Competition for attention keeps rising, and paid traffic is not simply “flip the switch and go.”
In Europe, the context is trickier; different user habits, data-handling rules, CPC levels, and local regulations.
In this guide, we’ll outline how to choose a paid channel, what to watch for, what Google Ads, Meta Ads, and LinkedIn Ads may cost, and how to avoid burning your nerves and budgets while keeping CAC predictable.
Europe in context: where the market is heading
Let’s start with a quick baseline.
In 2024, investments in digital advertising in Europe reached €118.9 billion, which is 16% higher than in 2023. Digital channels accounted for 67.2% of all corporate advertising budgets. This was confirmed by the IAB Europe AdEx Benchmark 2024 report, published on 21 May 2025.
Social media advertising grew by 23.9% in 2024, while video marketing ads increased by 24.5%, driven mainly by CTV (connected TV). At the same time, retail media continued expanding as an independent advertising channel.
These figures indicate that European businesses are actively increasing their ad spending across the EU, fueling demand for Google Ads and Meta Ads. However, with this surge comes higher competition among advertisers.
👉 Tip #1: Don’t choose an advertising platform just because “everyone’s there.” Your competitors’ success doesn’t mean it’s the right channel for your goals. Select platforms based on your business objectives and target audience, not the crowd.
Does regulation affect demand?
The short answer is yes, business promotion in Europe is heavily regulated by several frameworks. Let’s start with the Digital Services Act (DSA): it limits how platforms can target users, banning the use of sensitive personal data, prohibiting personalized ads for minors, and restricting the creation of so-called “grey-zone” custom audiences.
If the DSA defines “what platforms can’t do,” the GDPR defines “on what grounds you can process data.” Businesses need a clear legal basis (typically user consent), transparency, and data minimization. Without valid consent, you’ll have fewer targeting and remarketing signals, smaller custom audiences, more aggregated metrics, and as a result, a higher CAC (customer acquisition cost) for some campaigns.
A third key element is advertiser transparency and KYC requirements on platforms. The EU demands more accountability, and major advertising platforms have tightened verification and disclosure standards:
- Advertiser verification (KYC/KYB): confirming personal or company identity, country of incorporation, payment methods, and sometimes tax details (VAT, BRN, etc.). Without this, your account may experience restricted access or even have its ad delivery suspended.
- Ad transparency libraries: Meta, Google, and LinkedIn now publish public data on all active ads, including who runs them, the creatives used, and the audiences they target.
- License validation: Platforms increasingly require advertisers to provide licenses or certificates for specific services and products. Interestingly, Google has recently begun verifying advertisers promoting services even in countries where such licensing requirements do not officially apply.
👉 Tip #2:Before launching paid campaigns, review the platform’s compliance requirements. Prepare your company documents, ID verification, and any relevant licenses or certificates required for the target country.
How many new ad accounts appear each year?
There are no public counters showing how many new advertisers joined Google, Meta, or LinkedIn in a given year, so the best approach is to rely on reasoned estimates, more than enough for strategic planning.
How to estimate without “insider” data
We use digital market growth rates to project the number of active advertisers.
- For example, if there were about 100,000 active ad accounts (Google Ads and Meta Ads) in 2025 and the market grows by 15–20%, we can expect roughly 15,000–20,000 new accounts in 2026.
- This isn’t a promise of an exact figure, it's a reasonable range. The final number depends on multiple factors: budget shifts between platforms, the boom in retail media, industry-specific dynamics, and entry barriers such as compliance, localization, and KYC verification.
The baseline logic is simple: If the market grows by approximately 16% in 2024 and continues with double-digit growth, the number of ad accounts will continue to rise.
What about LinkedIn?
LinkedIn’s new advertiser growth is slower than Google’s or Meta’s, since it’s more enterprise-oriented and focused on niche B2B sectors. However, average spend per account is significantly higher, as is cost per lead. That means even a minor increase in the number of accounts translates into a noticeable share of total ad spend. In 2026, this trend will persist: “expensive leads” deliver results when your creative, offer, and funnel are well-optimized.
Why does this estimate matter for you?
- Forecasting: When planning growth, set a range, not a single number.
- Channel strategy: Use Google/Meta as your base and scale to LinkedIn, where your LTV justifies the cost.
- Operations: Be prepared for KYC checks, localization requirements, and policy changes to ensure your campaigns don’t stall during moderation.
How to choose an ad platform not by “lower competition,” but by your goals?
No single channel fits every business. The choice of an advertising platform depends on several key factors, including your industry, audience intent, purchasing power, brand positioning, product type, price point, order frequency, business model, budget, localization readiness, and whether you have a local presence or a support team in the target market. Below is a practical guide to help you decide what, when, and for whom.
Start with intent. If people are already searching for your product and ready to buy, search ads should be your foundation. If demand still needs to be created, begin with awareness campaigns and strong creative storytelling. Next, consider your audience and pricing model: premium segments require trust, proof, and in-depth content. Mass-market products need speed, experimentation, and scalability. Then, evaluate localization readiness—your language, currency, payment methods, legal requirements, and customer support should align with the target market. Only after that comes channel selection—where your product, message, and audience intent truly meet.
What matters more by platform | Google Ads | Meta Ads | LinkedIn Ads |
“Buy now” intent | Very high | Medium | Low |
Brand awareness | Medium | High | Medium |
B2B targeting by roles | Low | Low | Very high |
Entry-level budget | Flexible | Flexible | Above average |
Compliance complexity in the EU | High | Medium | Medium |
When do Google Ads and Bing Ads work best?
Search means “I’m ready to buy now.” For service businesses and e-commerce with clear queries, Google is the first step in promoting your product.
