The Benefits of Pay-Per-Click Advertising for Small Businesses

If you own or manage a small business, you know that advertising is a necessary part of the budget. But with so many different marketing methods to choose from nowadays, splitting up that section of your budget can be a bit overwhelming. Traditional methods are still working their way out, and there’s a good chance you’ve already seen some changes taking place.

For example, you’re probably going to get a better response running a Google ad than you would if you set up a billboard on the street. But, making the most of your advertising budget is about getting the most return on investment without spending a lot of money. There is almost no better way to accomplish that than through pay-per-click advertising.

What is Pay-Per-Click Advertising?

Pay-Per-Click advertising (PPC) is a type of marketing method. As a business owner, you pay a fee each time one of your advertisements is clicked. If you’ve heard of organic search, PPC is their monetary neighbor.

For example, if you run a steakhouse restaurant in Tulsa, you might use words like, ‘steakhouse Tulsa’ or ‘best steaks in Oklahoma.’ These key phrases are specific, and can really help when targeting a local audience.

The great thing about these ads is that they can include a lot of information about your business, including phone numbers, reviews, and prices. This makes it easier for potential customers to discover who you are. So, you’re not just showcasing another advertisement to a potential customer, you’re offering them a taste of who you really are, and why they should come visit you.

Why Does My Business Need PPC Advertising?

PPC advertising is unlike most traditional marketing methods of online marketing for one very important reason; it targets people who are actually looking for what you have to offer.

Let’s use the example of a billboard again. You could put a billboard on the side of the road advertising your steakhouse. There’s a good chance thousands of people will pass by the sign every day. Some will glance at it, some won’t notice it, and maybe a few people will remember it enough to stop by your restaurant someday.

Unfortunately, when it comes to a billboard (and many other traditional marketing methods), you’re putting a message out to the masses, and a majority of them simply may not care. Instead, wouldn’t it be great to advertise your message to people who are actually interested in receiving it?

When you use PPC advertising, you’re targeting an audience who is already looking for keywords associated with your business, products or services. You’re simply using those keywords to make sure your business shows up at the top spot on their searches. So, if someone happens to be looking for a local steakhouse, PPC allows you to show up first, in front of your competitors.

There are plenty additional benefits to using PPC advertising as a small business, but the biggest rests in the fact that leads are coming to you, not the other way around. Once you understand how important and beneficial this form of advertising can be for your business, the next step is to know how to use it properly.

Using PPC Advertising to the Fullest

The biggest component of PPC advertising is understanding who you’d like to advertise to. It’s extremely important to know your audience, so put yourself in the shoes of a consumer as you get started. Know the tone you want to use, the message you want to convey, and understand how your audience might respond.

Try using tools like Keyword Planner from Google AdWords. It can help to give you a better idea of what people are actually searching for, so you can adjust your keyword terms as necessary. The closer you can get to understanding your audience and what they’re looking for, the more successful your ad campaigns will be.

Achieving Pay-Per-Click Goals

It’s important to determine what your overall goals are going to be from PPC advertising. Obviously, it’s important to see a return on investment, but often times the goals of small businesses rest on how many clicks they get on a regular basis, or how many people visit a certain page on the website, etc.

PPC can be a wonderful tool to experiment with, depending on your specific goals. With endless options on who to target, and how to target them, it’s actually a lot of fun to be able to play with, once you know what you’re doing.

No matter what you hope to accomplish by using PPC advertising, narrowing down your audience and learning more about them is a great way to stay connected with your customers and can help to increase the longevity and overall success of your business. When you’re in the know of what people really want, your ability to deliver can increase like never before. If you would like to find out more information about pay per click marketing, contact U-Thrive Marketing at (918) 812-9374