guessing who’s pulling their weight. You’ll see exactly which influencer’s audience is clicking, buying, and maybe even telling their grandma.
Oh, and if you think you gotta do all this manually, nah. Instagram’s Creator Marketplace or a bunch of those influencer platforms out there? They pretty much do the heavy lifting—finding people, keeping tabs on their performance, and helping you scale things up when you’re ready to go big. Makes you wonder how marketers survived before this stuff, honestly.
Best for Lifestyle, Fashion, Beauty, and More
If you’re in fashion, beauty, health, or any of those vibe-heavy industries, Instagram is basically your playground. Seriously, if your thing looks good in a photo, you need to be here. Influencers run the show—think makeup hauls, outfit inspo, gym selfies, all that jazz. It’s also killer for hyping new stuff or those blink-and-you’ll-miss-it deals. Basically, if you want people talking (and double-tapping), this is where you plant your flag.
4. Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing, It’s basically the cheat code for getting your name out there without blowing your entire budget on ads. You team up with folks—bloggers, influencers, whoever’s got an audience—and they hype your stuff. If someone actually bites and buys, then you toss that affiliate a cut. No sales, no cash out. Simple. Honestly, for startups or eCommerce brands who are tired of burning cash on ads that go nowhere, this is a no-brainer. It’s like hiring a sales army, but you only pay the soldiers who actually win the battle for you.
How Affiliate Marketing Works
So, you’ve got bloggers, TikTokers, coupon junkies, those review-obsessed folks, and basically anyone with a corner of the internet calling themselves an “affiliate” these days. They’ll sling your stuff using links, flashy banners, or those “honest” reviews and how-to guides—anything to nudge their followers over to your site. If someone actually buys something (or does whatever you want them to do, honestly) with their unique link or code, boom, the affiliate pockets a commission.
Why bother with all this? Well, you get to piggyback off their audience and street cred without blowing cash on ads. Plus, your brand gets plastered in places you probably didn’t even know existed. It’s sneaky good for getting your name out there and, let’s face it, way less annoying than those in-your-face ads everyone skips.
Why It’s Ideal for Startups and eCommerce
Affiliate marketing is a no-brainer for startups and scrappy online shops. You’re not tossing cash at empty clicks or random impressions. You only shell out when someone actually does what you want, whether that’s buying your stuff or signing up for your newsletter. Way easier to keep tabs on your budget, and honestly, seeing that ROI number tick up feels pretty good.
And the affiliates? They’re hustlers. They want to get paid, so they’ll bend over backwards making TikToks, unboxing videos, or those “which gadget is better?” reviews. That kind of real-talk content? People eat it up. It’s way more convincing than another boring banner ad—and it actually gets folks to hit that “buy now” button.
Tracking and Management Tools
You know what’s wild? These days, affiliate programs are basically running on steroids when it comes to tracking and analytics. Seriously—if you’re using platforms like ShareASale, CJ Affiliate, or Rakuten, you get these snazzy dashboards that let you obsess over every click, conversion, and penny you earn. And hey, some brands aren’t content with just handing the reins to someone else. They’ll bust out their own software—think Refersion or Tapfiliate—just to keep everything in-house and make sure they’re the boss of their own data and partnerships. Control freaks, but in a good way.
5. TikTok Ads
TikTok really went from being that goofy Gen Z dance app to basically running the show in performance marketing. Seriously, with, like, a billion and a half people scrolling nonstop, brands would have to be living under a rock to ignore it. The place is crawling with folks who just eat up short, flashy videos—perfect playground for anyone looking to get their brand out there. If you care about actually getting something back for your ad dollars (and who doesn’t?), TikTok Ads are where it’s at right now. The trick? Gotta stay sharp, ride the trends, and not be afraid to get a little weird. Creativity wins here, not the boring corporate stuff.
Why TikTok Ads Work
TikTok really pulled a fast one, huh? One minute, it’s all cringe dances and teenagers lip-syncing in their bedrooms, next thing you know—bam!—it’s basically the kingpin of digital marketing. I mean, if you’re a brand and still pretending TikTok doesn’t exist, what are you even doing? People are glued to those snappy little videos like it’s crack. It’s wild. Perfect spot for brands to flex, honestly.
