3 Ways to Reach New Audiences with Multi-Platform Search Advertising

Gone are the days when search advertising meant Google Ads and nothing else. With the rise of new social platforms and visual search capabilities, marketers now have an exciting opportunity to reach fresh audiences outside of the traditional search ecosystem. The benefit of multi-platform search advertising is the ability to connect with targeted users in the context of their interests and intent, whether they’re scrolling through Instagram, browsing Pinterest pins, or posing questions on Reddit.

In this post, we’ll explore three innovative approaches to search advertising that can help expand your reach:

1. Tapping into alternative search platforms like TikTok and YouTube
2. Harnessing visual search on sites like Pinterest and Instagram
3. Optimizing campaigns for different search intent across informational, transactional, and other queries.

By fine-tuning your strategy across these dimensions, you can capture more of your ideal customers across multiple touchpoints in their buyer’s journey. Let’s dive in to these essential methods for acquiring and engaging fresh audiences in the age of multi-platform search.

3 Ways to Reach New Audiences:

Reaching fresh audiences is the holy grail of digital marketing. While traditional search platforms like Google and Bing provide a solid foundation, the key to growth lies in venturing into new territory. The modern search landscape encompasses far more than just typed text queries on a web browser. Social media, visual content, and evolving user intent now play a central role.

By expanding beyond conventional realms, marketers can connect with targeted prospective customers earlier in the buyer’s journey, forging crucial brand relationships. In this section, we’ll explore three cutting-edge techniques to unlock new audiences across the customer lifecycle:

1. Tapping into alternative search platforms like TikTok and YouTube to fuel awareness among previously untapped communities.
2. Optimizing visual search visibility on visual hubs like Pinterest and Instagram.
3. Understanding search intent shifts across informational, commercial, and transactional stages.

Combining these strategies allows you to reach users where they already spend time, capturing high-value individuals aligned with your brand promise. Let’s dive into the specifics of engaging new audiences through next-generation search targeting, content, and personalized experiences.

The tools are waiting at your fingertips – now let’s use them to authentically connect with the right customers.

A. Expanding Reach Beyond Traditional Search Engines:

Although Google and Bing are by and large the big boys in the world of the search engine, a new wave of “alternative search platforms” is emerging as powerful tools for reaching new audiences. These platforms, which encompass not only traditional search functionalities but also leverage the power of social media and video content, offer unique opportunities for advertisers to connect with potential customers in engaging and targeted ways.

Some of the most prominent examples of these alternative search platforms include:

• Social media: Platforms like TikTok, Pinterest, Instagram, and Reddit allow users to search for specific content using hashtags, keywords, location tags, and even advanced search operators (in the case of Reddit). These platforms not only boast large and engaged user bases but also offer valuable insights into user interests and behaviors, allowing for highly targeted advertising campaigns.
• Video platforms: YouTube, a video-sharing giant, thrives on search functionalities. Optimizing video titles, descriptions, and tags plays a crucial role in ensuring content discoverability through search queries. By creating engaging video content that caters to specific search queries and user needs, advertisers can effectively reach new audiences on this massive platform.

By exploring these alternative search platforms and understanding their unique functionalities, targeting options, and user base characteristics, advertisers can expand their reach beyond traditional search engines and connect with new audiences in innovative and effective ways.

Understanding Search Functionalities on Each Platform:

While traditional search engines rely heavily on text-based queries, alternative search platforms offer a diverse range of functionalities tailored to their unique user experiences. Understanding these functionalities is crucial for crafting effective advertising strategies on each platform.

TikTok: Forget just scrolling through endless videos. Users can actively search for specific content through the “Discover” and “Search” tabs. They can explore using:

• Hashtags: Similar to other social media platforms, hashtags play a central role in content discovery on TikTok. Users can search for specific hashtags related to their interests, trends, or topics, allowing advertisers to target their campaigns with relevant hashtags.
• Sounds: Sounds, often consisting of music snippets or voice clips, are a core element of the TikTok experience. Users can search for specific sounds to discover videos that use them, offering advertisers a unique approach to reaching audiences based on trending audio content.
• Keywords: While not as prominent as hashtags and sounds, keyword search also exists on TikTok. This allows users to find content related to specific topics, even if they haven’t encountered a related hashtag yet.

