Choosing your platforms: intent versus discovery

The first question isn't "where", it's "how do people buy"

Not all platforms sell the same thing. Some capture an intent that's already present — the person is actively looking for your solution. Others create discovery — the person wasn't looking for anything, but your ad triggers a need. Putting the right budget on the right logic is the decision that separates a profitable campaign from a money pit. Before comparing tools, ask one question: does my customer already type something into a search bar, or do I have to go surprise them in their feed?

graph TD
    A[Is my customer already looking for my solution?] -->|Yes, they type a query| B[Intent platforms: Google, Microsoft Ads]
    A -->|No, I must surprise them| C[Discovery platforms: Meta, TikTok, Pinterest]
    A -->|It's targeted B2B| D[LinkedIn, Reddit]

Intent platforms: capturing existing demand

When someone types "freelance accountant Lyon" or "quoting software", they've already decided they have a problem. Intent advertising simply places itself at the right moment.

• Google Ads: the search network is the absolute benchmark for intent. You pay to appear on specific queries. Cost varies with keyword competition (from a few cents to several euros per click). Also includes YouTube, Display and Shopping.
• Microsoft Ads (Bing): often overlooked, therefore cheaper, with an older and sometimes more B2B audience. A good complement when Google gets expensive.

:::tip[Tip: start with intent if your offer solves a problem people already know they have] If your customers know they need you (a service, a repair, a named software), Google Ads converts faster than any discovery platform: you don't have to create the need, just be there. :::

Discovery platforms: creating the need

When your product is new, visual, or impulse-driven, nobody searches for it. You have to expose it in a flow where attention is available.

• Meta Ads (Facebook + Instagram): the Swiss army knife of discovery. Targeting by interests and behaviors, varied formats, powerful retargeting. Ideal for B2C, e-commerce, consumer services.
• TikTok Ads: huge reach on a young, engaged audience, native video format. Excellent for products that demonstrate well on video. Requires creatives that look like content, not like ads.
• Pinterest Ads: soft intent and projection (decor, fashion, weddings, DIY). The user is planning a project — perfect for offers tied to those worlds.

:::warning[Trap: running an obvious ad on TikTok] On TikTok, an ad that "looks like an ad" gets skipped in one second. The winning format looks like a creator's video: handheld camera, direct tone, immediate value. The platform rewards the native, not the polished. :::

The B2B case: less volume, more precision

Selling to businesses changes the game: the audience is small, but each customer is worth a lot.

• LinkedIn Campaign Manager: the only one to target by job title, industry, company size and seniority. High costs per click (often several euros), justified only when customer value is high.
• Reddit Ads: ultra-targeted communities by topic. Cheaper, technical and skeptical audience — good ground for well-explained niche offers.

:::info[Benchmark: the high cost of B2B is judged on the average basket] A €6 click on LinkedIn is profitable if a customer brings you €3,000. The same click is ruinous to sell a €20 ebook. The platform is chosen based on the value of a customer, not the price of the click. :::

The golden rule: one platform at a time

The beginner's temptation is to be everywhere "so as not to miss anything". That's the best way to miss everything: diluted budget, no platform exiting the learning phase, no way to know what works. Better to master one channel before opening a second. You choose the platform where the audience is densest and the buying logic closest to your offer, concentrate the budget there until profitability, and only then duplicate elsewhere.

:::example[Concrete case] An artisan jewelry maker hesitates between LinkedIn and Instagram. Her product is visual, impulse-driven, consumer-facing: she puts 100% of her budget on Meta (Instagram), learns to be profitable there in six weeks, then tests Pinterest. She never opens LinkedIn — that's not where her customer buys. :::

A quick decision table

Key takeaways

:::key[The chapter's key points]

• Distinguish intent (Google, Microsoft Ads) from discovery (Meta, TikTok, Pinterest).
• In B2B, LinkedIn and Reddit are justified by the high value of a customer, not the price of the click.
• On TikTok, create native content, not polished ads.
• One platform at a time: concentrate the budget, reach profitability, then duplicate.
• Choose by your customer's buying logic, never by the trend of the moment. :::