But here’s the kicker: if you wanna get any real bang for your buck, TikTok Ads are the move right now. No joke. The catch? You gotta keep your finger on the pulse. Jump on whatever’s blowing up, and don’t be scared to get a little off-the-wall. The weird stuff? That’s what actually sticks. Forget the stiff, corporate snooze-fest content. Nobody wants that. Creativity’s the name of the game. Otherwise, you’re just background noise.
Ideal for Younger Audiences and Trend-Driven Brands
Honestly, if you’re trying to catch the attention of Gen Z or millennials, TikTok is where the party’s at. I mean, look around—every brand that’s even remotely cool (think fashion, beauty, tech gadgets, food joints, gyms, all that jazz) is scrambling to go viral there. But here’s the trick: ditch the boring ads nobody wants to watch. Seriously. Just make stuff that actually fits in—snappy clips, goofy trends, stuff that feels like it belongs and isn’t screaming “Buy Now!” at people.
Short vids? Absolute gold. Teaming up with influencers? Even better. And if you can get folks to jump in on a challenge or a duet, you’re basically winning. That’s how you get eyeballs—real engagement, not just ghost followers. Do it right, and next thing you know, people are flooding your landing page or checking out your products. No magic, just TikTok being, well, TikTok.
Measurable Performance
TikTok Ads Manager: brands jump in, set up their ads aiming for stuff like getting people to actually buy things, install their app, or toss over their info for leads. Then you get bombarded with all these numbers—click-through rates, cost-per-click, conversions, engagement—the usual suspects. Basically, you’re glued to real-time stats, tweaking things nonstop, hoping something finally takes off. Welcome to the wild world of TikTok marketing, where you blink and your budget’s gone.
6. YouTube Ads
YouTube Ads are basically the holy grail of performance marketing right now. I mean, think about it—where else can you slap your brand’s story in front of billions of eyeballs, all while zeroing in on exactly who you wanna reach? YouTube isn’t just for cat videos anymore; it’s the second-biggest search engine on the planet, and people are glued to it—like, 2.5 billion users every month. That’s wild. So, whether you’re trying to earn some street cred for your brand, break down confusing stuff for your customers, or just straight-up sell them something expensive, YouTube Ads have your back. Especially if you’re pushing those high-ticket or complicated products—this is your playground.
Why YouTube Ads Work
Video kinda rules when it comes to getting people to actually feel something, or just, you know, trust you a bit. YouTube’s like a buffet of ad options—skippable, non-skippable, those tiny bumper things, and discovery ads that pop up right when you’re just trying to watch a cat video. Brands can basically crash your viewing party at any point: before, during, or after whatever you picked. It’s sneaky, but man, it works—especially when you’re already in the zone, looking for stuff you care about.
Now, if you’re selling something complicated—think apps, fitness routines, money stuff, all those gadgets with way too many buttons—a video ad is your best friend. People wanna see this stuff in real life, not just read some boring bullet points. Watching someone actually use the product? That’s what makes folks go, “Yeah, okay, maybe I do need that weird blender.” It just hits different and gives buyers that little nudge to actually, you know, buy.
Advanced Targeting and Measurable Results
Google pretty much runs the show when it comes to YouTube ads—yeah, everything goes through Google Ads. Marketers can get all fancy with their targeting: pick your audience based on age, interests, what they’ve been Googling at 2 a.m., or even the exact videos they watch. You want to stalk people who searched for “best running shoes”? No problem—there’s a setting for that.
Tracking how your ads do? You’ve got a buffet of numbers to obsess over: view-through rate, click-through rate, cost-per-view, conversion rate—the whole alphabet soup. Basically, if a person so much as blinks at your ad, you’ll know about it. And if things aren’t working? Tweak, test, repeat. Welcome to the grind.
