Pay Per Click (PPC) is a marketing channel with the potential to drive much-targeted traffic right to your website and landing pages. However, many people consider the costs of PPC to be too high compared to other channels, especially since the rise in costs per click and conversion has gone almost unchecked for many years.
Nonetheless, the benefits of PPC campaigns are significant and don’t just relate to the ads themselves. Research has demonstrated that PPC campaigns can increase the number of times a search result is organically clicked upon as well. Also, PPC campaigns are known to generate $11.8 billion in revenue annually.
Added advantages are that you are in complete control of the spending on PPC campaigns and that you can target a specific audience.
Numerous platforms could be used by your business for PPC campaigns. Here is a breakdown of the most popular ones and some tips to get the most from them.
Google AdWords
The “founding father” of all PPC platforms and the model that most other platforms use. Google AdWords works, like the others, with copy (and image) on the side of websites and Google searches.
Google has the largest share of the search market; therefore, you can guarantee greater visibility. Especially since you can immediately outbid your competitors to be ranked at the top of the PPC ads. However, costs can mount quickly.
Facebook Ads
The social media platform with 500 million daily active users is a significant market. You can tailor your content, so your ad only displays to those who closely match your desired demographics. With so many users, you are bound to get some attention and exposure from those who will be interested in your content.
The problem is that Facebook typically has a lower click-through rate than Google, Yahoo or Bing. This usually because Facebook users aren’t always looking for your product, and will sometimes be opposed to them. Also, when you have a small target audience, you need to refresh your content more regularly, even at a rate of every week.
Bing Ads
The second most popular PPC platform is very similar to Google, but with a smaller market share and different ways to target your ads. There are a couple of benefits that make this a good option, especially for those new to paid advertising. First, the costs are much lower than Google AdWords. Second, customer service is second to none, with live customer service reps on the end of the phone if you need them.
What some businesses do is test their copy and ads on Bing before moving them over to Google AdWords. However, if you are looking for international traffic, be aware that the Bing market share in some countries, namely the UK, is relatively small.
Yahoo Ads
Yahoo is very similar to the previous two options, but there are some limitations. It has a lot of traffic. The ads are often tailored to the content on display which makes them more likely to be clicked upon. However, the ads may not be seen as frequently.
LinkedIn Ads
This social media site for professionals hosts another great PPC platform. The targeting settings can be very powerful, such as industry, job title, and demographics.
It makes LinkedIn excellent at targeting decision makers. However, you need to ensure that your ads are related to the interests of those on the site. It should be related to business and not consumer based.
Conclusion
With the right use of keywords, content, images and value propositions, you can sell and generate leads with ease. There are many platforms to choose from, but you’ve got to make sure that you match the product and service to the typical user.