List of Places Where You Can Run Paid Ads
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Digital entrepreneurs now have access to more than 60 advertising platforms where they can reach potential customers through search engines, social media, e-commerce marketplaces, video streaming services, and specialized channels. Budgets start as low as $0.50 per thousand impressions, and the top platforms reach over 90% of global internet users through sophisticated targeting systems powered by AI.
The challenge isn't finding places to advertise anymore. The challenge is picking the right platforms that match your specific business model, target audience, and budget constraints.
This guide breaks down 28 major advertising platforms with real data on costs, audience size, and conversion rates so you can make informed decisions about where to spend your marketing budget. At the end of the introduction, you'll find links to our market clarity reports that contain deep research on customer pain points, competitor strategies, and distribution channels for over 100 different products.
Quick Summary
Google Ads and Meta (Facebook/Instagram) control over 60% of digital ad spend globally, but they're not always the best choice for every business.
Amazon Ads delivers the highest conversion rate at 9.47% for e-commerce sellers, while LinkedIn generates 80% of B2B leads despite having higher costs than other platforms. TikTok grew 40% year-over-year to reach $23 billion in ad revenue, making it the fastest-growing major platform.
The key is matching platform strengths to your specific business goals rather than spreading budget thin across every available channel.

Our market clarity reports contain between 100 and 300 insights about your market.
The Complete List of Paid Advertising Platforms
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1. Google Ads
How does it work?
Google Ads lets you bid on keywords so your ads appear above or below search results when people search for those terms. You can also run display ads across over 2 million websites and apps, shopping ads that show product images directly in search results, and video ads on YouTube.
Campaign setup follows this path: create an account, set your goals (like website visits or sales), define your target audience, set a budget (minimum $1 per day), create your ads, and launch. You pay either per click (CPC), per thousand impressions (CPM), or per acquisition (CPA) depending on your bidding strategy.
Who is it for?
Google Ads works best for businesses targeting high-intent search traffic, where users are actively looking for solutions and are 50% more likely to buy than organic visitors. E-commerce stores selling products with immediate purchase intent see strong results, as do local businesses (80% of users are more likely to click ads showing business location), B2B services targeting specific search queries, and apps looking for downloads.
How big and active is the audience?
Google Ads reaches 4.77 billion users worldwide and controls 80.20% of the PPC market share. The platform delivers an average ROI of 200% ($2 for every $1 spent), with conversion rates ranging from 4.4% to 9.64% depending on industry.
Average CPC ranges from $1 to $7 with a 19% year-over-year increase in 2024, while first position ads get 7.94% click-through rate. Google's 2024 ad revenue is projected to reach $273 billion.
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2. Meta Ads (Facebook & Instagram)
How does it work?
Meta Ads Manager provides a unified platform for running ads across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp. The campaign structure has three levels: Campaign (where you set objectives), Ad Set (where you define targeting and budget), and Ad (where you create the actual creative).
Ad formats include feed ads, Stories, Reels, video ads, carousel ads, and collection ads. You target audiences by demographics, interests, behaviors, custom audiences (like website visitors), and lookalike audiences. The Facebook Pixel tracks conversions and enables retargeting, with a minimum budget of $1 per day for most objectives.
Who is it for?
Meta Ads excel for B2C e-commerce businesses, as 23% of global consumers rate Facebook as the best platform for social commerce. Visual products in fashion, food, and lifestyle categories perform particularly well.
The platform also delivers strong results for brand awareness and community building, lead generation (Facebook and Instagram deliver 29% ROI, the highest among social platforms), retargeting website visitors, and mobile app installs.
How big and active is the audience?
Facebook has 3.065 billion monthly users and 2.09 billion daily active users. Instagram reaches 2 billion users with $223 average revenue per user compared to Facebook's $191.
The Meta Family of apps reaches 3.43 billion daily active users, which represents nearly half of the global population. Facebook ads can reach 1.98 billion people, and the average user spends 31 minutes daily on Facebook. Instagram is projected to generate $32.03 billion in US ad revenue in 2025, surpassing 50% of Meta's total US revenue.
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3. Amazon Ads
How does it work?