Best for Building Brand Credibility
Nothing beats video when it comes to showing people you’re legit. If you’re selling high-ticket stuff or trying to explain something that’s not exactly self-explanatory, YouTube Ads are your best friend. Nail the video and you can skip a bunch of boring sales steps—just squash people’s doubts and flex what you’re offering in, like, 15 seconds flat. Way better than paragraphs of text, right?
7. LinkedIn Ads
If you’re serious about B2B marketing, LinkedIn Ads is basically your golden ticket. It’s not just another social platform; it’s where all the big shots, the deal-makers, and the folks with actual budget hang out. Seriously, you’ve got a billion professionals just chilling, waiting for the next SaaS miracle or consulting genius to slide into their feed. Trying to snag solid leads in HR, finance, or whatever B2B niche you’re into? Skip the small talk—LinkedIn’s where the action (and the money) happens.
Why LinkedIn Ads Work for B2B
LinkedIn Ads are basically the Swiss Army knife of B2B marketing. Their targeting is ridiculously precise. I mean, you can zero in on people by job title, what industry they’re slogging through, how high up the corporate ladder they are, company size, weirdly niche skill sets—you can even stalk (I mean, “target”) folks at specific companies. It’s almost creepy how granular you can get. But hey, that’s what makes them so valuable. Your ad isn’t just screaming into the void; it’s landing right in front of the decision-makers who actually care. Whether you’re hyping up a webinar, hawking a whitepaper, or pushing some fancy enterprise software, you’re hitting the right crowd.
And the ad formats? There’s a buffet. You’ve got Sponsored Content that pops into people’s feeds like it belongs there, Message Ads that slide into inboxes (yes, like a DM, but less weird), old-school text and dynamic ads, and Lead Gen Forms that let folks cough up their info without ever leaving LinkedIn. Super smooth—no extra tabs, no jumping through hoops.
All this jazz is built to make the buyer’s journey as painless as possible and boost those conversion numbers, especially when you’re chasing the big fish.
Ideal for Thought Leadership and Lead Nurturing
LinkedIn isn’t just some lead-churning machine you fire up for instant wins. It’s more like the long game—think laying the groundwork, showing folks you actually know your stuff. Drop some case studies, toss out smart takes on industry trends, maybe share a handy guide or two. Suddenly, people start looking at your brand like, “Hey, these folks get it.” Oh, and with tools like the LinkedIn Insight Tag? You can see who’s sniffing around, chase ’em down later, and tweak your campaigns so you’re not just shouting into the void. Basically, it’s the whole “work smarter, not harder” spiel.
Higher Cost, Higher Quality
LinkedIn Ads are usually pricier per click—like, your wallet might actually flinch a little compared to what you’d spend on, say, Facebook or Google. But here’s the thing: the people clicking? They’re not just random. We’re talking to decision-makers, folks who actually care. So yeah, you pay more, but the leads? Way better. For B2B companies, it’s often totally worth coughing up those extra bucks.
8. Native Advertising
Native ads are totally having a moment right now. Seriously, if you’re a brand and you’re NOT messing around with native, what are you even doing? It’s basically the sneaky ninja of performance marketing—shows up in the middle of your favorite article and, boom, you barely realize it’s an ad. Way less annoying than those old-school banner ads screaming at you from the top of the page.
And don’t even get me started on Taboola and Outbrain. These guys have the whole thing on lock, shoving your content in front of people who might actually care, instead of just blasting it everywhere and hoping for the best. It’s like matchmaking for your brand and the right eyeballs. Native ads just get in there, do their thing, and people actually read ’em—magic.
How Native Advertising Works
You know those sneaky “recommended articles” chilling at the end of news stories, or those posts that sort of blend in while you’re scrolling? Yeah, those are native ads doing their thing—basically trying to look like they totally belong there, so you’re more likely to tap on ’em without even realizing.
They aren’t out here begging you to buy stuff right off the bat either. Nah, they’re smarter than that. They’ll pull you in with something kinda interesting—a blog, a video, maybe a fancy side-by-side product breakdown. It’s like, “Hey, no pressure, just giving you some info.” Next thing you know, you’re three articles deep and subconsciously warming up to whatever they’re selling.