Pinterest: This visually-driven platform thrives on “guided search.” Users primarily utilize:

• Search Bar: The search bar allows users to type in keywords related to their interests, leading them to a curated feed of pins (images/videos) and boards (collections of pins) related to their search terms.
• Guided Search: This feature goes beyond simple keywords. As users type, Pinterest suggests relevant search terms and visual prompts, offering inspiration and refining their search based on popular trends and user behavior. This provides advertisers with valuable insights into user intent and allows them to tailor their content and keywords accordingly.

Instagram: While primarily known for photo and video sharing, Instagram offers robust search functionalities:

• Hashtags: Similar to TikTok, hashtags are the foundation of content discovery on Instagram. Users can search for specific hashtags to explore photos and videos related to their interests, allowing advertisers to target audiences based on relevant hashtags.
• Location Tags: Users can search for content based on location tags, enabling advertisers to target geographically specific audiences. This is particularly valuable for local businesses looking to attract customers within their vicinity.
• Explore Tab: This personalized feed curates content based on user behavior and interests. Advertisers can leverage this by ensuring their content aligns with the themes and trends users encounter on their Explore tabs, increasing the chances of organic discovery.

Reddit: This forum-based platform caters to diverse interests and communities:

• Subreddits: These are dedicated communities focused on specific topics. Users can search for relevant subreddits and browse content within them, allowing advertisers to target niche audiences with laser focus.
• Keyword Search: Similar to other platforms, keyword search allows users to find specific content within posts and comments across the entire platform. This broadens the reach potential for advertisers but requires careful selection of keywords to avoid irrelevant placements.
• Advanced Search Operators: Power users can leverage advanced search operators to refine their searches significantly. While not as commonly used, understanding these operators can help advertisers target their campaigns with even greater precision, reaching highly specific user segments within the platform.

YouTube: As the world’s largest video platform, search is a fundamental aspect of user experience:

• Video Title, Description, and Tags: These elements are crucial for discoverability. By optimizing them with relevant keywords and user-friendly language, advertisers can ensure their video content surfaces when users enter related search queries. This includes incorporating common search terms, variations of keywords, and relevant phrases that accurately reflect the content of the video.

Leveraging Targeting Options for Audience Reach:

Reaching the right audience is crucial for any advertising campaign, and alternative search platforms offer diverse targeting options to achieve this goal. Let’s explore some key strategies:

1. Keyword Targeting:

Each platform allows advertisers to leverage keyword targeting. This involves using relevant keywords or search terms that users might employ when searching for content. For example, on TikTok, advertisers can target users searching for “#fashionhacks” or “#diycrafts.” Similarly, on Pinterest, targeting users who search for “home decor ideas” or “healthy recipes” can be highly effective. By identifying keywords relevant to your product or service and incorporating them into your campaigns, you can ensure your content reaches users actively seeking information or content related to your niche.

2. Interest Targeting:

Platforms like TikTok, Pinterest, Instagram, and Reddit delve deeper than just keywords, offering interest targeting. This powerful approach allows you to reach users based on their broader interests, demographics, and online behaviors. For instance, on Instagram, you can target users interested in “fitness” and “healthy eating” if your brand offers sports apparel or nutrition supplements. Similarly, on Reddit, targeting users within specific subreddits like “r/gardening” or “r/travel” can be highly effective if your product caters to those specific interests. By understanding your target audience and utilizing interest-based targeting options, you can connect your brand with users who are genuinely interested in what you have to offer.

3. Lookalike Audiences (availability may vary):

Some platforms, like Facebook and potentially others depending on their capabilities, offer lookalike audiences. This advanced feature allows you to leverage existing customer data (e.g., email addresses) to find new audiences who share similar characteristics with your existing customer base. This can be particularly valuable when expanding your reach beyond your current audience pool and attracting potential customers who exhibit similar interests and behaviors.

By strategically combining these targeting options with the unique functionalities of each platform, you can effectively reach new audiences on alternative search platforms and achieve your advertising goals.

B. Leveraging Visual Search:

Visual search, the ability to search using images instead of text, is gaining significant traction, driven by advancements in image recognition technology and the widespread use of mobile devices with cameras. Platforms like Pinterest and Instagram have embraced this trend, offering robust functionalities to empower users to search visually.

On Pinterest, users can leverage the power of visual search in two ways:

• Uploading an image: Users can upload an existing image, like a picture of a specific clothing item or a desired home decor style. Pinterest’s search engine then analyzes the image and recommends similar products, styles, or related ideas, opening doors for users to discover new brands and products they might be interested in.
• Utilizing the camera: The camera feature within the Pinterest search bar allows users to take a picture of an item or scene in real-time. Pinterest then analyzes the image and provides similar suggestions, offering a convenient way to find inspiration or identify products on-the-go.

