Word of mouth is the best publicity, but it’s not enough to sustain a thriving business. Sooner or later, you have to decide how to advertise online if you want to grow.
However, getting a good return on ad spend is challenging. A recent study found that brands overestimate ad conversions by 4,000%.
So, what really works? Here we give seven strategies to guide your online advertising.
Key Takeaways:
- Know your ideal buyer and their needs before you start to advertise online so you can target the right audience with tailored messaging.
- Advertise on effective channels, work with micro-influencers, and make your ads engaging.
- Fine-tune your landing pages, remarket to people who visit your site, and improve your ads through analytics.
- Paid ads are ineffective without supporting content, so create a consistent content marketing schedule.
Focusing Your Mindset Before You Advertise Online
Rule number one of marketing and advertising is to know your audience. As you utilize the following strategies, recognize that it’s not about what you think is best for everyone else.
Put yourself in your prospect’s shoes so you can advertise online in a way that is not annoying. When you are authentic and helpful instead of pushy, your brand is more likable.
Remember: People love shopping, but they hate intrusive ads. The best ads feel organic and are part of a personalized experience.
1. Choosing the Right Channels
If you want to sell hard hats, you should put up ads wherever construction workers frequent. Determine where you’re going to put your online ads for the best ROAS.
Paid Social Media
Everyone is on social media, and you have a dozen major platforms to choose from. Advertise on sites where your desired audience is and craft strong campaigns.
If you sell to other businesses, advertise online through Facebook and LinkedIn. These platforms have more users that are professional adults with spending power.
Don’t get too broad with your focus. Appeal to the niche interests and behaviors that correspond to your best clients.
Success with Facebook comes from mastering bids for keywords. Determine your lead conversion rate, average lead-to-customer rate, and customer lifetime value.
Use these variables to calculate your breakeven point and then try to beat that number with your ad spend.
On LinkedIn, target people by job title, function, or industry. Try direct messages to warmer leads, but make sure your comments sound conversational and authentic.
Paid Search (Pay-Per-Click)
Many strategies to advertise online can benefit from using Google Ads. Effective paid search campaigns come down to researching the right keywords and making cost-effective bids (just like with Facebook).
YouTube is another place to target your key demographic by their interests. For example, a contract software provider can focus on people searching for business topics about partnerships or mergers.
Here’s a power tip: Don’t forget about Bing and Yahoo! Fewer people are on these search engines, but these could be the kind of clients you’re looking for.
These users probably had to make a conscious effort to avoid Google. Such intentional behavior indicates a high potential for customer loyalty.
Plus, Bing users tend to be professionals. Investigate your potential ROAS on other search engines.
Sponsored Content and Native Ads
If you appreciate content marketing as much as we do, you should understand why sponsored content can be an effective way to advertise online. Branded content and native advertising have some overlap but are different in critical ways.
Native ads have a poor reputation, so proceed with caution. To overcome the stigma with sponsored content, be transparent and deliver real value through educational or entertaining content.
Work with reputable outlets and create powerful media that benefits your audience and identifies you as a thought leader.
Display Ads
Ah, the trusty, dusty banner ad. What is the best strategy for this type of advertisement? Run as far away as you can.
However, if you must try it, target your ads carefully. Go for people who are looking for your products and have a definite interest in what you’re selling; otherwise, you’ll likely be wasting your money.
Emails
Email marketing is still a top way to advertise online with magnificent return on investment. We’ll repeat it again: The key to success is personable, organic messages that meet people’s needs.
Be a human and try to help people. Give them content and links that will benefit them, whether or not they purchase from you.
Podcasts
People make fun of podcasts because everybody seems to have one. Still, this is another ideal way to advertise online to your niche audience.
A podcaster with only dozens or hundreds of subscribers still has an attentive audience that you can help. Buy ad space on appropriate programs for brand recognition.
Even better, try to book interviews on podcasts that your target audience is listening to. Repurpose the highlights into your own content.
2. Working With Affiliates and Influencers
Small and mid-sized businesses should focus on finding micro-influencers who have a tight and passionate fanbase. Micro-influencers and authoritative affiliates are especially valuable in B2B, where your leads will be educating themselves before they buy.
3. Making Your Ads Engaging
No matter the channel through which you advertise online, make your ads engaging and visually appealing. Keep in mind color psychology, accessibility, and action-oriented language to motivate your audience.
4. Refining Your Landing Pages
Your advertising is worthless if your landing page sucks. Start by ensuring the URL answers the question, solves the problem, or leads to the action that inspired your prospect to click instead of a generic home page.
Don’t forget about technical SEO concerns that will bounce viewers from your page. Landing pages should be speedy, easy to navigate, and mobile-friendly.
5. Remarketing to Your Website Visitors
As you advertise online, don’t make one-and-done attempts at connecting. Your site visitors are probably doing tons of research before buying.
An effective way to stay top of mind is with friendly reminders through ads across the web to encourage leads to come back to your page.
6. Complementing Paid Ads With Content Marketing
Content marketing isn’t a direct advertisement, but it’s the best way to promote your brand and build search engine rankings. We generate millions of web visits for our clients every month with this tactic.
Content lets you show prospects what you can do and why you’re a thought leader they should hire. End with a clear CTA that tells them how working with you resolves their challenges.
Be careful not to become overly promotional by inserting your brand into your content too much. However, you should demonstrate your experience, which readers will remember when they see one of your paid ads.
7. Improving Through Analytics
When you’re ready to advertise online, create a system for evaluating and improving your ads by using analytics.
Automate whatever you can and track data that leads to actionable insights. Test different strategies and refine them for more effective ads.
Collaborating With MIG as You Advertise Online
Online advertising is only one piece of your marketing puzzle. You need great content to engage and retain top prospects.
Don’t fret about how to keep outstanding blog articles coming. Marketing Insider Group can help.
Talk to us about how to generate more traffic through content marketing that complements your other strategies to advertise online.
The post Ready To Advertise Online? 7 Strategies To Get Started appeared first on Marketing Insider Group.
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