Scalability and Reach
Native ads are basically the cheat code. Seriously—stuff like Taboola and Outbrain? They’ve got their claws in everything: big-name news sites, random blogs, those weird niche corners of the internet you only find at 2 AM. You don’t need to throw stacks of cash around, either; your content still ends up in front of a ridiculous number of eyeballs.
And the targeting? Wild. You can zero in on people by where they live, what they’re into, what phone they’re glued to, even what weird stuff they click at 3 AM. Plus, you get all the juicy stats—click-through rates, how long folks stick around, who actually buys your stuff. Makes tweaking things way easier.
Ideal for Content-First Brands
if a brand actually knows how to crank out stuff people want to read—think deep-dive guides, juicy case studies, or brutally honest product reviews—native ads basically become their secret weapon. It’s all about building trust, looking legit, and warming folks up before you hit ’em with the sales pitch.
9. Programmatic Advertising
Programmatic advertising kinda flipped digital marketing on its head. Instead of some poor soul clicking around, buying ad space by hand, now it’s all about smart algorithms and real-time bidding—basically, robots duking it out for the best ad spots while you sip your coffee.
You want your ad to hit the right eyeballs, at the right moment, wherever folks are hanging out online? Programmatic’s got you. It’s all data, all the time—tracking, optimizing, shuffling ads around like some caffeinated air traffic controller. Honestly, if you care about reaching people efficiently (and who doesn’t?), it’s hard to beat how well this stuff scales.
How Programmatic Advertising Works
Programmatic advertising is basically this lightning-fast digital auction—imagine a bunch of advertisers scrambling to outbid each other while you’re just waiting for a page to load. It’s wild, ‘cause the whole thing wraps up in a blink (we’re talking milliseconds here), and you get zapped with an ad before you even realize what happened. All the while, some clever algorithms are stalking your online moves: what you browse, your age, what you like, probably even that embarrassing cat video you watched at 2 a.m. It’s all fair game so they can shove the “perfect” ad in your face.
You’ve got two main flavors of this chaos:
- open auctions—pure free-for-all. Everyone’s invited, everyone’s bidding, may the biggest wallet win.
- PMPs (Private Marketplaces, for the uninitiated).
Only certain advertisers get in, and the inventory is supposedly fancier. Tools like Google Display & Video 360, The Trade Desk, or MediaMath? Those are the big guns. Marketers use them to sling ads across thousands of sites and apps at once, so no matter where you wander online—boom, omnichannel ads just waiting for you. Welcome to the digital jungle.
Why It’s Effective for Performance Marketing
You can slice and dice your audience however you want. Wanna target people chilling in New York on their phones at 2am while it’s raining and they’re googling “best ramen near me”? Done. Creepy? Maybe. Effective? Oh, absolutely.
This laser-focus means your ads actually show up for folks who might give a damn, instead of just shouting into the void. More eyeballs from the right people, more clicks, more sales, and your boss stops breathing down your neck about wasted ad dollars.
And don’t even get me started on retargeting. That’s the real magic—like, someone browses your website, ghosts you, and BAM, your ad follows them across the internet like a clingy ex. Annoying? Probably. But hey, it works.
Ideal for Scaling Campaigns Efficiently
If you’re trying to blow up your campaigns without torching your budget or spraying ads everywhere like confetti, you kinda need programmatic advertising in your life. Seriously, ditch the spreadsheet roulette—this stuff cuts out all the fiddly manual nonsense and gives you real numbers, fast. You see what’s working, what’s tanking, and you can actually do something about it before it’s too late. Wild, right?
10. Email Marketing
Even with all these shiny new digital platforms popping up every other week, email marketing just refuses to die. It’s like that one band from the ’80s still selling out arenas—reliable, a little old-school, but weirdly effective. When you treat it like a performance sport—think paid email blasts, CPC campaigns, renting out someone else’s list for the right audience—it still makes serious cash. The trick? Actually knowing who you’re talking to, instead of just spamming everyone and their grandma. Otherwise, you’re just screaming into the void.