Amazon Ads offers several ad formats through a self-service platform. Sponsored Products are keyword-targeted ads appearing in search results and product pages. Sponsored Brands are banner ads at the top of search results featuring your logo and custom headline.
Sponsored Display ads retarget shoppers both on and off Amazon, while Amazon DSP provides programmatic display and video ads across Amazon properties and third-party sites. You choose between product targeting or keyword targeting, set your budget (minimum $1 per day for sponsored products), and launch.
Who is it for?
Amazon Ads deliver the best results for e-commerce sellers, with an average conversion rate of 9.47% that outperforms other platforms. The platform works well for product launches and visibility, reaching high-purchase-intent audiences who are already shopping.
Amazon Ads generate strong ROI with an average $4.20 return per $1 spent (some niches reach 10:1). Businesses in competitive product categories need top placement to stay visible, and brands should bid on their own brand terms for protection against competitors.
How big and active is the audience?
Amazon has over 300 million active customer accounts globally and 9.7 million sellers worldwide. The platform generates average daily impressions of 81.67 million with an average CPC of $0.80 (down from the previous year) and average CTR of 0.34%.
Amazon's ad revenue reached $56.21 billion in 2024, up from $46.9 billion in 2023. Q4 2024 alone brought in $17.29 billion, showing 18% growth. Prime Video ads now expand reach to non-endemic advertisers beyond traditional Amazon sellers.
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4. TikTok Ads
How does it work?
TikTok Ads Manager is a self-serve platform with campaign-based structure similar to other major platforms. Ad formats include In-Feed Ads (appearing in users' For You feeds), TopView (full-screen ads when users open the app), Branded Hashtag Challenges, and Branded Effects.
TikTok Spark Ads let you boost organic content, whether it's yours or from creators who've given permission. You target by age, gender, location, interests, device type, and behavior. The Creative Studio provides built-in video creation tools, with minimum budgets of $20 per day at campaign level and $50 per day campaign minimum.
Who is it for?
TikTok Ads work best for brands targeting Gen Z and Millennials, with 1.58 billion monthly users concentrated in the 18-35 age group. Video-first products and services thrive here, along with brands focused on awareness (27% increase in ad recall with influencer partnerships) and viral marketing campaigns.
E-commerce sees particularly strong results, with 39% of purchases influenced by TikTok and 36% of all social media direct purchases happening on the platform. Beauty, fashion, entertainment, and food brands typically perform well. If you're researching these markets, our market clarity reports provide detailed analysis of customer behavior and competitor strategies across dozens of product categories.
How big and active is the audience?
TikTok reaches 1.58 billion monthly active users globally, with 113.3 to 135 million users in the US alone. Users spend an average 58.4 minutes daily on the app and open it roughly 20 times per day.
The platform has the highest engagement rate among social platforms at 2.5%, and video ads generate 15% higher engagement than static ads. Only 28% of marketers currently use TikTok, meaning less competition than more saturated platforms. TikTok's 2024 ad revenue reached $23 billion and is projected to hit $33.1 billion in 2025.
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5. YouTube Ads
How does it work?
YouTube Ads are managed through the same Google Ads account you'd use for search campaigns. Ad formats include skippable in-stream ads (viewers can skip after 5 seconds), non-skippable ads (15-20 seconds), bumper ads (6 seconds), discovery ads (appearing in search results and related videos), and masthead ads (premium homepage placements).
Targeting options include demographics, interests, topics, keywords, specific channel placements, and remarketing to previous visitors. Bidding works on CPV (cost-per-view), CPM, or Target CPA basis, with costs as low as $0.10 per view depending on format.
Who is it for?
YouTube Ads excel for video marketing and storytelling, brand building and awareness campaigns, product demonstrations and tutorials, and reaching massive audiences (2.5 billion users). Entertainment, education, gaming, and tech products perform particularly well.
Long-form content like reviews and explainers work better on YouTube than shorter-form platforms. The platform serves both B2B and B2C businesses effectively.
How big and active is the audience?
YouTube reaches 2.5 billion monthly logged-in users, making it the second most-visited website globally. Users watch 1 billion hours of video daily across all demographics and age groups.
