Pay Per Click Advertising

Pay Per Click is often thought of as “Google Adwords”-  those paid adverts that come up at the top and on the right hand side of a Google Search. However there is Pay Per Click advertising available on other search engines and Facebook. This information focuses on Google Adwords and Facebook – the two most significant PPC (Pay Per Click) areas for most businesses.

Where most people go wrong with Adwords

Like most Online Marketing, Adwords can be a very effective tool or a complete and large waste of money! Unfortunately for most businesses it tends to be the latter.. That’s because they don’t have a clear strategy for using Adwords.

Most adwords campaigns are “Branding” focused, which becomes a very expensive way to “get your name out there.” Let me explain:

If all you do in your adwords advert is say who you are and point people to your website, all you are achieving is saying, “Hey come and look at me” You’re not giving people a reason to do business with you nor are you differentiating yourself from your competitors.

Here’s a typical example of what most Adwords adverts look like:

The best two of these dentists have manged to do, is say they are “affordable…” What reason have they given us to click on their ad? And when you do click on it what will you get? You guessed it – just their brochure website…

 

The smart way to use Adwords

First let’s understand the benefits of Adwords:
  1. Adwords is a very quick way to get a listing on the first page of Google – almost instantaneous!
  2. Your Adwords budget can be tightly controlled – you could limit it to $10 a day if you like.
  3. Your Adwords campaign can be tightly controlled and targeted by keywords, geographical areas and placements on specific websites.
  4. Ability to scientifically test variables including headlines, offers, landing page copy and more.

This makes Adwords the perfect medium for TESTING DIRECT RESPONSE CAMPAIGNS. Not for brand advertising!

What’s the benefit of an Adwords Direct Response Campaign?
  1. You can narrow your test to individual keywords
  2. You can narrow your search to a specific geographical area.
  3. You can test different offers
  4. You can track the responses you get – right through to $$ in the Bank!
  5. Once you have a campaign that works you can then confidently invest in Search engine Optimization so you can get free listings on the first page of Google! As your keyword targeted free listings take more predominance on the first page of Google you can scale back or even stop completely your Adwords campaign. Better yet start the process again on another set of keywords so you continue to build your internet marketing engine!
In other words Adwords is the perfect test ground to establish what will work for your business online, before you invest in longer term slower working optimization. Adwords is relatively expensive per lead, but you can limit you budget to something quite small to test and develop campaigns. Optimization is more money up front, but much less in the long run if you know you are optimising the right keywords and the right offer(s).
 

Two types of Offers you can use in Your Adwords Test Campaigns

One Step Offer
The one step offer is designed to get you business in one step! For example this adword campaign was very successful!

After testing 5 different offers, a “Free Breakfast” came through as the clear winner! A landing page was established with a voucher for the person to print out and bring in to reception to receive their free breakfast.

The landing page also has the terms and conditions of the offer. A landing page is a separate web page designed specifically to communicate the necessary information to the person clicking on the offer – not just the random brochure sort of information most people have on their website’s home page.

With a landing page and a printable voucher this campaign could be tracked and a definite return on Investment calculated.

Click here for an example of a one step offer

The Two Step Offer
The two step offer is normally based on an information product that has appeal to your target market when they are in the “gathering information” stage prior to a purchase. Here’s some examples of information products:

What information would your customers like to know so they are empowered purchasers? Most business owners complain that the competition beat them to sale and the customer didn’t understand they were not comparing apples with apples! How about taking the proactive role and educating your customers why they should purchase from you.

Advantages of a two Step Campaign
  • Information products are inexpensive to produce – once you have created it they can download it in pdf.
  • It seriously differentiates your from your competitors
  • You can collect their contact information in exchange for the information
  • It’s an easy, non threatening first step for the customer
  • It positions you as an expert adviser.

 

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