Would you say that your PPC campaigns are effective, or do they seem to fall apart? I’ll admit, building successful paid ad campaigns is not something that can be done in my sleep. It takes research, careful planning, and a watchful eye as the campaign rolls out.
But, if you’re not incredibly proactive and hands-on with your paid ads, they’re likely to fail. It has nothing to do with bad luck or bad advertising. It has to do with one simple reason: the people you’re marketing to don’t know you, therefore don’t trust you and won’t buy from you.
Consumers are Loyal to Brands They Trust
A 2016 survey from Accenture found that U.S. internet users are more loyal to brands that respect their time and privacy. In fact, this is more important than receiving gifts, special offers and gratitude. Other research has similar findings. Consumers buy products and services when they like, know and trust the brand. People also like to buy, not be sold. If you’re not careful, PPC ads can go against this.
Why Engagement Matters
Let’s imagine that you have a new product you want to share. You’re excited. Your staff is excited. To gain exposure, you buy ads: Facebook ads, Instagram ads, Twitter ads, ads on the Google Display Network, etc. The goal is to drive traffic to your website and generate sales.
As a rule, new campaigns have a higher cost per click. Things stay this way until you can prove engagement. Unfortunately, if your ads see low engagement, low click-through rates, and low conversion rates, it’s hard to prove engagement. Frustrating! No one wants to suffer through poor campaigns, but you have a product to share with the world.
What now?
Your solution is to get known.
Working Organic Channels First
To get your brand noticed, leverage organic channels such as content, SEO, press releases and community events. Anything that gets your name out there counts. Even traditional advertising like TV and radio ads can be effective. As people discover your brand, they will be more responsive to your paid ads. This is what will eventually drive up engagement and click-through rates and drive down advertising costs.
Getting your brand noticed through organic channels takes time and resources. If you don’t want to wait, there is another way to enjoy success. This involves advertising exclusively to an audience that already knows you. To do this, you’ll need to reach out to people on your remarketing lists.
You can also target custom audiences on social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. With the targeting features, you can show your ads only to people who follow your account. Because these people know your brand, you can expect better engagement, better click-through rates, and better conversions. This all drives down the cost per click.
Bottom line: Invest in the proper channels before throwing money into a PPC campaign. It may mean holding off on a campaign for now, but you’ll be much happier in the end.
