While industry giants Google and Facebook are projected to experience a decline in their digital advertising market share this year, research firm eMarketer indicates they will still command a significant portion, approximately 60% or $77 billion.

Interestingly, the remaining 40% presents numerous alternative avenues. While traffic might not be as substantial, these options benefit from less intense keyword competition and often come with lower costs. This makes it advantageous to explore these new networks and enhance marketing plans through a diversified, multi-platform approach. Seeking insights from industry professionals, we compiled a list of their preferred marketing channels, narrowing it down to the top 10. If you aim to expand your strategy, these are the platforms worth exploring.

The Importance of Testing New Marketing Avenues

The rationale is straightforward: as users become increasingly familiar with ads on established platforms, they tend to disengage, leading to a decline in return on investment (ROI) over time, explains Ketan Pande, the driving force behind the entrepreneurial network Goodvitae.

Jake Mastrandrea, a growth marketer at Adobe, emphasizes this point further, stating that marketers should prioritize channels where the customer lifetime value is at least triple the cost of acquisition (learn how to minimize your customer acquisition costs here!).

He further suggests that if competitive bidding escalates, prices become prohibitive for your conversion rate, or search engine fatigue sets in, consider these three actions: optimize for enhanced conversions, broaden your search term scope, or explore entirely new channels. Echoing this sentiment, Roger Maftean, a content marketing expert at the career network Zety, advises brands and marketers to base their exploration of new or alternative channels on future-oriented data and emerging trends. “As we look towards the digital marketing landscape in 2021,” he states, “how can we adequately prepare and what proactive measures can we take to ensure our strategies remain ahead of the curve?” Over-reliance on a single channel can be detrimental, warns Nelson Jordan, head of marketing at Ecommerce Profits, a digital marketing agency specializing in the Shopify platform. He points out that traffic loss can occur due to factors like Google algorithm updates or Facebook account suspensions. “Achieving a balance between resources, monetization strategy, and customer interests is crucial in determining channel product fit,” adds Mastrandrea. “When considering new channels, prioritize those aligned with your customer’s interests. Always test before committing significant resources and continuously monitor your metrics.” The key takeaway is to strike a balance between proven and emerging channels. “Once a promising avenue is identified, dedicate 80% of your efforts to maximizing its potential,” advises Jeremy Ong, the mind behind the successful blog Hustlr and other similar ventures. “Simultaneously, allocate 20% of your time to experimenting with other media channels that might hold untapped potential for your business.” Ong attributes the success of his sites, which generate 60,000 monthly visitors, 3,000 email leads, and nearly 1,000 conversions, resulting in $600,000 in annual revenue, to this approach. He notes that 67% of his initial traffic originates from search engines. Ben Lund, the founder of Rise Marketing Group, takes a more measured approach, recommending that advertisers allocate 10% of their budgets for testing purposes. “The primary objective of this investment is to gain insights into what strategies are effective and which ones aren’t,” he explains. “The advantage lies in the potential to unlock new revenue streams by exploring different platforms.” Testing is crucial for determining the most effective platforms for your specific needs. Here are 10 channels recommended by industry experts and others worth exploring:

1. Quora: Leveraging the Power of Q&A

For those unfamiliar, Quora is a platform where users ask and answer questions. Brands can engage with its massive user base of 100 million by providing insightful answers to relevant questions and promoting select responses. According to Pande, this platform remains largely untapped by many marketers.

“A well-crafted answer, complete with a link to your landing page, can be incredibly effective,” he asserts. “In one instance, an answer I provided in the business section garnered over 100,000 views and directed 5,000 users to the landing page. I’ve also observed that traffic from Quora tends to have a higher dwell time, as users on this platform are inclined to read content thoroughly.” Mark Nardone, who leads marketing efforts at PR firm Pan Communications, notes Quora’s recent surge in popularity, particularly among B2B marketers. “Beyond being a valuable source of insights for marketers, Quora allows subject matter experts to incorporate links to their own content within their responses,” he explains. “These backlinks make Quora a powerful tool for driving traffic and boosting SEO results for those who leverage its full capabilities.” Jamson Thibault, the visionary behind content marketing agency Massive Kontent, shares this sentiment, describing Quora as “an exceptional platform for establishing thought leadership and building brand trust.” He highlights the platform’s recent enhancements, including keyword targeting, bulk ad creation, ad set duplication, and retargeting options. Mason Mitchell, a content marketing expert at messaging platform Airy, adds that Quora’s low-maintenance nature is another advantage. He notes that despite Airy’s infrequent activity on the platform in recent months, their answers continue to generate traffic. Eric Hoppe, who heads marketing at content creation service Crowd Content Media, points out the value of Quora Ads, which allow marketers to target specific questions, making it ideal for reaching prospects at various stages of the sales funnel. Furthermore, Quora offers an affordable alternative, with Thibault noting that advertising rates are often significantly lower than those on platforms like Facebook and Google.

2. LinkedIn: Tapping into a Professional Network

Ong recommends LinkedIn, citing its expanding community of high-value users and less saturated competitive landscape as key advantages.