YouTube ads deliver 82% higher conversion rates than other ad types, and the platform generated $31.51 billion in ad revenue in 2024 as part of Google's overall advertising business.
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6. LinkedIn Ads
How does it work?
LinkedIn Campaign Manager provides self-service ad creation across multiple formats. Sponsored Content appears in the feed, Sponsored Messaging delivers InMail to users' inboxes, Text Ads appear in the sidebar, Dynamic Ads personalize creative based on user data, and Lead Gen Forms pre-fill user information to increase conversions by 2-3x.
LinkedIn's targeting is uniquely powerful for B2B, letting you target by job title, company name, industry, skills, seniority level, company size, and LinkedIn groups. Minimum budget is $10 per day per campaign, with bidding options of CPC, CPM, or CPS (cost-per-send for messages).
Who is it for?
LinkedIn Ads dominate B2B marketing, generating 80% of B2B leads and proving 227% more effective than other platforms. Professional services like SaaS companies, consulting firms, and financial services see strong results.
The platform excels for executive targeting and reaching decision-makers, recruitment and employer branding, and thought leadership (65% of users change perception based on thought leadership content). Despite higher costs than other platforms, 58% of marketers say LinkedIn provides the best ROI.
How big and active is the audience?
LinkedIn has over 1 billion users across 200 countries, with 230 million in the US, 143 million in India, and 81 million in Brazil. The platform hosts 67 million company pages.
Conversion rates are 2x higher than other platforms, though this comes with higher costs (average CPC of $5.26 and CPM of $6.05). The audience skews 56.4% male and 43.6% female. LinkedIn's ad revenue reached approximately $16.2 billion in 2024 with 12.7% year-over-year growth, projected to hit $10.35 billion by 2027.
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7. Microsoft Advertising (Bing Ads)
How does it work?
Microsoft Advertising operates similarly to Google Ads with search and display network options. The platform lets you easily import existing Google Campaigns for quick setup.
Your ads appear across the Bing Network, which includes Bing, Yahoo, AOL, and DuckDuckGo search results. The Microsoft Audience Network extends your reach with display ads across Microsoft properties. There's no minimum budget requirement, and you only pay for clicks.
Who is it for?
Microsoft Ads work well for search advertising with less competition than Google, targeting older and higher-income demographics, and reaching desktop users (60% of traffic comes from desktop). Average CPC is 30-50% cheaper than Google, making it attractive for financial services, healthcare, and professional services.
The platform also serves as an effective supplement to Google Ads campaigns, helping you capture additional search traffic without cannibalizing your existing Google performance.
How big and active is the audience?
Microsoft Advertising reaches 1 billion monthly users across the Bing network, generating 13.2 billion monthly searches. The average user has 30% higher income than the general internet user, and 45% hold college degrees.
The platform is desktop-heavy and particularly strong in US, UK, and Canadian markets. Microsoft Advertising generates approximately $12 billion in annual ad revenue.
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8. Pinterest Ads
How does it work?
Pinterest Ads Manager lets you create promoted Pins, Video Pins, Shopping Ads, and Carousel Ads. Your ads appear in search results and home feeds when users browse or search for related content.
Targeting options include keywords, interests, demographics, customer lists from your CRM, and actalike audiences (Pinterest's version of lookalike audiences). The platform integrates shopping features, letting you upload product catalogs for automatic shopping ads. Minimum budget is $2 per day.
Who is it for?
Pinterest Ads excel for e-commerce with visual appeal, particularly in home decor, fashion, food, DIY, and weddings. The platform skews 60% female, making it ideal for products targeting women.
Pinterest works particularly well for long purchase consideration cycles and marketing during the inspiration and planning phase. The audience shows high intent, with 89% using Pinterest for purchase inspiration.
How big and active is the audience?
Pinterest reaches 482 million monthly active users, with 85% accessing via mobile app. The audience skews affluent, with 40% having household income over $100,000.
Average session length is 14.2 minutes, and the platform generates 5 billion searches per month. Pinterest Pins have 1,000x longer lifespan than tweets, providing lasting value. The platform generates approximately $3 billion in annual ad revenue.
