Advertising is everywhere. Since the early printing press in the 15th century, ads have been a part of our lives. Every decision we make, both conscious and subconscious, is an ad somewhere that somehow influences our choices.
Granted, we have come a long way from the Mad Men era, but advertising principles have not changed. For some reason, people - business’s - think that online advertising is optional, that it’s not necessary for success, that your business can succeed without spending a cent online. While I admire your enthusiasm, you’re wrong. Plain and simple, and I have nine reasons why… Enjoy!
1. It’s flexible
PPC or Pay Per Click or Digital Advertising are all umbrella terms for the process of displaying ads online and directing people back to your website. Online Marketing can include search (text) ads, display (image or video) ads on search networks like Google or Bing, and social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Using these platforms can allow small, family-owned businesses to go toe-to-toe with household brands - an opportunity that can’t be matched with print or media advertising. From a small corner shop to a global brand, a PPC strategy will help your business grow. Of course, budgets will be different, audiences will be smaller, but there is no business on the planet that ‘can’t’ run ads. If you’ve tried ads in the past and they haven’t worked, that doesn’t mean they never will. Rethink your platforms, your targeting and even your ad format. Even the most unlikely company can run ads online; you just need to find your ‘place’ or even consider partnering with a marketing consultancy firm if you don't have the time or skillset.
2. Fast results
How many marketing activities can give you immediate feedback? Well, advertising online can. The minute your ads are approved, you’re starting to gather that glorious nectar that is data! After one week, you’ll have data that can help you make informed decisions rather than just shooting in the dark. Making these informed decisions can help you refine and establish what works for your business and what does not. Best practices would recommend gathering data for 2-3 weeks before making changes.
3. Your competitors already are
There’s not much else to say here. The odds are, your competitors are already advertising online, whether it be on Facebook, Google ads or Pinterest. Don’t let them hoover up all the.
4. It’s smarter than ever
Google, Facebook, Instagram are all getting more intelligent, Machine Learning may be a scary word, but it’s making huge differences to the online advertising world. Advertisers can use Machine Learning to automatically make changes and optimisations to work towards a specific goal. The wonderful thing about machine learning is that the changes made by the system are based on YOUR data, not the data of an international brand, Your Data, Your Business and how your audience behaves—making success that much easier.
5. Reach your audience where they hang out
If your audience is on Facebook, run Facebook ads. If they’re on Instagram, run Instagram ads. Pinterest? Pinterest ads. Simple.
6. Suit any goal
No matter what you are looking to achieve, there is a PPC strategy to help you beat your goal. Whether it’s brand awareness to outrank your competitors, get more traffic to your site, or push sales or conversions, there’s a strategy there to help you.
7. Targeting
Many marketing efforts allow you to target by demographic, geo-location, time of day, interest, affinity, life-events, placement and keywords. So you can be super targeted, targeting your exact audience. This means your ads will show to those who might be interested in your product or service, so your budget will be well spent.
8. Be there right when they need you.
With Google Ads Search, your ads will show when someone searches a keyword you bid on. This means when someone is locked outside of their house and google a locksmith, your ad can be the first to show. This offers an unparalleled level of targeting, rather than being intrusive and interrupting someone’s online experience. Allowing your ads to show while someone is actively searching can result in higher click-through rates and better conversion rates because they are already in that headspace and are open to your products/service.
9.Can you afford not to?
Now that you’ve seen all the reasons to advertise your business online, can you afford not to?
