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How to Choose the Right Digital Marketing Channel for Your Business

A common pain point for businesses is determining which marketing channel will provide the best return on investment. With numerous options, such as Google Ads, social media platforms like Meta, LinkedIn, and TikTok, or focusing on SEO, it’s crucial to decide which channel will yield the highest return. It’s often impractical to optimise all channels simultaneously, so you need to prioritise strategically, whether handling marketing in-house or with an agency partner.

Kings Digital help clients determine which channels to focus on first based on their business goals, market positioning, and a range of other factors.

Below, we outline our decision-making process, along with the pros and cons of each channel.


Pros of using Google Ads

Google Ads are ideal for capturing demand as users are actively searching for solutions. 

Targeting specific keywords allows businesses to connect with high-intent prospects, and the results are measurable and fast, making it great for immediate lead generation.

Cons of using Google Ads

Google Ads can be costly, especially for competitive keywords. Small businesses may struggle to compete for top positions. While Google Ads work well for direct response, they are less effective for brand awareness, which may require a broader strategy.

Meta Ads: Reaching New Audiences Through Discovery

Pros of using Meta Ads

Meta Ads excel at reaching people who may not yet be aware of your brand. The platform’s targeting options allow you to create visually engaging ads based on audience interests and behaviours. 

Meta Ads are powerful for storytelling, driving brand awareness, and retargeting, which can deliver a high return on investment (ROI).

Cons of using Meta Ads

Meta Ads typically target a more passive audience, meaning users aren’t actively seeking solutions. Therefore, conversion rates may be lower compared to Google Ads, and users may need to see ads multiple times before converting.

SEO: Building Long-Term Visibility

Pros of prioritising SEO

SEO is the foundation of organic growth. By optimising your website, you can drive consistent, high-quality traffic over time. SEO builds authority and trust, and once you rank well, it generates leads at a lower cost than paid channels.

Cons of prioritising SEO

SEO requires time and patience, as it can take months to see results. It is also highly competitive, particularly in certain industries, which may not be viable for smaller businesses. Additionally, SEO relies on potential customers already searching for your product or service, which can limit its effectiveness for businesses with low search volume.

LinkedIn: Targeting Professionals and B2B Audiences

Pros of using LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a valuable platform for B2B marketing. With detailed targeting based on job titles, industries, and company sizes, LinkedIn enables businesses to connect with decision-makers. Sponsored posts and LinkedIn Ads can boost visibility and generate high-quality leads in the professional sector.

Cons of using LinkedIn

LinkedIn Ads are typically more expensive than Meta Ads, and the platform has a smaller user base, limiting reach.

While it’s excellent for professional networking, it may not be suitable for consumer-focused businesses.

Kings Digital’s Decision-Making Process

At Kings Digital, we assess each client’s strategy by focusing on:

1. Business Goals:

Is your priority lead generation, brand awareness, customer retention, or another objective? Aligning your strategy with your goals is crucial as different channels achieve different results.

2. Audience Behaviour:

Where is your target audience most active? If they are actively searching for solutions, Google Ads may be ideal. If you aim to reach passive users, Meta Ads or LinkedIn could be more suitable.

3. Budget and Resources:

Paid advertising like Google and Meta Ads can quickly consume budgets, while organic strategies such as SEO and content marketing require time but can be more cost-effective in the long term.

Examples of Channel Selection In Action

SaaS Company Example

A software as a service (SaaS) company works with a strictly B2B audience. Their ideal customers are organisations with a team size greater than 10 employees. Through a strategic workshop, they have determined that the most effective channel to reach their target audience and relevant decision makers, is LinkedIn.

Relatively new to the market, with minimal brand awareness and channel strength, we may suggest that they employ a LinkedIn Ads strategy.

Taking this approach, they can run targeted ads, reaching industry-specific decision makers, using curated content to ensure the greatest opportunity of effectiveness of the relevant ad. To complement this targeted LinkedIn ad approach, we may suggest the business invest in SEO to reach decision-makers in a more organic manner, especially as their service/software category grows in search volume. 

Local Retailer Example

A single store retailer, who doesn’t offer an ecommerce alternative, operates in a dense retail district within one of the major cities. 

To remain competitive, we may suggest the business focuses on Meta Ads in order to build brand awareness and engage local customers with visually rich ads.

Meta allows for detailed segmentation and audience refinement based on multiple factors. One of these being the user’s geographical location. Using this feature on the platform, the business can target potential buyers within a specific radius of the store, offering limited-time offers. 

It’s important to note that choosing the right digital marketing channel depends on a clear understanding of your business’s needs, audience behaviour, and available resources.

At Kings Digital, we guide you through this decision-making process to ensure your strategy delivers the best results. Whether you’re aiming to capture demand with Google Ads or build long-term visibility with SEO, we’re here to help.

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