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9. Snapchat Ads
How does it work?
Snapchat Ads Manager specializes in full-screen vertical video ads. Ad formats include Snap Ads (full-screen videos in between user content), Story Ads (appearing in the Discover section), Collection Ads (showcasing multiple products), AR Lenses, and Filters.
Targeting works through demographics, interests, behaviors, custom audiences (from your customer data), and lookalike audiences. The Snap Pixel tracks conversions and enables retargeting. Minimum budget is $5 per day.
Who is it for?
Snapchat Ads target Gen Z effectively, with 80% of users aged 13-34. The platform works best for mobile-first campaigns, location-based promotions (using geofilters), and entertainment, fashion, and beauty brands.
AR and interactive experiences perform particularly well on Snapchat, as do app install campaigns and brands using quick, ephemeral messaging styles that match the platform's nature.
How big and active is the audience?
Snapchat reaches 750 million monthly active users globally, with 319 million daily active users in US and Canada. Users spend an average of 30+ minutes daily on the app and create 5 billion Snaps daily.
Engagement is high, with 90% of users creating content weekly. Average CPM ranges from $2.95 to $15. The platform generated approximately $4.6 billion in ad revenue in 2024.

For each competitor, our market clarity reports look at how they address or fail to address market pain points. If they don't, it highlights a potential opportunity for you.
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10. Reddit Ads
How does it work?
Reddit Ads Platform creates promoted posts that appear in users' feeds alongside organic content. Ad formats include promoted posts, display ads, video ads, and carousel ads.
Reddit's unique advantage is community targeting, letting you target specific subreddits (topic-based communities) where your ideal customers gather. You can also target by interests, hobbies, topics, and behaviors. Minimum budget is $5 per day.
Who is it for?
Reddit Ads work best for niche communities and interests, tech, gaming, finance, and crypto audiences, and brands using authentic, non-salesy messaging that fits Reddit's culture. AMA (Ask Me Anything) campaigns drive strong engagement.
The platform suits discussion-worthy products and services, along with products targeting the predominantly male user base (62% male). Reddit rewards brands that engage genuinely with communities rather than pushing traditional advertising.
How big and active is the audience?
Reddit reaches 430 million monthly active users and 57 million daily active users across 100,000+ active communities. The platform screens 13 billion posts monthly.
Average session length exceeds 10 minutes, with high engagement rates in niche subreddits. Desktop usage remains significant at 43%, unlike most social platforms. Reddit is particularly strong in tech, gaming, and finance verticals. The platform generated approximately $800 million in ad revenue in 2024.
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11. Twitter/X Ads
How does it work?
X Ads Manager creates promoted tweets, promoted accounts, promoted trends, video ads, and app install campaigns. Your ads appear in users' timelines, search results, and trending sections.
Targeting options include keywords, followers of specific accounts, interests, demographics, and tailored audiences (custom and lookalike). Engagement metrics count retweets, likes, and replies as billable engagements. Promoted posts cost $0.26 to $1.50 per action.
Who is it for?
Twitter/X Ads excel for real-time marketing tied to trending topics, news and media (85% use for news updates), B2B content marketing (82% of B2B marketers use X), and thought leadership from professional voices.
The platform works well for brand conversations (93% of users are open to brand involvement), crisis communication and customer service, and event marketing. However, the platform has been declining since Elon Musk's acquisition, with only 12% of marketers trusting X ads in 2024 (down from 22% in 2022).
How big and active is the audience?
X reaches 429 million users worldwide, with 368 million active and 237.8 million monetizable daily active users. Users spend an average 34 minutes daily in the US.
The platform generates 500 million tweets per day (350,000 per minute). Despite platform challenges, X still delivers $2.70 ROI for every $1 spent, which is 40% higher than other media. Video appears in 80% of sessions with 35% year-over-year growth. However, ad revenue declined significantly to $2-3.14 billion in 2024 from $4.73 billion in 2022.
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12. Twitch Ads
How does it work?
Twitch Ads Manager runs video ads during live gaming streams. Ad formats include display ads, video ads (pre-roll before streams and mid-roll during streams), and homepage takeovers.
