Many small business owners incorporate pay-per-click advertising (PPC) as a part of their overall marketing strategies. Just a few months after implementation, however, many of these do-it-yourself marketers quickly become disenchanted because positive results aren't happening as soon as they would like.
Like most other marketing strategies, PPC takes time to yield results, but it's also possible that some common mistakes are affecting your account's performance.
Here's what you should avoid:
- Lacking a call to action – This is an important consideration no matter what advertising medium you choose. If a potential customer isn't explicitly told to "click here" or "download now," it's not likely that they'll do what you want them to do.
- Not learning about your audience – In a rush to get an ad online, many small business owners don't take the time to learn about the online behavior of their target audience. There are many keyword research tools available that will provide you with information about the competition levels of particular terms.
- Not measuring results – You can't really determine whether or not a strategy is successful if you don't have a system to measure your metrics. Many advertising platforms offer tracking tools. Use what you learn to adjust your campaigns in the future.
- Not setting a goal – Why are you creating ads? Is it to generate leads? Increase sales? Boost brand awareness? Having an objective will help you figure out what steps you need to take to get to your target. When you get off track, it will be much easier to make adjustments.
Internet marking can be a time-consuming undertaking for a small business owner. Partnering with a local business internet marketing firm like KeyMedia Solutions can make this process easier.