7 Alternatives to PPC Advertising

To explore effective alternatives to PPC advertising, we asked founders and CEOs this question for their expert suggestions. From partnering with influencers and playlist curators to optimizing for local SEO, here are seven specific alternatives these leaders recommend for your marketing strategy.

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Partner with Playlist Curators

One alternative to PPC advertising is partnering with influencers and playlist curators. When I founded Grooveshark, we grew our user base by working with music bloggers, YouTube channels, and independent playlist creators.

Influencers already have an established audience, so partnering with them is an easy way to get your music in front of new listeners. We would offer influencers exclusive previews of new tracks or behind-the-scenes content to share with their followers. In return, they would feature our music and embed our audio players on their platforms.

Playlists are also a great discovery tool for listeners. Working with curators to have your music featured on popular playlists exposes you to new audiences in an organic way. We found this strategy to be very effective for gaining streams and growing our listener base. The key is finding influencers and curators who match your genre and target audience.

For example, one of our artists gained over 5 million streams from being featured on a popular chill-electronic playlist. The curator loved the track and added it within a week of its release. That single placement ended up driving a huge amount of traffic to our platform. Influencer and playlist marketing should be a key part of any music marketing strategy.

Sam Tarantino, Founder, Harmonic Reach

Leverage User-Generated Content

The alternative to PPC is User-Generated Content (UGC) as more users are engaging with influencers and other social media personalities to rely on getting accurate and real human experience feedback rather than an advertisement.

Ankit Goel Ghimire, Paid Media Specialist, Nuanced Media

Focus on Content Marketing

Content marketing is a robust alternative to PPC advertising. It probably is no surprise to anyone in the industry, but since content marketing focuses on creating and distributing valuable content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience and often needs very different skills than PPC, it can still be an area of improvement for many organizations. Blog writing, educational videos, podcasts, infographics—all of these fall under the purview of content marketing and are a good way to organically grow interest in your product and business over time rather than the more direct strategy that heavily uses PPC. 

By consistently providing helpful and engaging content, businesses can establish themselves as industry leaders, improve SEO rankings, and drive sustained traffic and conversions over time.

Kate Kandefer, CEO, SEOwind

Utilize Influencer Marketing

One alternative to PPC advertising I would suggest is influencer marketing. As a fractional CFO for many small businesses, I have seen the power of leveraging social influencers to reach new audiences. Influencers already have an established follower base, so partnering with relevant influencers in your industry is an easy way to get in front of potential new customers. Offer the influencers an exclusive preview of a new product or service to share with their followers. In return, ask them to feature your brand on their social media platforms. 

For example, one of my clients gained over 50,000 new email subscribers from a single influencer campaign. The influencer loved the product and promoted it to their followers. That one promotion ended up driving a huge surge of traffic to my client’s website. Influencer marketing should be part of any digital-marketing strategy. When done right, it can be an extremely cost-efficient way to acquire new customers. The key is finding influencers who genuinely match your brand and target audience.

Russell Rosario, Owner, Russell Rosario

Adopt CPA and LTV Optimization

A specific alternative to PPC advertising includes both Cost-Per-Action (CPA) and LTV Optimization with Predictive Analytics. CPA advertising differs from PPC in that you pay only for specific actions taken by users after they click on your ad, such as completing a registration, making a purchase, or subscribing to a service. This model ensures that you are paying for actual results rather than just traffic, helping control costs and improve ROI. It also allows you to optimize your ad spend based on the value of each action, especially if you have a clear understanding of your sales funnel and conversion rates. 

Additionally, CPA often results in higher-quality leads, as it targets users more likely to complete the desired actions. LTV Optimization with Predictive Analytics, on the other hand, focuses on attracting users who are likely to bring more value over time. By using historical data to predict which users will be most valuable, this method enhances ad targeting. It allows you to focus on high-value prospects who are likely to stay longer and spend more. Predictive models further refine this process by identifying and attracting similar high-value profiles, making your advertising more efficient and effective.

Andrew Bluemental, CEO & Co-Founder, Lemon AI

Advertise on Social Media Platforms

One specific alternative to PPC advertising that I would suggest is using social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. With the increasing popularity of social media, it has become a powerful tool for businesses to reach their target audience. As a real estate agent, your target audience is most likely active on these platforms, making it an ideal place to advertise your services.

Firstly, creating a business page on Facebook and Instagram allows you to showcase your listings, share updates about the market, or any new properties you have listed. This can help increase brand awareness and generate leads without having to pay for each click. Additionally, both platforms offer targeted advertising options, which allow you to narrow down your audience based on demographics, interests, and location. This means your ads will be seen by people who are more likely to be interested in your services, increasing the chances of conversion.

Erica Nunley, Founder & CEO, Nunley Home Buyers

Optimize for Local SEO

One specific alternative to PPC advertising that our team utilizes effectively is local SEO. In general, by optimizing our website and online presence for local search terms, we attract organic traffic from potential clients within our operational area. This typically involves generating localized content, posting and updating our Google Business Profile(s), and gathering reviews on various channels, e.g., BBB, Facebook, Google Business Profile, etc. 

By focusing on SEO, we can reach potential clients who are searching for services like ours and have greater intent, without relying on paid ads. This not only enhances our overall visibility in our operational areas but also builds trust within our communities, leading to more sustainable and cost-effective lead generation. Utilizing SEO for our business has turned our website into a company asset versus a marketing expense line item for PPC.

Yancy Forsythe, Owner, Missouri Valley Homes

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