You can target by game category (like Fortnite or League of Legends), specific broadcasters, and audience demographics. Beyond traditional ads, you can sponsor streamers for integrated promotions where they mention your product during gameplay.
Who is it for?
Twitch Ads target gaming products and services, tech brands targeting gamers, the 18-34 male demographic, live streaming events, and esports sponsorships. If gaming is your market, understanding distribution channels becomes critical. Our market clarity reports break down where your competitors acquire customers and which channels convert best for your specific product category.
How big and active is the audience?
Twitch reaches 140 million monthly active users with 2.5+ million monthly broadcasters. During peak hours, over 7 million viewers watch concurrently.
The average viewer watches 95 minutes per day. The audience skews 73% male and 27% female, representing a highly engaged gaming community.
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13. Spotify Ads
How does it work?
Spotify Ad Studio creates audio ads, video takeovers, and sponsored playlists. Audio ads play between songs for non-premium subscribers (free tier users), while video ads appear on mobile and desktop.
Podcast ads use dynamic insertion, meaning they can be targeted and updated in real-time. Targeting options include age, gender, location, music taste, mood, and activity (like working out or relaxing). Minimum budget is $250.
Who is it for?
Spotify Ads work best for audio-first brands and storytelling, music, entertainment, and lifestyle products, podcast advertising, brand awareness campaigns, and mood-based targeting (reaching users during workouts, relaxation, or parties).
The platform primarily reaches young professionals aged 25-34, making it ideal for brands targeting this demographic with audio content.
How big and active is the audience?
Spotify reaches 615 million monthly active users, with 239 million premium subscribers. The platform hosts 6.1 billion podcast episodes.
Average listening time is 25 hours per month. The platform is particularly strong in developed markets with an audience split of 52% male and 48% female. Spotify skews toward young, affluent listeners.
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14. Quora Ads
How does it work?
Quora Ads Manager creates promoted answers and display ads appearing on question pages. The unique feature is question targeting, where you show ads on specific questions or topics.
Ad formats include text ads, image ads, and promoted answers (where your brand provides helpful answers to relevant questions). Targeting works through topics, specific questions, interests, behaviors, and keywords.
Who is it for?
Quora Ads excel for B2B and professional services, complex products needing detailed explanation, educational content marketing, thought leadership positioning, and long-form content promotion. The platform attracts high-intent audiences actively seeking solutions to problems.
How big and active is the audience?
Quora reaches 300 million monthly visitors who have asked or answered 400 million+ questions. The audience is educated and affluent, with 65% holding college degrees.
Quora is particularly strong in tech, business, and science categories. Desktop usage remains heavy compared to mobile-first platforms. CPCs are typically lower than LinkedIn while still reaching B2B audiences effectively.
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15. Telegram Ads
How does it work?
Telegram Ads places sponsored messages in large public channels with over 1,000 subscribers. Ads appear as native messages in the feed, looking like regular channel posts.
The platform uses a CPM model where you pay per 1,000 impressions. Minimum costs are remarkably low at $0.50 CPM, making it one of the most affordable advertising platforms available.
Who is it for?
Telegram Ads work best for crypto and Web3 projects, privacy-focused audiences, Eastern European and Asian markets, tech-savvy users, and community-building campaigns aimed at channel growth.
The platform attracts users who prioritize privacy and encryption, creating a unique audience profile compared to mainstream social platforms.
How big and active is the audience?
Telegram reaches 900 million monthly active users, with particularly strong presence in Russia, India, and Southeast Asia. The platform is growing rapidly as a WhatsApp alternative.
Users are highly engaged, and the platform is especially popular in crypto and blockchain communities where privacy and secure communication are priorities.
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16. Taboola
How does it work?
Taboola is a native advertising network placing content recommendation widgets on premium publisher sites. Your ads appear in "Recommended for You" sections below articles on major news sites.
The Campaign Manager lets you upload creatives (headlines, images, landing pages), set targeting parameters, budgets, and bids. The platform focuses on content discovery, driving traffic to articles, videos, and landing pages. Minimum budget is $10 per day.
