If there’s one thing that marketers have an abundance of, it’s options for spending money on paid search. While it’s nice to have varied choices, it also makes it more confusing. Which options should you pursue? Which should you leave behind? How many paid traffic sources should you be using?
Each business is unique, so there’s no one size fits all approach. Instead, you should explore the most common and effective paid traffic sources and test which ones are beneficial. Below are some of our favorite sources to check out. They aren’t the only options out there, but you can expect to get a good start with at least one of them.
Google AdWords
Google AdWords is the no-brainer option. It’s one of the most versatile paid traffic solutions available for search and display advertising. AdWords works by targeting customers who are ready to buy a product, those at the “bottom of the funnel.” In order to make AdWords most effective, you must know what keywords your audience is searching for and then use this information to attract visitors through inbound marketing tactics.
Facebook Ads
The Facebook ad platform has evolved significantly over the last few years. Its biggest selling point: it makes it easier for marketers to cut through the noise and drive targeted paid traffic. You can choose the type of people you want to reach based on age, occupation and gender, and you can also target new audiences that are similar to your existing ones. This is a great feature that more marketers should take advantage of. After all, wouldn’t you rather target customers who are similar to those who have actually purchased your product?
Twitter Ads
Twitter offers a nice selection of targeting options, although their ads are pretty expensive. Before you go crazy spending money, it’s best to make sure that your audience is on Twitter and spending time here. You can target people based on interests, keywords and followers, and you can even reach people who are tweeting about a particular topic or event. For driving traffic, you’ll find that your greatest asset is the ability to tailor your audiences, similar to what Facebook offers with Custom Audiences. Also, don’t forget to check out Twitter cards that allow you to collect a person’s email without leaving the site.
LinkedIn Ads
LinkedIn Ads are a great traffic source, particularly for B2B businesses. There are plenty of targeting options such as job title, job functions, location, age, gender, skills, etc. You also get several advertising choices, including sponsored updates, display and text ads and InMail. The only downside to LinkedIn Ads is that they are expensive, starting at $2 per click. It’s also worth noting that you can’t target your mobile audience specifically, so you better make sure your mobile experience is up to par if you want to use sponsored posts.
