Stop Feeding the Duopoly: 15 Ad Networks That Beat Meta and Google on Cost and Reach

Retail media goldmines: Amazon DSP, Walmart Connect, and Instacart Ads where buyers already have wallets out

Retail media channels aren't polite requests — they're cash registers embedded in the experience. On Amazon DSP, Walmart Connect and Instacart Ads the audience is past "research" and tipping toward "checkout," so you buy reach that converts. Expect richer first-party data, tighter SKU-level targeting and better ROAS than generic social buys when you match intent with timing.

Start with SKU-level creative (use real product images, price badges) and bid for lift, not just clicks. Layer purchase intent segments, then scale winners. For hands-on help and fast experiments, try boost instagram — small tests there can validate creative hooks before you pour budget into DSPs.

• 🚀 Audience: Prioritize recent buyers + cart abandoners for immediate conversions.
• 🔥 Creative: Show price, reviews and 1–2 benefits in that order — shoppers skim fast.
• 👥 Measurement: Tie ROAS to SKU sales with incrementality windows, not last-click vanity metrics.

Retail media isn't a niche — it's a recurring revenue lever. Run fast A/Bs, push winners into scaled DSP buys, and siphon budget from low-performing social slices. Your wallet-friendly audiences are already in the aisle; the job is to be the ad they reach for.

Native that nurtures: Taboola, Outbrain, and Revcontent to scale content-first funnels

If you treat discovery channels like billboards, native networks will surprise you. Taboola, Outbrain, and Revcontent are built for content-first funnels: they place stories where people are already reading, not interrupting their scroll. Expect lower CPCs, broader contextual reach, and curiosity that warms prospects before you ask for the sale.

Begin at the top of the funnel with value-driven stories: how-tos, case studies, lists, and behind-the-scenes pieces that earn attention. Write headlines that tease a benefit rather than shout a price, and pair them with distinctive thumbnails that read in tiny editorial slots. Test three headline variations and two images per asset to find a directional winner fast.

Targeting on these platforms is intentionally different: lean on contextual signals, interest cohorts, and publisher placement data, then stitch in site-level performance and lookalikes. Use feed optimization to promote copy that resonates with specific audiences, set modest frequency caps so your narrative feels familiar instead of spammy, and measure engagement metrics not just clicks.

Nurture with sequencing: soft CTAs on first touch, deeper content on the second, and a conversion-focused offer after multiple exposures. Keep landing pages aligned with the article tone rather than a hard-sell ad. Track every step with UTMs and event pixels so you can attribute lifetime behavior and optimize toward real business value, not vanity wins.

A simple playbook: start small with three creatives, measure CTR and on-site engagement, scale the combos that drive time-on-page and secondary actions, and refresh creative every two weeks. Do that and these native feeders will often beat Meta and Google on cost-per-conversion—because they sell attention first and clicks second.

B2B beyond boring: LinkedIn, Quora, and Reddit for qualified conversations

B2B does not have to mean yawns and PDFs. When you swap ad dollars from the usual duopoly to professional environments you get conversations that convert: targeted dialogues, peer validation, and pipeline informing insights. LinkedIn, Quora and Reddit each serve different stages — from credibility to problem-aware Q&A and niche community trust — so treat them like a funnel, not a billboard.

Start with platform-specific plays that match intent and format:

• 👥 LinkedIn: Use narrow job-title and company targeting; publish thought leadership posts and Sponsored InMail for decision makers.
• 💬 Quora: Answer high intent questions, include concise CTAs, and boost top answers to capture search-driven leads.
• 🔥 Reddit: Seed AMA style threads, support moderators, and run interest targeted ads in niche subreddits to earn trust.

Practical steps: map the buyer journey to platform behavior; create three content types — data led case studies for LinkedIn, short how tos for Quora, and community first experiments for Reddit. Test small budgets across creative variants, gate high value assets behind simple forms, and follow up within 24 hours. Optimize for replies, direct messages, and qualified demos rather than vanity clicks. Expect CPMs and CPAs often below duopoly averages; start with five to ten percent of your paid budget, iterate weekly, and scale channels that generate repeatable, qualified conversations while tracking lead stage and LTV.

CTV and audio that pop: Roku, Hulu, and Spotify for brand lift you can measure

CTV and audio are the fastest ways to expand reach without paying Meta and Google tax rates. Roku, Hulu, and Spotify each bring a different flavor of scale and attention: Roku for lean, measurable CTV buys; Hulu for premium streaming contexts and attentive viewers; Spotify for high-intimacy audio impressions that drive memory and recall. Use them together to layer reach, frequency, and creative formats.

Roku excels at predictable CPMs and household-level targeting. Start with a small test flight across home demo segments you already serve on social, then lift it with larger CTV buys if CPMs beat your benchmarks. Run a control/campaign split by geography, hold creative constant, and compare on-site lift or branded search velocity for a clean brand lift read.

Hulu offers fewer interruptions and premium placement that improves viewability and ad recall. Prioritize 15–30 second storytelling spots that lean on sound and visual hooks. Use sequential messaging: awareness on Roku, consideration on Hulu. Measure results with ad exposure cohorts and third-party panel data to capture incremental awareness rather than raw click metrics.

Spotify is brand magic for repetition and emotional resonance. Design audio-first scripts with sonic branding at the 3–5 second mark to trigger recognition. Combine streaming audio buys with companion CTV creative for cross-platform attribution. Run simple lift studies using exposed versus unexposed populations to quantify recall and favorability gains.

Action plan: allocate a test budget split 40/40/20 across Roku/Hulu/Spotify, define a primary lift metric, run a geo or panel control, and iterate creative after one weekly review. Small experiments, clear controls, and fast creative swaps will show that you can drive measurable brand lift while paying less per unique reach than the usual duopoly route.

Search with a twist: Microsoft Ads and Apple Search Ads to scoop up high-intent clicks

Think of them as the friendly neighborhood search engines: Microsoft Ads and Apple Search Ads hand you high-intent clicks that don't pay tithes to the usual ad gods. Bing and Yahoo fill gaps in search behavior (desktop shoppers, enterprise buyers) while Apple owns intent inside the App Store — both channels often cost less per conversion and give you cleaner attribution than a crowded feed.

Microsoft Ads is more than a Bing re-skin — it plugs into LinkedIn profile targeting, robust in-market audiences, and easier keyword coverage for B2B. Import your Google campaigns, add UET and remarketing lists, then split-match keywords into tighter SKAGs. Try aggressive bid modifiers for weekday business hours and test audience bidding; you'll often see lower CPCs and higher CTRs for enterprise searches.

Apple Search Ads is the fast lane for mobile intent: people searching the App Store already want to install. Use Search Match, exact-match keyword expansions, and Creative Sets (different screenshots and captions) to optimize conversion rate. Start with CPT bidding, leverage negative keywords to block irrelevant queries, and rotate creatives weekly to beat ad fatigue.

Actionable plan: divert 10–20% of search spend into Microsoft and Apple, run 4–8 week A/Bs with mirrored creatives and landing pages, then reallocate budget toward the lower CPC, higher-intent winners. Small shifts here scoop up clicks the duopoly won't miss — but your competitors will.