Who is it for?
Taboola works best for content marketing and blog traffic, news and editorial content, lead generation through content, brand awareness through storytelling, publishers and media companies, and longer-form content promotion.
The platform suits brands that can attract audiences with valuable content rather than direct product advertising.
How big and active is the audience?
Taboola reaches 1.4 billion monthly users across its network of 9,000+ advertisers. The platform serves 500 billion recommendations monthly across premium publishers.
The network provides global audience coverage across desktop and mobile, and the platform works well for retargeting campaigns.
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17. Outbrain
How does it work?
Outbrain operates similarly to Taboola as a native ads network with content recommendations. Ads appear in "Around the Web" and "You May Like" sections on publisher sites.
The self-serve platform (called Amplify) lets you create campaigns, upload content, and target audiences. You pay based on clicks to your content. Minimum budget is $10 per day.
Who is it for?
Outbrain serves content marketing and traffic generation, brand storytelling, lead generation through content, news and blog content, video content promotion, and reaching desktop-heavy audiences.
The platform complements Taboola for broader reach across different publisher networks, letting you access audiences on both platforms.
How big and active is the audience?
Outbrain reaches 1 billion monthly users across 7,000+ premium publishers. The platform generates 275 billion recommendations monthly.
Outbrain is particularly strong in US, UK, and Western European markets. While desktop-focused historically, mobile usage is growing. The platform pairs well with Taboola for comprehensive native advertising coverage.
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18. Etsy Ads
How does it work?
Etsy Ads offers two main options: Offsite Ads (automatically promoting your products on Google, Facebook, Pinterest, etc.) and Onsite Ads (promoted listings within Etsy search results).
You only pay per click when someone clicks your ad. Etsy handles bidding automatically, optimizing your ads for performance. Minimum budget is $1 per day.
Who is it for?
Etsy Ads work exclusively for handmade, vintage, and craft items, artisan and creative products, niche and unique products, small batch and custom items, creative entrepreneurs, and products targeting gift shopping audiences.
The platform is ideal for sellers who create unique products that don't fit mass market retail.
How big and active is the audience?
Etsy reaches 95 million active buyers across 7.5 million active sellers. The audience skews 60% in the 18-44 age range and 80% female buyers.
Average purchase value is $35. Buyers show high purchase intent, and the platform sees particularly strong performance during holidays and gift-giving seasons.
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19. eBay Promoted Listings
How does it work?
eBay Promoted Listings offers two models: Standard (pay per sale as a commission) and Advanced (pay per click). Your listings appear automatically in eBay search results and on item pages.
You set an ad rate by choosing a percentage (2-20%) of the sale price as your ad fee. There's no upfront cost with the Standard model, as you only pay when an item sells.
Who is it for?
eBay Promoted Listings work best for used, refurbished, and collectible items, auction-style and fixed-price listings, electronics, fashion, and collectibles, competitive categories needing visibility, international sellers, and clearing inventory.
The platform suits sellers with products that appeal to bargain hunters and collectors rather than buyers seeking brand-new mainstream items.
How big and active is the audience?
eBay reaches 132 million active buyers globally across 18 million sellers. The platform hosts 1.7 billion live listings at any given time.
eBay operates in 190+ markets internationally, making it one of the most global e-commerce platforms. The platform is particularly strong in used goods and collectibles categories, with mobile-first shopping experience driving most transactions.

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20. Walmart Advertising
How does it work?
Walmart Connect operates as a retail media network similar to Amazon Ads. Sponsored Products are keyword-targeted product ads appearing in search results and product pages.
Display Ads run both on-site (Walmart.com) and off-site (across the web), while In-store ads appear on digital displays and endcaps in physical stores. The self-service platform mirrors Amazon Ads functionality. Minimum budget typically starts at $100.
Who is it for?
Walmart Advertising targets CPG brands and packaged goods, budget-conscious consumers, businesses with brick-and-mortar presence, brands competing with Amazon, household essentials and groceries, and Walmart sellers and suppliers.
The platform provides omnichannel reach, connecting online advertising with in-store purchases through a unified system.