Why Email Marketing Still Works
Email’s like that rare VIP pass straight to someone’s inbox—no messy algorithms or “Oops, you missed our post!” nonsense. You’re not just tossing stuff into the void hoping someone scrolls by; you’re showing up where folks actually pay attention (yeah, people still check their email, shocking, I know). None of that ad fatigue or getting buried under cat memes.
And here’s the kicker: performance-based email isn’t just about blasting messages and crossing your fingers. It’s all about what actually happens—clicks, sales, whatever gets the cash register ringing. You can see exactly what’s working and what’s, well, flopping, so you’re not just measuring “impressions” (whatever those even mean anymore). It’s like, “Hey, did people actually do the thing we wanted?” If yes, awesome. If not, change it up. Super straightforward.
Types of Performance Email Campaigns
- Paid Email Drops: So, basically, you team up with another company that already has a fat email list. They blast your promo to their subscribers, and you don’t pay unless people actually click or buy something. It’s like, “Hey, let’s share your audience, but only if they care enough to check me out.”
- CPC Email Campaigns: This one’s pretty straightforward—you shell out cash only when someone actually clicks from the email to your landing page. Nice for keeping your wallet in check ’cause you’re literally paying for actual eyeballs and engagement, not just sending emails into the void.
- List Rentals with Segmentation: Here’s where you rent someone else’s curated email list, but you get picky about who you hit up. Want only dog lovers aged 30–45 who bought chew toys last month? Done. You filter for specific interests, demographics, or whatever nerdy data you want, so you’re not just spraying and praying.
These tricks work wonders when you’re trying to snag new leads, hype up a product launch, push those blink-and-you’ll-miss-it deals, or wake up folks who’ve been sleeping on your stuff for way too long.
Ideal for Targeted Campaigns and High ROI
Email marketing’s kind of the secret weapon nobody talks about enough. It’s cheap (like, shoestring budget friendly), you can tweak every little thing—subject lines, layouts, whatever—to target exactly who you want. Plus, all those bells and whistles? Segmentation, personalization, automation—they’re a marketer’s playground. Throw in some conversion tracking and A/B testing, and suddenly you’re not just shouting into the void; you’re actually making money and getting people to come back for more. Not too shabby, right?
Best Practices for Success
If you actually want people to open your emails instead of just swiping them into the void, you gotta make your message pop. Skip the corporate mumbo-jumbo—keep it snappy, make it obvious what’s in it for them, and don’t forget: everyone’s reading on their phone these days. Get to the point with a subject line that makes ‘em curious (or at least not bored), throw in a call-to-action that doesn’t sound like a robot wrote it, and serve up something they actually care about. Otherwise? Straight to the spam folder.
Conclusion
Performance marketing? It’s basically the “show me the money” of digital advertising—if you’re not getting results, what’s the point? Every penny you throw in better come back with some friends, or it’s gone for good.
Now, if you’ve got a B2C brand with products that look good in photos (think sneakers, candles, whatever’s trending on TikTok this week), Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok are like your holy trinity. People scroll, people double-tap, things go viral, you know the drill. YouTube? That’s your stage for the dramatic—great for telling stories or pitching stuff that needs more than a pretty picture to sell.
If you’re pinching pennies (hello, startups), email and affiliate marketing are your scrappy best friends. They don’t cost much, but they can punch way above their weight if you know what you’re doing.
And don’t sleep on B2B. LinkedIn’s where all the “serious” folks hang out, so if you want to pitch to other businesses, that’s your playground. Native ads and programmatic? Kinda nerdy, but man, they work when you want to spray your message far and wide without wasting cash.
Oh—and email. Yeah, it’s ancient in internet years, but it still slaps when you use it right. You’d be surprised how much cash is hiding in a well-timed, well-targeted email blast.
The real trick? Don’t just throw spaghetti at the wall and hope it sticks. Mix up your channels, tailor your stuff to the folks you actually want to reach, and don’t be afraid to tweak things when the numbers look weird. There’s no magic formula—it’s all about trying, failing, fixing, and winning. If you do it right, you’ll find your people, and they’ll buy what you’re selling. Simple as that.
