PPC ads are easy, right? All you need is a good budget and the right keywords. If you have that, then you’re going to see a huge ROI and gain a huge customer base. If that were true, this blog would be really short. The truth is, PPCs aren’t as easy as that. Luckily for you, we’re about to let you in on some secret and not-so-secret strategies to help improve your paid ads game.
You need to keep in mind many different factors when it comes to your PPC ads. When and where to run them, what content to use on which platform, how to use the data to make informed decisions, and what CTAs will work best for your ads. Let’s jump right in and start talking about some secrets not many people use for their ads.
The first thing people don’t think about is the difference between desktop and mobile searches. More and more time is being spent on mobile devices. Although the same searches can be done on mobile devices, people still browse the web differently on their phones versus on a PC. You want to optimize your ads and change tactics based on the type of device your target audience is using. A lot of people will use their phones for a quick search, looking for an idea of what company to use. After that, they’ll go back to their PC and do a more in-depth search. This is most likely where the conversion will happen. Just because a user might not convert from a mobile search, they are more likely to call during business hours. Your ads for mobile devices should have a CTA like “Call now” or “Contact us today” along with your phone number so they can call you easily. Your desktop ads should have a call to action that helps convert like “Shop now,” or “Take 15% off,” or something else that will convert that user into a customer. It’s also a good idea to boost your mobile ads during business hours. This will increase your chances for more phone calls.
Once you have an idea of what you want for mobile vs. desktop ads, you need to think about your content. PPC ads on Google and Bing are text-based, and they rely heavily on keywords and terms that your target audience will search for. Just because an ad works well on Google doesn’t mean the same exact copy will work the same on Facebook or Instagram. Social channels work better with images and videos. While people use search engines to find your specific service, when it comes to ads on social media, they’re not looking for the service you offer. Your PPC ads on social channels need to be eye-catching but not over the top. You need people that view your ad to see how your product or service works in real life or give them something of value through your CTA. Suppose you use a CTA in your text ads like “Free Consultation” that most likely won’t work with your social ads. Offer a free cheatsheet, coupon, toolkit, or other free resources that will entice them to click on your ad. Remember, different avenues of people seeing your ads will need different content and CTAs.
Now your ads are ready to go, but how do you use the data to make informed decisions on if your ads are performing well? You want to make sure you can answer these three questions before launching your campaign.
- How much revenue do you make per customer?
- What cost do you need to reach your break-even point?
- What is the Lifetime Value of the Customer (LTV)?
Not many businesses use these metrics to determine campaign success, so although these aren’t a very big secret, they’re not widely used. Once you know the answer to these questions, you’ll be able to see which campaigns are working and which ones aren’t. So what do these questions mean? We’ll start with your revenue per customer. This metric lets you know what you’re able to spend on your ads. If you spend $1,000 to acquire a customer, but they only spend $800 with you, you’re losing $200. Being in the red isn’t where any business wants to be with their PPC campaigns. Now we’ll look at your break-even point. Your break-even point is where total costs and total sales are equal. You don’t make any money, but you don’t lose any either. If you spend $100 to acquire a new customer and they spend $100 with you, that’s your break-even point. Finally, knowing the LTV of a customer can be tricky. LTV can mean spending a little more on your campaigns since you will get a more significant ROI over your customer’s lifetime. If you spend $1,000 to get a customer, and over the lifetime of doing business with you, they spend $5,000 with you, that’s a pretty good ROI. Let’s look at an example:
Company A spends $2,000 on an ad campaign. They get one customer that initially spends $1,000. Right now, they’re in the red by $1,000. However, that customer comes back and spends another $1,000 two months later, then another $1,200 a month after that. So far, Company A broke even two months after running the ad and was $1,200 in the black after the LTV ended, making for a successful campaign. That’s why these three metrics are essential to know.
Paid ads can be a challenge if you don’t know your goals, or know where, when, and what to post, or how to determine campaign success. Pareto PPC is here to help with your PPC campaign. We work with you every step of the way and help you understand the ins and out of a successful campaign. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to run successful campaigns, but we like to think of ourselves as the rocket scientists of the PPC world. Let us take your next campaign to orbit!