How big and active is the audience?
Walmart reaches 240 million weekly customers across in-store and online channels, with 150+ million unique monthly visitors online. The retailer operates 10,500+ stores worldwide.
Walmart's digital advertising business is growing rapidly as the company invests in retail media. The platform is particularly strong in suburban and rural markets where Walmart has dominant physical presence.
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21. The Trade Desk
How does it work?
The Trade Desk is a DSP (Demand-Side Platform) that buys programmatic ads across the internet through real-time bidding. You access automated ad buying across multiple channels including display, video, audio, native, and CTV (connected TV).
The platform integrates third-party data for data-driven targeting and provides transparency into where ads run. This is an enterprise-focused platform with minimum budgets typically starting at $25,000+.
Who is it for?
The Trade Desk serves large advertisers needing scale, programmatic advertising campaigns, cross-channel media buying, data-driven targeting, CTV and streaming video campaigns, and brands prioritizing transparency and brand safety.
The platform is designed for sophisticated advertisers with substantial budgets who need enterprise-level capabilities.
How big and active is the audience?
The Trade Desk provides access to over 80 million websites and apps globally, reaching 120+ million CTV households. The platform offers global inventory access across premium publisher partnerships.
First-party data integration capabilities and enterprise-level reporting make it suitable for major advertisers managing complex, multi-channel campaigns at scale.
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22. Google Display Network (GDN)
How does it work?
Google Display Network is part of the same Google Ads platform used for search campaigns. Targeting options include demographics, interests, topics, keywords, specific placements (choosing exact websites), and remarketing to previous visitors.
Ad formats include responsive display ads (automatically adjusting size), image ads, video ads, and Gmail ads. Your ads appear on over 2 million websites and apps. The system uses automated optimization through smart bidding and creative optimization.
Who is it for?
Google Display Network excels for brand awareness at scale, remarketing to website visitors, visual storytelling, broad reach campaigns, complementing search campaigns, and advertisers seeking lower CPCs than search ads.
The platform works when you need massive reach and frequency rather than immediate conversions.
How big and active is the audience?
Google Display Network reaches 90% of global internet users across 2 million+ websites and apps. The network includes 35 million websites and apps total.
Average CPC is $0.63 with average conversion rate of 0.77%. The platform provides high-frequency exposure across both mobile and desktop, making it ideal for awareness campaigns requiring repeated impressions.
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23. Booking.com Ads
How does it work?
Booking.com operates a partner program where hotels and accommodations bid for better placement in search results. Properties pay a commission on each booking (typically 15-25%) rather than upfront advertising costs.
Better placement in search results comes from higher commission rates, property quality scores, and booking performance. You manage visibility through the partner dashboard.
Who is it for?
Booking.com Ads work exclusively for hotels, vacation rentals, travel services, and tourism boards targeting travelers planning trips. The platform suits accommodations of all sizes, from independent properties to major hotel chains.
How big and active is the audience?
Booking.com hosts 1.5 million properties with 29 million listings total. The platform reaches travel-focused users actively searching for accommodations with high intent to book.
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24. Airbnb Ads
How does it work?
Airbnb doesn't offer traditional paid advertising, but hosts can improve visibility through Superhost status, instant booking, competitive pricing, and high review scores. The platform's algorithm rewards quality and responsiveness rather than paid promotion.
Promotional tools exist but focus on earned visibility through performance metrics rather than paid placement.
Who is it for?
Airbnb serves vacation rentals, experiences (tours and activities), and unique accommodations like treehouses, boats, or historic properties. The platform attracts hosts offering experiential stays rather than traditional hotel-style accommodations.
How big and active is the audience?
Airbnb has 7 million+ listings globally reaching 150 million users. The platform attracts experiential travelers seeking unique stays and local experiences rather than standard hotel rooms.
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25. Thumbtack Ads
How does it work?
Thumbtack operates on a pay-per-lead model where service providers pay for customer contact information rather than clicks or impressions. When customers request quotes for services, Thumbtack sends those requests to matching service providers.
You set your budget, define your service area and specialties, and receive customer requests. You pay only when you receive qualified leads you can quote.
