Popular advertising isn’t always the most cost-effective. Three things matter to a business: how many people will see the ad, how much you’ll pay for it, and how many of them will call or make a purchase. In Lithuania, you can advertise on Google, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, classifieds websites, in the media, on TV, on the radio, and on billboards. These channels yield different results.
My take: the most visible channels often yield the fewest leads per euro spent. A small €200 campaign sometimes brings in more customers than an expensive one with massive reach.
A person types “automobilių servisas Vilniuje” into the search bar. An ad for a car repair shop appears right in the search results, and the person is looking for exactly that. This is the main advantage of Google Search: you’re seen by people who have a need right now, not “someday.”
You pay per click—that is, for a visit to your website. The price depends on competition: many companies are vying for the “apartment renovation Vilnius” keyword, so clicks become more expensive. On the other hand, the conversion rate is usually high because the search query sounds almost like a ready-made solution. Google is especially effective when you need quick inquiries from people who know exactly what they want.
The audience here is huge. According to NapoleonCat estimates, in September 2026, 2,143,100 people in Lithuania used Facebook, which is 81.3% of the population. Instagram had 1,115,100 users, or 42.3%. Reach can be targeted by age, interests, and city.
A furniture store, for example, shows Vilnius residents its new collection of sofas. The image is beautiful and eye-catching, but the user was just scrolling through their feed and had no intention of buying a sofa. Therefore, the conversion rate is average, and the cost per lead is relatively low. For visual B2C products and services (beauty, interior design, food, clothing), this is a viable option.
A Lithuanian online store shoots short videos demonstrating its products. One of them gets tens of thousands of views, which is nice. But a view isn’t a purchase: the viewer had a laugh and scrolled on.
TikTok is great for brand awareness and reaching a young audience. It doesn’t work for everyone. If you sell gadgets, clothing, or fun little trinkets, you’ve got a chance. If you sell windows or accounting services, be prepared for more likes than actual inquiries.
This type of advertising is often underestimated. A banner on a news site is seen by someone who came to read the news. An ad on a classifieds site is seen by someone who came specifically to look for a product or service.
Imagine this: a person opens the cars section and is choosing a vehicle. Next to it, they see “Car loans starting at 6.9%: get a quote online” or “Car insurance: calculate the cost in 2 minutes.” It’s an almost perfect match: the need is already there, and the offer takes care of the next step.
This format also has practical advantages. Ads can be targeted to specific categories and cities, so someone looking for a puppy won’t see a car loan ad. The cost per impression is usually fixed, so your budget won’t spiral out of control due to bidding auctions. There are several ad formats available: banners, display ads, top placements, and special ad units.
In terms of audience quality, this type of advertising can rival search ads if the offer fits the category. Insurance in the “Transportation” section will get noticed. Insurance in the “Pets” section will get noticed too—but people will be surprised.
SEO works differently. You don’t pay per click; instead, you make a one-time investment in useful content: articles, category pages, answers to commercial queries, and local pages.
Let’s say a company publishes an article titled “How Much Will It Cost to Renovate an Apartment in Vilnius in 2026.” A person finds it on Google, reads it, understands the price range, and—if the text is convincing—submits a request. The article continues to bring in visitors even a year later, whereas pay-per-click advertising disappears once the budget runs out.
There’s one major drawback: it won’t happen quickly. The first results usually take several months to appear. That’s why it’s a good idea to combine SEO with paid channels.
Everyone is used to scrolling past “Buy Windows” banners. An article titled “How to Choose Windows for an Apartment in Lithuania: 7 Buyer Mistakes” is read differently. The reader gets value, and at the end, they see the company’s offer. They already trust you more than they would after seeing a banner. The article stays on the site and attracts people from search results, and those who are interested in the topic will click through to your site.
A car repair shop films a 20-second video titled “3 Signs It’s Time to Replace Your Brake Pads.” Squeaking, vibration in the brake pedal, long braking distance: viewers watch, recognize their own car, and remember the repair shop.
A video explains a complex product better than a banner ad. YouTube is ideal when you need to showcase and explain a product. It generates fewer inquiries that same evening.
Bloggers come in three categories: major influencers, local influencers, and micro-influencers. The cost depends on the audience. Focus on actual views and engagement; save the number of subscribers for last.
A Lithuanian restaurant can attract more guests from a local blogger with 20,000 active followers in the right city than from a large account where half the audience lives in another country. An engaged audience from your city is worth more than a fancy number on a profile.
Banners are typically paid for on a CPM basis: you pay per 1,000 impressions. Placement is often fixed, reach is high, and click-through rates are relatively low.
A bank places a banner ad on a popular Lithuanian news portal. Many people will see it, but only a few will click on it. This is fine for brand awareness, but for quick sales, banner ads are rarely the best choice.
The reach is enormous, and the price reflects that. A large retail chain advertises a new promotion on TV, and a great many people learn about it. This works primarily to build brand awareness.
The challenge is that it’s hard to determine exactly which sales came from the ad. A person might have seen the ad on Monday but didn’t visit the store until Saturday, and you wouldn’t be able to trace the connection. That’s why TV and radio are more often chosen by large companies with big budgets.
This includes billboards, digital screens, bus stops, ads on public transportation, and in shopping centers. A car dealer places an ad at a major intersection or near a shopping center, and it’s seen every day by many drivers and shoppers.
The drawback is the same as with television: it’s nearly impossible to accurately measure how many people became customers as a result of that billboard. On the other hand, local brand awareness grows, and for a store or car dealership, that’s often the most important thing.
To test demand on a budget, start with social media ads, TikTok, and classifieds: the barrier to entry is low there.
The cost per impression alone isn’t enough; you should track several metrics. CPC is the cost per click. CPM is the cost per 1,000 impressions. CPL is the cost per lead. CPA is the cost per customer or per target action. Add to this your website’s conversion rate, average order value, and ROMI—that is, the return on your advertising investment.
Example: You spent €100 on advertising and received 500 clicks. Each click cost €0.20—that’s great. Of those people, 20 submitted an inquiry, and 5 became customers. One lead cost €5, and one customer cost €20. The actual customer acquisition cost is calculated based on customers. If you earn less than €20 per customer, the advertising is unprofitable. If you earn more, it’s working for you.
TikTok can generate a huge number of cheap views. If almost none of the viewers make a purchase, the low cost per view means nothing: you’ve bought attention on the cheap that didn’t translate into revenue.
Classified ads generate fewer impressions, but the user is already in the product or service section. A single visitor like this can be more valuable than many viewers of a funny video. You should compare channels based on customer acquisition cost, and save the cost per impression for pretty reports.
If you need sales, start with channels where people are already looking to buy: Google Search and niche classifieds sites. Social media and video will help generate demand and reach new audiences. SEO and content will deliver long-term results and keep working even after your ad budget runs out.
Build a mix: a fast channel, a low-cost channel for testing demand, and a long-term channel. That way, you won’t be dependent on a single source of leads.
Ad effectiveness depends on whether your offer aligns with the user’s intent at the moment the ad is shown. Someone searching for a car repair shop will respond to an ad for a car repair shop. Someone scrolling through their feed is more likely to remember a funny video. The more precise the match, the lower the cost per customer—even if the ad itself cost more to run.
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