Pay-per- click ads: What’s in it for me?

Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is a method of online marketing where you (as the advertiser) pay every time a user clicks on your ad, which may appear in a search engine, website or social media platform. Generally, the clicks redirect users to your website, blog, online store, app store or other landing site where you want them to be. And, for every click, you pay a fee, hence the name “pay per click”. 

If you don’t show up at the top of a Google search result, or in a user’s LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram feed, you’re opening up the door to your competition. Take advantage of this all-important digital ad space that’s available to you. Here are five reasons why:

Digital advertising is both measurable and flexible

Traditional advertising (think: print ads, fliers, etc.) has a downfall in that it’s difficult to track impressions, and you can’t make ad adjustments mid-delivery. PPC advertising capitalizes on the fact that you can monitor your results in real time to see exactly how your content is performing, and the types of actions that result (i.e. purchases, subscriptions, downloads, etc). You also have the flexibility to make corrections or improvements throughout the duration of the campaign based on performance, your inventory, product offering and other factors.

PPC ads drive traffic

Social media alone can be an effective way to drive traffic to your website or blog. But without incorporating PPC advertising, it might take awhile before your audiences find you, especially the right audiences. But there’s more to PPC than driving users to your site. To get the best ROI, you want them to take the next step, as mentioned above, whether that be placing an order, signing up for an appointment, submitting a job application or other profitable action to you. However, ensure you’re active on the landing pages you promote to ensure users can (and will) take that next step.

Digital is more easy to target

PPC ads can be targeted to your audiences based on geographic, demographic and event socio-graphic factors that you determine. This is advantageous mainly because traditional forms of advertising can (and will) draw visitors from everywhere. And, this may not appeal to you if your business is only able to serve a certain geographic area or a certain demographic.

Cost effective advertising

If you’re paying for traditional advertising that may (or may not be) seen, you could be investing significant dollars into the unknown. With PPC you determine your maximum daily, monthly or lifetime budget, and only pay when someone clicks on your ad. This is contrary to traditional advertising where you pay for placement, regardless of interactions, and never really know how it performed. Take advantage of PPC by investing in marketing that generates traffic and results.

While traditional advertising still has its time and place, it can be greatly complemented by PPC options. Remember, though, that PPC takes time and effort. And, when set up and managed well, you’ll be able to see profitable results. If you need assistance in setting up your first PPC campaign, or even maintaining it, contact us. We can ensure your campaigns are optimized to achieve your intended objective.