Lund echoes this sentiment, advising B2B marketers to capitalize on LinkedIn’s lead generation and sponsored messaging ad formats, which he deems “highly effective.”

3. Reddit: Engaging with Niche Communities

Marketers seeking new avenues for content distribution should consider Reddit Ads, which offer a unique opportunity to connect with potential customers early in their decision-making process, according to Hoppe.

Despite being one of the most visited websites globally, eMarketer projects that Reddit advertising will constitute less than 1% of total ad spending this year. The platform’s highly granular targeting capabilities, allowing marketers to reach subscribers and viewers of specific sub-Reddits, compensate for its potentially lower traffic volume. Additionally, Reddit advertising offers a cost-effective alternative to more mainstream platforms.

4. Voice Applications: Optimizing for Voice Search

With the increasing prevalence of voice assistants like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple Siri, voice search is rapidly gaining traction.

Nikki Bisel, the driving force behind marketing consultancy Seafoam Media, emphasizes that marketers must adapt to this trend by recognizing that users typically only hear the top result in voice searches. Maftean suggests adapting to this by optimizing long-tail keywords, meta descriptions, and titles for speech, and prioritizing crucial keywords for top search rankings. He highlights that this necessitates a distinct marketing strategy that diverges from traditional SEO tactics, but emphasizes that early adoption can yield substantial long-term benefits.

5. Stories: Humanizing Your Brand

The ephemeral nature of Stories is no longer limited to personal use. Hamna Amjad, a content marketing expert at media outlet Gigworker, believes brands can leverage this feature to foster deeper connections with followers and showcase their human side through content like behind-the-scenes glimpses, tutorials, and interactive polls. Morgan Lathaen, who oversees marketing and branding at print and marketing logistics company Thumbprint, agrees that Stories can significantly enhance a brand’s online presence and audience engagement.

“Their increasing popularity across platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and YouTube is fueled by the rapid consumption of digital video content,” Lathaen explains. “Capitalize on this feature, as Stories are poised to surpass traditional feed posts in prominence.”

6. Bing: Exploring a Less Competitive Search Engine

Despite its smaller user base, Bing should not be disregarded. Hoppe points out that Bing Ads share similarities with Google Ads, but with a significant cost advantage, noting that cost per lead on Bing can be up to 40% lower.

Lund supports this strategy, suggesting that marketers replicate their high-performing Google campaigns on Bing. “Anticipate comparable performance and a potential 20% increase in traffic,” he adds.

7. Chatbots: Providing Instant Gratification

Alexa Kurtz, a marketing strategist and paid ad specialist at WebTek, a digital marketing agency, prioritizes chat as a marketing channel for her clients, citing consumers’ increasing demand for instant gratification.

Robb Hecht, who teaches marketing at Baruch College, agrees, noting that users seek quick, personalized responses to their inquiries without navigating through cumbersome websites. Kurtz highlights the lead generation capabilities of some chat tools, which can capture valuable information like names and email addresses. Beyond customer service, Amjad recommends leveraging chatbots as virtual assistants and for streamlining job candidate screening processes. According to data from Mani Makkar, who leads content strategy at A/B testing and conversion optimization platform VWO, messaging can be up to 75% more cost-effective than other communication channels, boasting an impressive average open rate of 80%.

8. Text Messaging: Direct and Effective Communication

While text messages might appear intrusive, they can be a highly effective way to engage with consumers who have opted to share their phone numbers, according to Charlie Worrall, a digital marketing expert at web design agency Imaginaire Digital. He recommends utilizing texts for promotions like daily deals.

John Frigo, who heads SEO at MySupplementStore.com, an ecommerce platform, shares this view, describing push notifications as an underutilized yet potent and budget-friendly tactic. For instance, his monthly investment of $95 in a push notification service yields between $300 and $1100 in sales per message.

9. Podcasting: Leveraging Audio Content

When creating a compelling podcast, brands and marketers should tap into their existing networks to identify relevant topics and potential interviewees.

“Securing high-profile guests, particularly influential figures, increases the likelihood of generating interest and building a dedicated following,” explains Kent Lewis, who leads search marketing agency Anvil Media. “These industry influencers often have their own established audiences and can extend the podcast’s reach by promoting it to their networks.” Additionally, marketers should explore opportunities to appear as guests on established podcasts within their respective industries. Lewis highlights the success of Anvil’s recent collaboration on a content and marketing strategy for the Craving the Future podcast, which secured a global hotel client within a few months.

10. Livestreaming: Embracing Real-Time Engagement

The growing prominence of platforms like Twitch, Tik Tok, and LinkedIn Live underscores the enduring appeal of livestreaming, which holds potential for both B2C and B2B brands, according to Kristen McCabe, a senior community marketing specialist at software review platform G2.com.

Explore and Expand Your Marketing Horizons!

There you have it: 10 expert-endorsed marketing channels ripe for exploration. Remember to embrace a multi-channel strategy, define specific goals for each platform, begin with measured testing to identify what resonates with your audience, and maintain a culture of continuous experimentation!