One of the questions I get asked most is: “which platform should I invest in?” The short answer is almost never just one. The useful answer depends on what stage of the funnel you’re targeting and what you’re actually trying to optimize on each platform.
Start with the objective, not the platform
Before deciding budget, define what you actually need from each channel: new user acquisition? Retargeting people who already know you? Brand awareness? Each platform has a different strength, and mixing objectives without distinguishing them is the most common way to waste spend.
Search vs. Social vs. Programmatic
Search (Google Ads) captures demand that already exists — someone is actively looking for what you sell. It’s the channel with the best purchase intent, but it doesn’t create new demand. Social (Meta, TikTok) is better for generating demand and discovery, with a longer decision cycle. Programmatic is for scaling reach once you’ve already validated messaging and creative on the channels above.
A simple framework to start
If you’re just starting out or working with a limited budget, a reasonable starting point is:
- 40-50% on the channel with the best historical conversion (usually Search, if your product solves a need people actively search for).
- 30-40% on the channel with the best cost-to-reach ratio for generating new demand.
- The rest on testing: a new channel, a new format, an audience you haven’t tried.
Measure before you reallocate
The most expensive mistake isn’t picking wrong at the start — it’s not measuring properly and continuing to invest in the wrong channel for months. Before moving budget around, make sure tracking and attribution are set up correctly: without that, any budget-split framework is an exercise in faith, not data.
If you’re figuring out this split for your business and aren’t sure where to start, message me on WhatsApp and we can work through it together.