Let me guess, you are the old-school type and like to take your business on the proven path. Of course, the traditional advertising system has its own benefits and so far, it must have worked well for your business. However, digital ad spending has been growing consistently over the years. It is projected to continue growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 10% between 2021 and 2026.

Now, the truth is, the world is changing rapidly and your customers are more into digital platforms. It is more than evident than ever that a business without a proper online advertisement strategy is most possibly going to fail in the near future.

So, if it has become a compulsion, now the question is, how much is the cost behind online advertisements? Will it be easy on your pocket? Will it be suitable for your long-term business goals?

Not to worry!

There are several options out there for you to come up with the right online advertisement cost for your business. Advertising cost is the financial expense that an organization or individual makes for advertising their products or services online.

Having said that, let us explore the various factors responsible to determine the cost and the various channels where you can advertise your business.

 

Factors that determine the cost of online advertising

Your online campaign costs may vary widely. However, you must understand that the costs depend on certain factors. These factors determine whether the cost will go up or down for advertising your business online.

 

a) Platform

You may have come across different platforms available for online advertising. These include Google, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and others. Each of these platforms comes with its own pricing structure which is dependent on certain factors such as the targeting options, the type of ad, and the competition for ad space.

Go for Google Ads and you will find that there is a bidding system determining the cost of ads. Whereas, for platforms like Facebook and Instagram, the price for each ad is determined by factors such as the size and time consumed by it.

 

b) Target audience

The cost of your online ad is also dependent on the kind of audience your business is targeting. If your target is a niche market, then not only your effectiveness of the ad increases it also brings down the cost behind it, compared to targeting a broader audience. Go for the platforms such as Google and Facebook, where you will get advanced audience targeting options.

 

c) Ad type

Again, considering the type of your ad is also crucial while calculating the cost behind your digital ads. The type of ad you choose for your campaigns impacts the overall cost of your digital advertising. The costs vary from text-based, image-based to video-type ads.

Video ads tend to be more expensive than other type of ads. Then there are also display ads which may be priced based on elements such as size or placement of the ad.

 

Costs of online advertisements based on channels

Your expenses behind online advertisements also vary depending on the advertising channel you are using. While some channels are really much cheaper than others, others may come up with some advanced features or the relevancy of your products or services.

 

1. Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising

Certain advertising channels such as Google Ads and Bing Ads operate on a pay-per-click model. On these platforms, your ads will bid on keywords, and the cost behind it will vary based on keyword competitiveness, quality score, and the industry the ads are related to. The costs for Bing ads are structured like Google ads but are lower than Google ads.

Your CPC or cost-per-click might range somewhere between $1 to $2 per click. On average, if your business falls in the category of small to medium-scale industry, you might find yourself spending around $9,000 to $10,000 on PPC ads.

 

2. Social media advertising

Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, Twitter Ads, and LinkedIn Ads are the social media advertising platforms you can use for your online advertisements. Facebook Ads depend on factors like targeted audience, quality of the ad, and the competition related to the product or service. Likewise, Instagram Ads are managed with the help of Facebook Ads Manager and the costs related to it are almost like that of Facebook Ads.

At the same time, Twitter Ads function on a PPE or pay-per-engagement model. In this model, you will have to pay when your users engage with the ad and that will generally vary from $0.50 to $4.00. The most expensive among these social media ads are LinkedIn Ads. The CPC or cost-per-click here is around $2 to $8.

 

3. Search engine optimization (SEO)

This particular cost depends on the fact whether you are hiring some other organization to do it for you or you are doing it in-house. Hiring an SEO agency means that you have to spend a considerable amount each month, sometimes it is thousands of dollars, depending on the expertise and charges claimed by the agency.

On the other hand, you don’t need to spend that much if you are doing it in-house, though you would need to invest in certain tools like keyword research tools or website optimization tools.

 

4. Email marketing

Typically, you will find that the ESP or email service provider associated with your email marketing strategy decides the kind of expense you are going to incur. ESPs come with different pricing tiers, and often they are based on the volume of emails sent or the number of subscribers.

This means that, while the expense may be a few dollars each month for a small subscribers list, it may go as high as several thousand dollars for a large subscribers list. Also, the prices go up if your ESP is providing some fresh new set of advanced features.

 

Conclusion

Overall, it all depends on the platform, target audience, and the type of ad your business is fit for. So, if you want to get the best results from your online advertising efforts, certain things like setting clear goals, doing your research, investing in ongoing optimizations, and testing your reach to your target audience might make a lot of difference. Typically, online advertisements produce better results as long-term investments over short-term ones.

Thus, finally, the answer to the question of how much it cost to advertise online varies widely depending on the factors stated above. It is up to you to decide what is perfect for your business.