Who is it for?
Thumbtack serves local service providers including plumbers, electricians, tutors, photographers, handymen, cleaners, personal trainers, and similar professionals offering services in customers' homes or localities.
The platform works best for service businesses that can respond quickly to leads and convert them into bookings.
How big and active is the audience?
Thumbtack reaches 10+ million users annually seeking local services with high intent. Customers on the platform are actively requesting quotes and comparing providers, representing warm leads rather than cold traffic.
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26. Angie's List (Angi)
How does it work?
Angi (formerly Angie's List) offers advertising through profile promotion, sponsored placement in search results, and lead generation services. Service providers create profiles with reviews and then pay for enhanced visibility.
The platform charges for membership tiers that provide better placement and lead access. Higher-tier memberships receive priority in search results and customer recommendations.
Who is it for?
Angi targets home services, contractors (roofing, plumbing, HVAC, electrical, etc.), and local professionals serving homeowners. The platform focuses specifically on home improvement and maintenance categories.
Service providers who want to reach homeowners actively planning projects see the best results.
How big and active is the audience?
Angi reaches 30 million homeowners seeking service providers annually. The audience consists primarily of homeowners planning repairs, renovations, or maintenance projects with specific budgets and timelines.
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27. Zillow Premier Agent
How does it work?
Zillow Premier Agent lets real estate agents advertise on property listings by purchasing ZIP code coverage. When buyers view homes in your purchased ZIP codes, your contact information appears prominently.
You pay a monthly subscription based on the competitiveness of your chosen ZIP codes. Premier Agents receive prominent placement, buyer contact information, and CRM tools for managing leads.
Who is it for?
Zillow Premier Agent serves real estate agents and brokers marketing properties or seeking buyer clients. The platform works best for agents willing to invest in lead generation within specific geographic areas.
How big and active is the audience?
Zillow attracts 200+ million monthly visits from home buyers and sellers actively searching for properties. The audience represents high-intent users in various stages of the home buying or selling process.
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28. Indeed Ads
How does it work?
Indeed uses a pay-per-click model for job postings, where you set a daily budget and bid for visibility. Sponsored job listings appear higher in search results when job seekers search for relevant positions.
You can post jobs for free, but sponsored listings receive significantly more visibility and applications. Budget recommendations adjust based on your industry, location, and competition.
Who is it for?
Indeed Ads work for businesses posting jobs and seeking candidates, recruitment agencies, and companies focused on employer branding. The platform serves employers of all sizes, from small businesses hiring their first employee to enterprises managing hundreds of openings.
If you're building recruitment software or HR tools, understanding where employers advertise jobs is critical. Our market clarity reports analyze distribution channels and marketing strategies for dozens of B2B SaaS products, helping you identify the most effective ways to reach your target market.
How big and active is the audience?
Indeed reaches 300 million monthly visitors consisting of active job seekers. The platform operates globally across multiple countries and industries, making it the largest job site worldwide.

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Who is the author of this content?
MARKET CLARITY TEAM
We research markets so builders can focus on buildingWe create market clarity reports for digital businesses—everything from SaaS to mobile apps. Our team digs into real customer complaints, analyzes what competitors are actually doing, and maps out proven distribution channels. We've researched 100+ markets to help you avoid the usual traps: building something no one wants, picking oversaturated markets, or betting on viral growth that never comes. Want to know more? Check out our about page.
How we created this content 🔎📝
At Market Clarity, we research digital markets every single day. We don't just skim the surface, we're actively scraping customer reviews, reading forum complaints, studying competitor landing pages, and tracking what's actually working in distribution channels. This lets us see what really drives product-market fit.
These insights come from analyzing hundreds of products and their real performance. But we don't stop there. We validate everything against multiple sources: Reddit discussions, app store feedback, competitor ad strategies, and the actual tactics successful companies are using today.
We only include strategies that have solid evidence behind them. No speculation, no wishful thinking, just what the data actually shows.
Every insight is documented and verified. We use AI tools to help process large amounts of data, but human judgment shapes every conclusion. The end result? Reports that break down complex markets into clear actions you can take right away.