Pay per click
advertising, or PPC, is undoubtedly familiar to internet users. It
is the “sponsored links” you see at the top and on the right of a
Google search, the advertisements you see on the right when you log
onto Facebook, and the banner ads you see on the content websites you
visit, just to name a few. Pay per click advertising, or PPC, is a
system in which an advertiser pays for the clicks on their advert. A
PPC ad can be text, images, images and text or video. Where your ad
appears can be based on keyword searches, demographics, behavior
patterns or interests. This level of control over what customers view
your ad, and where they view it presents a clear advantage over other
forms of advertising. For example, purchasing ad space on a
billboard is only catering to one criteria of your target market:
location. On the other hand, utilizing PPC allows an advertiser to
reach a much more specific target audience. Additionally, the cost
of the campaign is much more efficiently used because the advertiser
is able to directly reach their target. For these reasons, pay Per
Click advertising can be a powerful tool and understanding how to
effectively run a PPC campaign is fundamental to digital marketing.
Outlined below are some tips for creating your own PPC advertising
campaign.
- Make a plan
Like any marketing
campaign, it is important to outline a plan when launching a PPC
campaign. This includes knowing your target market, your product,
your industry and your competitors. It is also crucial to develop
clear goals for your campaign. Are you aiming to increase brand
awareness or drive sales? Outlining this will help you create an
effective campaign.
- Know your budget
Decide to cost
limitations to your campaign. This will determine your bid price.
Additionally, having a budget will help ensure that you work within
your limitations.
- Keywords are Key
Keywords are critical
to an effective PPC campaign. Having a good grasp of the keywords
that your customers are likely to use will ensure that you are
targeting the correct audience and reaching your target market. It
is also important to consider common misspellings of your keywords,
or what keywords are not compatible with your campaign, such as
“free” or “cheap”.
- Design and Implement
Now you can design the
copy for your ad. This part should be simple as you have done your
research to determine who your target market is, what your goals are
and what your keywords are. Make sure to write a compelling ad, use
an appropriate URL for your landing page, and follow the rules set
out by the hosting site. Based on your budget, decide the maximum
bids for your keywords. Finding a balance between a high placement
and cost efficiency can be difficult, but your budget will help with
this decision making.
- Evaluate
Your campaign is not
over after you have implemented your PPC ad. It is critical to check
back in and determine ROI, the effectiveness of your keywords,
experimenting with your text and checking in on your networks.
