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Beyond Meta and Google: 4 Paid Channels To Test in 2026

By
Olivia Banks

How will you be a winner in 2026? Through diversification. 

For years, Meta and Google have dominated paid media strategies. And while they’re not going anywhere, relying on the same media mix you used pre 2022 is becoming a serious risk. The future of paid media is changing even as you read this and so if you’re not already adapting, you’re falling behind. 

Digital consumption is changing fast. 

How people discover information, evaluate brands, and find new products today looks very different to even 12 months ago. The rise of LLMs and AI-powered search have changed the game. 

Yet most brands are still running the same playbook. If you want to stay competitive in 2026, you have to adapt. 

Digital Consumption Is Changing

Think about how you consume content. Where did you go to discover new products a year ago? Where do you go now? 

Chances are, it’s spread across multiple platforms and each one plays a very different role and is getting you to interact in a different way.

Your audience is across multiple platforms; you just need to adapt your message to suit their mindset.  

YouTube has a higher reach than ITV

A recent study by Ofcom revealed that YouTube now has the highest total adult reach of any social platform in 2025. 

So what does this tell us? YouTube should be a core part of your paid strategy going into 2026. 

If your only YouTube presence is through Performance Max, or even Demand Gen, you’re doing it wrong and leaving serious opportunity on the table. 

YouTube is its own ecosystem, with its own behaviours, formats, and intent signals. 

Every Platform Has a Different Role To Play

Not all social platforms are created equal — and they shouldn’t be treated that way in your media mix. 

Each platform serves a distinct purpose: 

YouTube = Multi device, multi content style
Long-form, high-attention content. Ideal for storytelling, education, and brand-building at scale. 

Facebook = Community
Groups, comments, shares, and discussion. Still powerful for trust, retargeting, and older demographics. 

Instagram = Inspiration
Visual discovery, aspiration, and lifestyle positioning. 

TikTok = Discovery Engine
Trend-led, algorithm-driven, and unmatched for reaching new audiences quickly. 

The mistake brands make is trying to force every platform to do the same job. 

Paid Channels To Test Beyond Meta & Google 

If you’re serious about diversification in 2026, these are the paid channels worth testing and scaling: 

  1. YouTube  
    • You need to be using video view or video reach campaigns combined with the retargeting benefits of demand gen to be able to work a full funnel approach 
    • Leverage the different ad formats to get in front of the right audience at the right time. 

  1. Reddit
    • Reddit offers you a unique opportunity to get your brand to show alongside conversations that are already happening, reaching people in the moments they’re exploring, evaluating and ready to decide.
    • Many Redditors use the platform exclusively, making it an ideal channel to engage a new audience
    • Reddit works best at the top of the funnel through building awareness with relevancy and to influence decisions whilst users are in research mode. 
  1. Bing
    • What would you do if Google went down tomorrow? Diversifying the platforms you use isn’t just about new opportunities and growth, it’s a smart way to keep your paid acquisition safe.  
    • LinkedIn targeting through search and PMAX. Use their audience insights to compliment your PMAX strategy. Company, Industry and Job function are all available for targeting. 
    • A unique opportunity to tap into the corporate environment. Microsoft edge is the default browser on most UK corporate devices, Bing capture a concentrated professional audience; 57% of B2B users are business decision-makers.  
    • An opportunity to get a head-start on Chat GPT Ads. 
  1. Pinterest
    1. Users want to be inspired on Pinterest, it is a visual search engine. in the upper and mid funnel, driving purchases is difficult & isn’t an optimisation goal in platform however it’s a great way to capture attention and notice of your brand. 
    2. Often used to drive users to purchase through other channels but don’t discount it’s role.

The Takeaway 

The brands that will win in 2026 won’t be the ones spending more on Meta and Google. 

They’ll be the ones who: 

  • Understand how people actually consume content 
  • Respect the unique role of each platform 
  • Build diversified media strategies that reflect modern behaviour 

Adapt now or fall behind. For more information, watch our webinar on diversification: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hNg9T8qXHZFZYkCmidO7Kr55F_0Hsdwg/view?usp=drive_link

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