Social media platforms have long since been the go-to place for consumers to research and purchase products. This is where pay per click advertising is invaluable, as it can help get your product in front of your ideal consumer. Plus, it helps your content get views without relying on organic platform algorithms and their perpetual changes.
In this article, we're going to explore the different types of pay per click advertising campaigns and the important role they can play in your overall digital marketing strategy.
Google Ads
According to Ardorseo, every day there are over 2 trillion Google searches performed across the globe, nearly all of which will include a Google Ad.
Google Ads, formerly known as Adwords, is a paid advertising service offered by Google that allows businesses to display ads along with Google search results and its associated advertising networks.
Unique intent - What makes Google Ads unique is that they reach customers at the exact moment they are searching for what you have to offer. This increases the likelihood of them visiting your site, convert or purchase.
Target your perfect consumer - Another great feature of Google Ads is that you can target only those consumers you want to target. With options to show ads at certain times, in certain locations, for certain devices, and much more.
Immediate impact - they are more likely to get fast results, with an ad potentially ranking at the top of a search page within a matter of hours.
Cost effective - They are value for money too, as you only pay when someone clicks on your ad. By targeting ads towards customers when they’re actively searching for products or services, it’s possible to cut out a lot of wasted spend.
Measurable - There are endless statistics available produced from Google Ads, meaning it is simple to see which campaigns are working well, and where to allocate your budget.
Retargeting - Another powerful feature of Google Ads is retargeting. Say for example, a potential customer has visited your site, but they didn’t convert or make a purchase there and then. With retargeting, you can get your ad seen by them again and again, increasing the chance they will come back to visit your website. It’s always a good idea to seize an opportunity while your product or service is still something that is fresh in their mind.
All of the above factors make Google Ads a very data-driven marketing channel, which is a key element of any digital marketing campaign.
Paid Social
Paid social media is a method of displaying adverts on social media platforms that target a specific audience. Pay per click advertising, branded or influencer generated content and display ads are all examples of social media.
Social platforms for business are more about how you target your audience, build customer journeys and get people to your site. However, every social media channel is different, Twitter offers short-form content, Instagram focuses on visual-based content, Facebook has its own marketplace, and LinkedIn is the home of networking professionals. As such, paid social media on each platform differs, and should, depending on the campaign and audience. Let’s have a quick look at how this translates on some of the more popular platforms.
Facebook - With Facebook Ads you can show ads to your customers based on their behaviour. This is helpful because you can keep advertising to your existing Facebook customers based on what Facebook tells you about their use of the app. All of which helps you build new leads and generate brand awareness.
Twitter - Twitter Ads look very similar to regular tweets, which is great news as a marketer; increasing the chances of the ad being viewed, as they're not as blatant as ads on other social channels. Plus, Twitter reports that 41% of users purchase a product after seeing an ad within a month. You can target your ad to a specific demographic, budget and type of ad run.
Instagram - 60% of consumers discover new products on Instagram, with over 200 million accounts visiting at least one Instagram business profile a day. Since Facebook owns Instagram, if you run ads on both platforms, they're managed in one place (Facebook), so campaigns can be run and analysed concurrently. Instagram ads have an edge though, in that they are not governed by the changes of the app's algorithm. So, when the algorithm changes and some posts no longer show up on user's feeds, ads always will.
LinkedIn - According to LinkedIn, there are over 722 million professionals using their platform, making it the most popular social platform for lead generation and a B2B advertiser's dream come true. LinkedIn’s ads let you target your audience by location, position, past work experience, skillset and more. Meaning you can target your audience with accuracy. Plus, you can connect with individuals directly with personalised messages. Added to which, if your company invests in account based marketing (ABM), which essentially focuses on targeting specific accounts/clients with a dedicated campaign, then you can leverage LinkedIn ads to your advantage, because the platform has set up its ad options to specifically support ABM.
Takeaway
The truth is, pay per click advertising, whether delivered on social media platforms or via Google ads have many benefits for businesses of all sizes. Whatever you’re looking to achieve in your digital marketing and overall business growth, there is no doubt that this sort of advertising can play a pivotal role in helping to achieve your goals.
Would you like to find out how PPC could benefit your business? Get in touch with our team today.