Whether you’re launching your own business or managing Marketing for an organisation, understanding paid advertising is essential for building brand awareness, generating leads, and driving sales. But with so many options — from billboards to Instagram ads — it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.
This guide breaks down the basics of paid advertising so you can make confident, strategic decisions that grow your brand.
What is paid advertising?
At its core, paid advertising is any Marketing effort where you pay to promote your message to a specific audience.
This includes everything from a local newspaper ad to a YouTube pre-roll campaign.
You’re essentially buying space or time to get your brand seen and remembered.
Unlike organic marketing (like social media posts or SEO), paid advertising gives you control over when, where, and how often your message appears — for a price.
The two worlds of paid advertising: Traditional and Digital
1. Traditional advertising
Traditional advertising has been around for decades. It’s powerful, especially for building broad brand awareness.
Key formats include:
TV Advertising
• Great for: Mass reach, storytelling, national campaigns
• Cost: High production and media costs
• Tip: Regional TV spots can be more affordable for smaller businesses
Radio advertising
• Great for: Local promotions, frequent brand recall, commuter audiences
• Cost: Medium to low, depending on station and time slot
• Tip: Use catchy jingles or repeated taglines to boost memorability
Print advertising
• Great for: Targeting niche audiences, building credibility
• Cost: Varies by publication size and circulation
• Tip: Align your ad with editorial content your target audience reads
Outdoor advertising
• Great for: High-visibility branding, local exposure
• Cost: Medium to high
• Tip: Keep designs bold, clear, and minimal — people only glance for a few seconds
Direct mail
• Great for: Personalised offers, local outreach, physical reminders
• Cost: Low to medium, depending on print volume and distribution
• Tip: Use strong visuals and a clear call-to-action (CTA) to boost response rates
2. Digital advertising
Digital platforms offer targeted, trackable, and scalable advertising opportunities.
Here are the major types:
Search engine advertising (Google Ads)
• Great for: Reaching people actively searching for your product
• Cost: Pay-per-click (PPC), varies by keyword competition
• Tip: Focus on high-intent keywords and refine landing pages for conversions
Social media advertising (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok)
• Great for: Brand storytelling, audience targeting by demographics, interests, behaviours
• Cost: Flexible — you can start small and scale
• Tip: Test different creatives and formats (video, carousel, stories) to see what resonates
Display advertising (banner and sidebar ads, pop-up ads, native display ads)
• Great for: Awareness, remarketing, visual branding
• Cost: CPM (cost per thousand impressions) or CPC
• Tip: Use retargeting to stay top-of-mind with people who’ve visited your site
Video advertising (pre-roll and in-stream ads on YouTube)
• Great for: Visual storytelling, younger audiences
• Cost: Moderate, depending on targeting and ad length
• Tip: Hook viewers in the first 5 seconds
Influencer & Affiliate Marketing (paid partnerships)
• Great for: Credibility, community reach
• Cost: Highly variable — from micro-influencers to celebrities
• Tip: Choose partners aligned with your brand values and audience
How to choose the right channels
Here’s how to decide where to put your money:
– Know your audience: Where do they spend their time?
– Define your goals: Is it brand awareness, website traffic, lead generation, or sales?
– Assess your budget: Traditional often requires more up-front spend, digital allows for testing and scaling.
– Think long vs. short term: A billboard builds brand recall over time; a Google Ad drives immediate traffic.
Measuring success
All advertising should be measured.
Here’s what to track:
• Reach: How many people saw your ad?
• Impressions: How many times was your ad displayed?
• Click-through rate (CTR): How many people engaged with it?
• Conversions: Did they take the desired action?
• Return on ad spend (ROAS): Did it pay off?
Traditional ads are harder to track precisely, but tools like QR codes, custom URLs, or “how did you hear about us?” prompts can help.
Conclusion
Paid advertising isn’t about big budgets — it’s about smart spending.
Start small, track your performance, and iterate based on what works. Over time, you’ll learn which platforms, messages, and formats drive the best results for your brand.
Whether you’re running your own business or working in a Marketing team, mastering paid advertising gives you the power to grow with intention. Get your message in front of the right people — and watch your brand take off.