Similarly, Instagram also allows users to search visually through the “camera” icon within the search function. By taking a picture or uploading an image, users can discover content related to the captured image. This functionality is particularly useful for exploring similar fashion styles, identifying products worn by influencers, or finding inspiration for various creative endeavors.

To maximize the reach and effectiveness of visual search, brands and businesses must prioritize high-quality product images. Clear, well-lit, and professional-looking images showcasing products from various angles and in relevant settings are crucial for grabbing user attention and making a positive first impression.

Furthermore, utilizing relevant keywords in image descriptions and associated content is essential for discoverability. By including keywords related to the product itself, its features, and its potential uses, you can ensure your products appear in relevant visual search results when users search for similar items or related inspiration.

The potential of visual search extends beyond just product discovery. Users can also leverage it to find inspiration for DIY projects, explore home decor ideas, or search for tutorials related to various skills and hobbies. By staying informed about the evolving landscape of visual search and exploring functionalities offered on various platforms, you can effectively reach new audiences, engage with potential customers, and drive brand awareness in creative and impactful ways.

C. Engaging with Search Intent:

Understanding search intent is crucial for crafting effective advertising campaigns on both traditional and alternative search platforms. Search intent refers to the reason behind a user’s search query. It essentially reveals what the user is hoping to achieve by entering specific keywords or phrases. Broadly, search intent can be categorized into three main stages:

• Informational: Users with informational intent are looking for information, education, or answers to their questions. Their search terms might be open-ended, like “best running shoes for beginners” or “how to cook pasta.”
• Commercial: Users with commercial intent are actively researching products or services with the intention of making a purchase in the near future. Their searches might be more specific, including brand names, product comparisons, or phrases like “buy iPhone 15” or “reviews for best laptops.”
• Transactional: Users with transactional intent are ready to make a purchase and are actively looking for vendors or platforms to complete the transaction. Their search terms are typically very specific and often include keywords like “order now,” “discount code,” or the name of a specific retailer.

If you can tailor your ad content and keywords to different search intent stages, you’ll have a better chance to capture new audiences at various points in their buying journey:

• Informational Stage: For users with informational intent, focus on providing valuable and informative content that addresses their specific questions or concerns. Utilize keywords related to the broader topic or problem they are trying to solve. This approach establishes your brand as a helpful resource and fosters trust, potentially leading them to consider your offerings when they move to later stages of the buying journey.
• Commercial Stage: When targeting users with commercial intent, highlight the benefits and features of your product or service. Utilize keywords that users might be actively searching for during their research phase, including comparisons with competitors or specific product features. This approach positions your brand as a strong contender and nudges users towards making a purchase decision.
• Transactional Stage: For users with transactional intent, prioritize clear calls to action and highlight any promotions or incentives that might entice them to convert. Utilize keywords related to specific product names, retailers, or specific purchase actions, such as “buy now” or “add to cart.” This approach provides users with a clear pathway to complete their purchase journey and convert them into paying customers.

By understanding and addressing search intent, you can create targeted and relevant ad campaigns that resonate with users at various stages of their buying journey. This not only increases the effectiveness of your advertising efforts but also allows you to connect with new audiences at the most opportune moments, ultimately driving conversions and achieving your marketing goals.

Harnessing Multi-Platform Search for Audience Growth

As we’ve explored, leveraging alternative search platforms, visual search capabilities, and an understanding of search intent can open new doors for audience growth. By venturing beyond traditional search engines, optimizing visual assets, and addressing users at different stages, brands can connect with targeted prospective customers across an omnichannel landscape.

In summary, the key takeaways across these three dimensions are:

• Tapping into emerging search platforms like TikTok and YouTube can expose your brand to engaged new user bases outside of Google and Bing.
• Enhancing visual search visibility on sites like Pinterest and Instagram enables discovery from image-driven queries.
• Tailoring ad messaging for different search intent stages allows you to capture audiences during their research and transaction journeys.

The world of search advertising is rapidly evolving across platforms. As you plan your next campaigns, don’t limit yourself to the familiar territory of traditional search. Experiment with these approaches across social media, visual, and intent-based targeting to realize the full potential of multi-platform search. Meet your audiences where they already are – no matter the platform or stage – and propel your brand to new heights.