Digital Marketing

A Quick Guide to Choosing the Right PPC Platform for Your Business

October 16, 2018Joel Mehler

The goal of a proper digital marketing strategy is to generate traffic to your website and introduce your brand to high-quality leads that are most likely to convert. There are many ways of accomplishing this, but it comes down to two separate marketing strategies – search engine optimization and pay per click (PPC).

They each have their advantages but when it comes to producing fast, measurable results, but nothing really beats PPC. It’s a more straightforward process than SEO, but many businesses are hesitant to jump into a PPC campaign because of the investment involved, and the fact that there are multiple PPC networks makes the decision more difficult. Not to mention the complexity of creating a successful campaign.

Which PPC Advertising Method is Right For Your Business?

You want to optimize your chances of success with pay per click advertising, so choosing the right platform is essential. Here’s what you need to know about selecting the best PPC platform for your business.

Google AdWords

Google AdWords is the gold standard of PPC platforms. With Google handling the majority of search queries, it makes perfect sense that they are the authority on generating traffic through paid ads. On the surface, it might seem like AdWords is a great fit no matter what type of business you have, but there are some things to consider.

For starters, AdWords is great for increasing visibility, but there’s also a substantial amount of competition because everyone is fighting for a higher ranking position on Google. This competition means to be profitable you need a defined strategy and a solid idea of what your budget limitations are. That said, AdWords is a fantastic platform for gaining visibility and targeting customers for businesses that offer less-common products and services, are looking to remarket themselves, or are interested in attracting leads with lifetime customer potential.

Person reviewing Google ads account on laptop.

Facebook Ads

As of the 2nd quarter of 2018, Facebook had 2.23 billion active users. Facebook’s dominance in the social media world makes it an excellent option for promoting your business through their paid ads. Unfortunately, many small businesses struggle with Facebook ads. The problem usually isn’t with the platform itself but with the approach.

First, Facebook Ads are a great tool for small, local businesses looking to generate attention from a community-based audience. The platform works exceptionally well for attracting a very targeted audience. If you’re a small to medium-sized business with a target demographic that’s on Facebook this is a PPC platform that can perform strongly.

The secret is in understanding what your audience is looking for and maintaining active engagement with them in addition to your paid strategy. On Facebook, PPC is part of the complete picture rather than a single component.

Bing Ads

For small businesses looking to get major traction from their PPC campaign, Bing Ads offers some surprising advantages. Many companies overlook Bing because it sits in Google’s shadow. However, it’s no small presence in the digital world, and while it might not get the unimaginably large amount of traffic that Google does, it can be an excellent platform for businesses that don’t want to compete in the Google-verse.

For example, there’s less competition with Bing Ads, and some would say they have better targeting options and they generally offer a less expensive cost per click.

PPC Management

There are other PPC options in addition to the ones mentioned here, and we’d like to talk to you about which ones are the best fit for your business.
Understanding your target audience is crucial to finding success in the pay per click world, and we can help you get there. Contact us today for a free PPC audit and learn more about our comprehensive paid advertising services.

Joel Mehler

A graduate of the University of Alabama, Joel was first introduced to digital marketing and SEO while participating in an international internship program in Barcelona, Spain. Joel maintains consistent oversight on strategy performance, client relations and day-to-day operations. Joel is an avid traveler and spends much of his free time in search of Atlanta’s next fun trend.