More than 60% of the world’s population now uses the internet. As the number of online audiences increases, the effectiveness of online marketing also rises.
But unlike traditional marketing, digital marketing gives companies more advantages. Primarily, digital marketing is less costly than the usual channels like TV or newspaper ad placements. Yet even with much less resource outflow, the opportunities and potential to businesses are extensive. For one, it allows firms to expand their reach, giving their brands more chances at recognition.
Additionally, the company enhances its competitiveness if it participates in various online marketing campaigns. And with modern tools to help accurately measure key performance indicators, the organization can continually improve its strategies to get better results.
Some of the most common online marketing activities are the following:
- Search engine optimization (SEO) – The strategy of improving the website elements to increase its visibility when consumers search for related products or services online. Organizations can do this either by creating an in-house team or by hiring an SEO company.
- Pay-per-click advertising – A technique of having advertisers post the brand ads; every time an audience clicks on the ad, the company pays the advertisers.
- Social media marketing– The promotion of products and services using social media platforms.
- Email marketing – Sending commercial messages via email to entice account owners to try out the brand or to incentivize customer loyalty.
- Affiliate marketing – Building connections with other brands and rewarding them for each lead or conversion brought about by the affiliate’s marketing efforts for the organization.
Each type of digital marketing has its own advantages and disadvantages. For example, SEO attracts high-converting traffic and yields considerable ROI. However, it is also difficult to maintain, and the competition is very tight. Just because one strategy works well for others, it does not mean that it would work well for everyone.
Companies have to plan how they will go about their digital campaigns. They have to first set a goal and find the best course of action to achieve that.
Why Choose Pay-per-click Marketing
The primary goal of most types of digital marketing is to appear on top of searches all the time. However, this would be a very challenging endeavor especially using organic marketing. PPC marketing is ideal for those who want to get first-page exposure quickly on the most prominent search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo.
It also drives immediate results. Within an hour after the campaign is initiated, the company would already see traffic on the target page or website. And it is not just random viewers visiting the page but targeted audiences who are most likely to avail the products or services of the website owner.
Additionally, the performance of PPC campaigns is also readily measurable. Advertisers typically provide complete information about the status of the posted advertisement, including the details about impressions, clicks, and conversions. Based on the results, companies can also adjust and improve the configuration of their PPC ads.
Type of Entities Most Suitable to Initiate PPC Campaigns
- Companies with high customer lifetime value
PPC marketing has been seen to work best for entities that have high customer lifetime value (CLV) or the value the business gets from the customer in the whole period of their relationship. Because of their nature, these companies can afford to spend more to get new leads and customers.
Examples of organizations with high CLV are colleges, dental clinics, and utility providers. If the company falls under this category, then deploying PPC campaigns would be a practical decision.
- Companies with high margins
Companies under this category are those that can make substantial revenue from just a single transaction. Usually, these entities also have low volume transactions and are needed by consumers only on rare occasions. PPC can help them gain better exposure so that their target customers know where and how to reach them. Examples of products or services under this category are home repairs, computer equipment or vehicles for sale, and judicial representation.
- Sellers of unique or hard-to-find items
If a business sells something that people cannot easily find on big retail outlets, then they are suitable users of PPC marketing. People often search for unique items and even the weirdest thing online. Using PPC ads puts the company’s products on top of these searches, so they gain an extra advantage over sellers who do not. Some of the peculiar searches are inflatable elephants, perfume sample vials, and finger covers.
As these items are often rare, buyers might immediately buy from the first seller they spot. Companies can grab this opportunity by using PPC ads.
- Online platforms with low traffic
Online businesses that need boosts in their website traffic can also use PPC to increase their chances of getting more audiences and conversion. These companies can also increase these opportunities by acquiring PPC services. With this service, the entity hires professionals to achieve its pre-set goals.
Guide to Getting the Best Out of PPC Efforts
Doing PPC campaigns like any other business activity requires detailed planning and guided execution to make the most out of the efforts and resources used for it. After forming a team, the process usually starts with competitor research, evaluation of the existing website, and keyword research.
Particularly, keyword research plays a critical role in the success of a PPC campaign. This phase sets the foundation for the later stages of the campaign. Here the company tries to understand what it is that their target audience is looking for and their intentions for searching these topics.
Although it may sound easy, keyword research needs the right tools and digital marketing knowledge. This is why it is more advantageous if companies outsource their PPC activities to digital marketing service providers. In outsourcing, the organization saves costs, time, and effort while maximizing its opportunities.
Next to keyword research, other significant steps to starting and managing PPC marketing are setting a budget, choosing a bidding strategy, optimizing website elements, and tracking performance.