Google offers targeting precision tailored to your needs — by country, language, or even specific cities (such as Estonia, Poland, Cyprus — all possible).
Formats cover every stage of the funnel: Search, Performance Max, Shopping (for e-commerce), and Display for reach. Bing Ads offers high-quality desktop traffic and often a lower CPC in some niches. This stack helps maintain CAC efficiency but requires localized pages, transparent delivery/return policies, and robust analytics.
💡 Tip #3: If your product is new and needs explanation, searching alone isn’t enough. Add a demand-generation channel, and remember, Google isn’t just about search. Sometimes, your business makes more sense to promote through the display capabilities of ad networks.
When does Meta (Facebook/Instagram) work best?
Meta is perfect when you need to gain reach fast, test creative variations, and warm up audiences before conversion. In B2C, it’s typically the second most crucial channel after search, ideal for brand storytelling, videos, carousels, and remarketing.
Performance depends on localized content, including local references, memes, relevant news hooks, influencers, and strong landing page traffic. For complex B2B products, Meta is rarely the core channel but effectively supports lead generation funnels as a mid-funnel layer.
Recommended for scaling and lead generation in:
- SaaS / MarTech / HR tools: lead forms + demo videos, remarketing to case studies.
- Education/Certification Programs: Webinar Sign-Ups.
- Professional services (legal, tax, accounting, GTM consulting): explainers + success cases.
- Recruiting / Outstaffing: targeting by roles/interests, quick lead forms.
- Manufacturing & distribution: product catalogs/carousels, quote requests.
- Logistics / Fulfillment / 3PL: geo-targeting + industry interests, cost calculators.
- Fintech for business (payments, invoicing, FX): “Try for free” offers.
- B2B events/expos/webinars: Quick registrations and remarketing.
- Software services (Dev/QA/BI): short “how we reduce time-to-value” videos.
- Cross-border services (company formation, payments, compliance): before/after case studies.
When do LinkedIn and Xing (Germany) work best?
For B2B with long decision cycles (3–12+ months), these platforms provide precise targeting by role, company size, and industry.
If your business is registered in Europe and your audience is based there, LinkedIn remains the go-to B2B platform, a reliable but not inexpensive option. In Germany, add Xing, especially for manufacturing, engineering, and healthcare/tech industries.
💡 Tip #4: In B2B, lead quality matters more than CPC.
When does TikTok work best?
TikTok is about fast emotions and massive visual reach, especially among younger audiences. It builds demand through short-form video and UGC-style content. Ideal for fashion, beauty, gadgets, and local visual-first services. For niche B2B, TikTok rarely becomes a core channel, but it can provide cheap top-of-funnel awareness.
High-ticket or one-time purchases perform better through search and precise B2B targeting, where trust and proof are key. Low-ticket and repeat purchases thrive on Meta/TikTok combined with branded search. E-commerce with a product catalog? Start with Google Shopping / Performance Max, then use dynamic Meta ads. Service-oriented B2B? Combine Google Brand/Competitor campaigns with LinkedIn/Xing (Germany).
Budgets and Combinations. Up to €2,000/month: start with one base channel, Google Search, if users already have intent. Meta—if you’re generating demand and testing creatives fast. €3,000–€8,000/month: Combine 2–3 channels. For B2C, Google and Meta. For B2B, Google+LinkedIn/Xing. Higher budgets: full multichannel mix with proper attribution, including Bing and TikTok.
💡 Tip #5: Always stay multichannel. Test and diversify—don't let your marketing depend on one platform. When one stops delivering leads, your entire funnel shouldn’t freeze.
Frequently asked questions on how to choose a paid marketing channel for your business in Europe
Begin with audience intent and cost of error. If demand already exists, start with Search (Google/Bing). If demand needs to be created, use Meta/TikTok for reach and LinkedIn/Xing for B2B engagement.
KYC/KYB, company and payment verification, and licenses if applicable. Prepare incorporation documents, including VAT/BRN numbers, ID, a privacy policy, and a cookie-consent banner.
Less data for targeting without consent, narrower audiences, and more aggregated metrics. Solution: proper CMP setup, precise event tracking in GA4, and transparent communication.
When users are actively searching for your product and you need leads “here and now.” Bing offers more affordable desktop traffic in several niches and provides additional reach.
For fast reach, creative testing, and audience warming before purchase. In B2B, it’s not a base channel but a strong support tool for other acquisition paths.
For long sales cycles that require precise B2B targeting by job title, industry, or company. In Germany, combine Xing with LinkedIn.
Up to €2K—one base channel (Search or Meta). €3–8K—combo of 2–3 channels (B2C: Google + Meta, B2B: Google + LinkedIn/Xing). Additionally, include Bing and TikTok, and establish full attribution.
Ensure that local language, currency, payment methods, delivery/return policies, and legal pages are available. Without these, CAC increases. Set up events, conversions, and server-side tracking where possible.
Use digital market growth as a benchmark. With a market expansion of +15–20% in 2026, expect a similar increase in new ad accounts. Plan with a range, not a single number.
Copying competitors’ channels, ignoring verification/licensing, and launching without localization or tracking. Solution: Create a KYC/GDPR checklist, localize content, set minimum, base/max forecasts, and run two-week tests with clear KPIs (CAC, ROAS, LTV).
To sum up, search engines (Google/Bing) capture ready-to-buy intent, while Meta and TikTok help create demand and warm up your audience, while LinkedIn/Xing brings the right people in for B2B. Next comes discipline—valid tracking consent, local language and currency, transparent payments, and clear KPIs. This is what separates a predictable CAC from wasted budgets.
WoBorders handles your launch end-to-end. We register your company abroad, open a payment account, ensure GDPR compliance, and develop and implement your Go2Market strategy.
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