By far, the most popular alternative to Facebook Ads is Google Ads.
In contrast to Facebook Ads, which are based around social media platforms, Google Ads (formerly known as Google Adwords) is built around Google-owned services such as Google Search, Gmail, and YouTube.
Multiple options and formats are offered by Google Ads, and these include search or text based ads, Google Shopping Ads, display ads on the Google Display Network (GDN), as well as YouTube ads.
In most cases the offering that most advertisers will be familiar with is Google search ads, which is practically synonymous with search engine marketing (SEM).
Google Shopping Ads, for those not familiar with the term, are the image ads you may see that occasionally show up in search results, especially for physical products. These are also a great option for some advertisers as it allows you an opportunity to present your products visually to customers.
Display ads that run on the Google Display Network (GDN) are also available and can play an important role in driving traffic to your website as well.
Another alternative is YouTube ads, which allows advertisers to run video ads on the YouTube platform, and this can be managed within the same Google Ads account.
As you can see, the reason why Google Ads proves so popular is due to its numerous formats and the integration within Google’s various, widely-used services.
The biggest downside to Google Ads, for those coming from a Facebook Ads background, is that there is a much steeper learning curve. Not only can this be intimidating for those unfamiliar with the Google Ads platform, but there are no shortage of areas where newcomers can make costly mistakes.
That being said, when managed properly Google Ads has the most robust offering of ad types and formats, which can significantly improve your digital marketing results as part of a multi-channel strategy.