Pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns are an excellent way to advertise your products and services over the internet. Understandably, the idea of shelling out a variable amount of money may seem counter-intuitive, but the results can definitely speak for itself. In fact, when leveraged efficiently, it can be an even more cost-effective method of advertising than that of traditional mediums!
What are PPC campaigns for?
Many marketers and small business owners use PPC to sell their products and services online. Clicking on these types of ads will open up the product page of such products and services, where customers can buy the product directly.
PPC is also excellent for setting up lead generation. You can ask for people’s email addresses for a free subscription to your weekly newsletter or download a free resource, such as an ebook or design template. Once you have enough email addresses (your leads), you can then use email marketing to nurture your leads!
Regardless of your final goals, PPC is a powerful tool available for marketers and small businesses alike. However, with more capabilities comes a significant amount of complexity.
Here are three timeless tips for creating a successful PPC campaign.
1. Choose the right platform
Google Ads is the most common (and among the first) platform for PPC campaigns today. Should you decide to use it, you can expect your ads to show up on the Google Display Network—a group of more than 2 million websites, videos, and apps! The Google Display Network includes the search engine results page itself, the video streaming platform Youtube, and other websites that run Adsense, Google’s website monetization service.
Google allows you to target your ads based on the following:
- Keywords and topics;
- Specific websites and pages; and
- Specific audiences based on demographic information.
This makes Google Ads a handy platform for PPC campaigns. However, it is no longer the only option!
Facebook Ads also allows you to run PPC ads in the form of sponsored posts. Its main claim to fame is that it is a form of native advertising. Sponsored posts are sandwiched in between user-generated content, increasing your audience’s likelihood to notice your content instead of tuning it out.
Instead of targeting keywords, Facebook allows you to choose your ad objective, target audience, budget, and ad format. Your ad will display on the newsfeeds of users who match your choices.
2. Simplify your data reports
PPC campaigns generate a lot of data that you can use to make slight adjustments. However, these data will not be useful without figuring out the connection between data sets and actual customer behavior.
Campaign data is best viewed in visual formats and reporting tools that can customize your view, depending on your goals. Instead of sifting through mounds of exciting but irrelevant datasets, you can use a reporting tool that shows you the data you need to see.
3. Design effective landing pages
Don’t make the mistake of using your website home page as the destination of your PPC ad. When it comes to PPC campaigns, the best strategy is to present a linear path of action! There should be no distractions that can confuse and ultimately scare away your potential customer.
Ensure that your landing page sends your visitors to a destination where they will find what they were looking for when they clicked your ad. If your PPC campaign talks about guitar lessons, then the landing page should be talking about that exactly. Don’t lead them to your product page where you are selling a guitar teacher’s merch or instruments. Instead, show your customers the page where they can sign up for guitar lessons.
Conclusion
PPC campaigns are excellent for generating buzz about your products and services. Because PPC produces instant results, it’s easy to tweak some aspects of the campaign if it’s not working. However, before doing any advanced customization, it’s wise to learn the basics. Stick to these three timeless tips first, and work your way up the intricacies of PPC campaigns.
Learning how to advertise on the internet doesn’t have to be that complicated. Work with WhoKnows, a trusted leader in demand generation for startups and small business companies. Start building your pipeline and contact us today for a free demo!
