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PRECISE TARGETING, IMMEDIATE RESULTS
No two platforms are identical. There are numerous unique aspects involving Pay-Per-Click (PPC) for each platform that can be optimized to suit your campaign’s specific needs. PPC allows you to serve your content to specific audiences with extreme precision, using details as granular as targeting a specific age group, in a certain neighbourhood, with specific interests, using a certain device, at a specific time of day. Learning how these platforms can grow your business is the first step to increase traffic, and in turn, increase revenue.
Outlined below are four PPC platforms that can be used to benefit and promote your business in an infinite number of ways.
Google Ads is undoubtedly at the forefront of all PPC and search advertising. Google has control over 85% of the search engine market share. When marketing a product or service on Google, the greatest place to start is with the image of your potential customer. Working backward from this can lead to the development and evolution of search campaigns that with some time and patience will yield a positive Return on Investment (ROI).
It is important to note that with Google campaigns, the work is never done. Campaigns can always be optimized, improved, and ensured that every cent is being spent as efficiently as possible. There are endless factors that influence the performance of a campaign, like current events, weather, economy, and more, which means it’s necessary to adjust your campaign often. The one exception is a seasonal/limited-time promotion that the work would essentially be complete. But there are unlimited insights that can be pulled to be added to future campaigns.
Social media ads are a form of PPC, too. Beyond the basic intentions for social media campaigns (brand awareness, community interaction, etc), social ads can be positioned to focus on driving traffic to websites or other calls to action, rather than containing the audience on one social platform.
The added benefit to social media is their extensive audience lists that aid in finalizing potential customers. A large amount of useful data exists on platforms like Facebook; advertisers can market to those who follow a certain page or have specific tendencies based on their likes, for example. Further, it is somewhat uncommon for PPC campaigns to focus on brand awareness. Most campaigns are focused on traffic or conversion-based results. Social media ads combine all of these results effectively. Something as small as an impression carries more weight than other PPC platforms due to additional features, such as the creative, or other interactive items.
Bing Ads are a distant second choice in the search engine conversation, but that is by no means an indicator of a lack of growth. Bing Ads in recent years has been growing at a faster rate on desktops, controlling 36% of US desktop searches. This trend indicates an increase in data collected by Bing which can be used to benefit all upcoming campaigns.
Bing also possesses a competitive advantage against Google. Those who choose to shop on Bing and engage with their ads can receive “Yahoo Rewards” to be rewarded in discounts, gift cards, and nonprofit donations. This naturally increases the conversion rate in comparison to Google.
Although not an independent advertising platform, Yahoo! is one of the most advantageous placement options when advertising on Bing Ads, now known as Microsoft Advertising. Possessing under 3% of the market share, Yahoo! is not in the same conversation of popularity as Google, but there’s no reason not to be using as many platforms as possible. That additional 3% search market share is one that you didn’t have before, and insights can be imported from other search engines or platforms.
Microsoft Ads also provides you exclusive advertising opportunities on platforms such as Tumblr, HuffPost, and AOL properties. This smaller market share means less competition, and in turn, means costs are considerably less.