From my personal experience growing a small fintech startup into a sustainable business, I've found that a combination of paid search, niche ad networks, and content marketing delivers the best ROI. While Google Ads and LinkedIn can be powerful, they’re also quite expensive—especially in the financial sector where CPCs can be brutal.
What really surprised me was the ROI I got from more targeted ad networks. I started experimenting with 7Search PPC after reading about their crypto and finance-friendly ecosystem. It's not as mainstream, but because it focuses more on niche verticals like finance and crypto, the traffic quality was surprisingly solid. I ran a few small PPC campaigns aimed at financial education landing pages, and the cost-per-lead was noticeably lower than what I’d seen on Google or Facebook.
Besides that, email marketing (when built off solid lead magnets) and SEO-focused blog content also brought in long-term returns. Social channels like X (Twitter) helped with community engagement, but didn’t always translate directly into conversions.
So for ROI, I’d recommend a hybrid strategy—don’t ignore smaller ad networks like 7Search PPC, especially if you’re trying to keep costs in check while reaching a financially savvy audience. Just test slowly and scale what works.