Knowing Your Audience is Key to Choosing the Right PPC Advertising Channel
Managing an effective PPC advertising campaign is not a simple task. With many options for text, images, targeting, goals, ad types, keywords, and much more there’s certainly a lot to learn. And there are many ways to waste your spend on pay-per-click (PPC) ads if you don’t know what you’re doing! Whether you choose Facebook, Google, or LinkedIn (or any other channel for that matter) there’s an incredible amount of knowledge to be gained in order to more wisely spend your PPC advertising budget.
To help you decide where to get started we’ll look at three of the most popular PPC and social media advertising spaces that we have experience managing for our clients — Google Ads (formerly Adwords), Facebook Ads, and LinkedIn Ads.
Google Ads
Why choose Google Ads PPC Campaigns?
With Google Ads you don’t necessarily have to be zeroed in on your audience (though it can certainly help). With Google Search ads you choose keywords to get ads for your product or service to show in search results. Google also offers a variety of other types of ads and placements including video ads, display ads, shopping ads, and more. You can choose to show various types of ads on Google search, YouTube, and many other websites.
What do Google Ads cost?
The cost depends on the keyword and a complex algorithm that takes into account a variety of factors including the relevance of your ad, your maximum bid, the relevance of your website and the expected user experience (which takes into account how fast your site loads and much more).
You can create an account on Google Ads and use the keyword planner tool to get an idea what to expect in terms of cost and results. You will need to determine for yourself how much you are willing to spend to bring in a new customer in order to decide if this type of advertising is worthwhile for you.
What Do You Need to Know About Google Ads?
Google Ads PPC is perhaps the most complicated way to advertise when it comes to PPC. Failing to learn before you begin could lead to a lot of wasted spend and poor results. Some keywords can be very expensive and will eat up even a large budget quickly.
Google offers free online courses to learn to use their PPC advertising tool if you have the time. Many companies opt to hire a PPC agency to manage Google Ads for them. Most PPC management companies will charge a percentage markup depending upon the average monthly spend. While this can add to your cost your results are likely to be far better and you won’t have to set aside time each week to learn and adjust your PPC marketing campaigns.
Facebook Ads
Why use Facebook Advertising?
Social media advertising, especially Facebook advertising, can be very effective thanks largely to Facebook’s users voluntarily sharing so much about themselves on the network. Users routinely share job titles, companies they’ve worked for, where they went to school, where they live, and so much more… It’s no wonder Facebook Ads can be highly targeted. Of the three advertising channels discussed here Facebook is probably the easiest to manage.
How much do they cost?
There’s a variety of goals you can set for your ads so cost will depend upon what you are hoping to gain from running ads. If exposure to your target market is your goal, Facebook Ads can be an excellent choice if you set your campaign up right. Different goals and ad types vary considerably in cost.
When not to use Facebook Ads?
If you don’t yet know who your target market is Facebook ads may not be the best choice.
All-in-all Facebook Ads are a major player in the PPC market for good reason and only Google Ads can really compete at this point. There’s still a lot to learn to get the most out of your ad spend, but these ad campaigns can be easier than Google Ads to run and can deliver great results if you understand your options and who your target market is.
LinkedIn Ads
Why should you use LinkedIn Ads?
LinkedIn is the place to be for B2B marketing. With LinkedIn ads you get great quality targeting. LinkedIn ads can be the perfect solution if you have a niche target market, especially one that includes educated professionals.
How much do LinkedIn ads cost?
LinkedIn ads tend to be the most expensive of the three types of PPC ads discussed here. However that doesn’t mean it’s not worth the extra cost.
Why NOT to use LinkedIn Ads?
If you’re on a tight budget and are a B2C marketer, or you don’t yet know your target market, you are probably better off using Google Ads or a broad Facebook Ad campaign.
Social Media and PPC Advertising Management in the Bay Area
Ultimately all your PPC advertising options will perform better if you take the time to learn and regularly return to check in and adjust your campaigns. Not everyone has time or inclination to learn everything there is to know and all three platforms discussed here are rapidly changing. Keeping up can be very difficult and time consuming. If you are considering spending your marketing budget on online advertising we can help you get started. Call or contact us! Call 510-276-9904 or contact us today.