#marketing #onlinemarketing #digitalmarketing
Where Do Most Local Businesses Start Their Ad Campaigns?
When a local business decides to dip its toes into advertising, where do they usually begin? What channels and networks are most common?
Michelle points out that social media ads, particularly Facebook Ads, are incredibly common starting points. Facebook has made it seem deceptively easy for business owners to launch an ad with just a few clicks. The same goes for Google Ads, especially with Google My Business pages often receiving tempting offers like a “$1,000 credit” for a first “Smart campaign.”
The challenge, she notes, is that when these “easy” campaigns don’t yield results, people mistakenly conclude that the platform doesn’t work. While Facebook and Google Ads are definitely the most familiar starting points, it’s crucial to understand their nuances.
How Many Channels Should a Local Business Use?
So, if Facebook and Google are common, should a business use both? Or choose just one? Are there other options?
“There are lots of options, which is great because it allows for experimentation,” Michelle explains. “It really depends on your goals and which channels you already have active and successful.”
She emphasizes the importance of having an existing presence and audience on a platform before running ads there. For example:
- If you don’t have a Google My Business page or a website, Google Ads might not be your best first step.
- If your Facebook account only has 20 friends and you rarely post, ads there might struggle because the algorithm has little data to work with in finding your target audience.
“Ads are meant to accelerate traffic,” Michelle highlights. “But if there’s nothing to accelerate, you’re just burning your money.”
Why Is Defining Your Audience Crucial Before You Begin?
This brings us to a fundamental question: Why is it so important to define your audience before you even start building an ad?
“You need to make sure the algorithms know exactly who these ads are for,” Michelle stresses. If your existing audience (e.g., friends and family) doesn’t match your desired target audience, the algorithm can get confused, leading to inefficient ad spend.
Defining your audience clearly helps the algorithms understand exactly who you want to reach, reducing guesswork and, ultimately, controlling your costs. Without a clear audience, algorithms might “buckshot” your ads to a very wide, often irrelevant, audience, quickly depleting your budget. The more defined your audience and page community, the better your ad performance will be.
What if You’re Just Starting Out with No Website or Social Following?
If you’re brand new, without a website or a substantial social media following, should you wait to advertise?
Michelle explains that a common approach, especially after the surge of online businesses during COVID, is to build a funnel with a dedicated landing page.
“You’ve got to have something,” she states. Whether it’s a full website or a robust social media presence depends on what you’re selling and the level of trust required for a transaction. However, creating a specific landing page with clear next steps can be a quick way to get your initial ads up and running.
The Power of Landing Pages: Why You Need Them for Your Ads?
Even if you have a great website, Michelle strongly recommends developing specific landing pages for your ads. Why?
It all comes down to consistency and quality score. If your ad promises “garage doors” but sends users to a general “home maintenance” website, the disconnect can hurt your ad’s “quality score.” A lower quality score means your ad is shown to fewer people, and you get less bang for your buck.
“The best practice is to have a landing page tailored to each one of your ads,” Michelle advises. Whatever keywords or visuals are in your ad should be mirrored on the landing page. This seamless experience improves ad performance.
David adds that simple landing pages – often just a photo, a few bullet points, and a form – are easy to put together. Michelle agrees, noting they’re also fantastic for experimentation. You can test different offers or messages to different audiences by pointing the same ad to varied landing pages and seeing which converts better.
Measuring Traffic and Preventing Wasted Spend
One huge advantage of dedicated landing pages is measurement.
“If the only way someone can access that landing page is through your ad, it gives you a really clear, second set of data to know whether your ads are actually functioning,” Michelle explains.
It helps reconcile data discrepancies. For instance, if Google Ads reports 400 clicks but your landing page analytics only show 10 visits, it signals a problem. This could be a high bounce rate, a server issue, or even inflated clicks from bots. Multi-perspective measurement ensures you know where your money is going and whether your ads are reaching actual humans.
Given Google’s dominance in the online marketing space, understanding and measuring this traffic is paramount.
How Ad Campaigns Impact Your Brand?
Beyond direct sales, how do ad campaigns affect a business’s brand?
“From a branding perspective, the whole thing is just about showing up,” Michelle asserts. Ads build trust, show reliability, and contribute to social proof. They are another crucial touchpoint to establish credibility.
If someone searches for your business and you’re running ads, you’ll appear. If you’re not, they might not see you, depending on their search history. Ads significantly influence whether people perceive you as a credible brand.
Ultimately, successful “bottom of the funnel” activities like conversions and leads don’t just appear. They stem from “top of the funnel” activities like brand awareness. Ads provide those essential extra touchpoints, boosting credibility and visibility when people are looking for what you offer.
Ad Campaign Do’s and Don’ts: A Quick Recap
Let’s quickly run through some essential do’s and don’ts for ad campaigns, with insights from Michelle:
The Do’s:
- Define Your Audience: Absolutely essential. Without knowing who you’re targeting, you’re just guessing.
- Set Measurable Goals: Know what success looks like for your campaign.
- Craft Compelling and Relevant Messaging: This is tougher than it looks! As a business owner, you might assume people search for your business the way you think about it. But customers who are searching often know nothing about you. Michelle strongly recommends:
- Get outside feedback: Ask someone who knows nothing about your business if your ad copy makes sense.
- Focus on the customer’s perspective: Write for those who don’t know they have a problem or that you can solve it.
- Invest in copywriting: It’s a valuable skill for a reason.
- Conduct keyword research: Understand what people are actually searching for. Tools like Semrush or Ahrefs can show you keyword volume and density. Aim for high volume and low density keywords for prime advertising opportunities.
- Choose the Right Channels: Focus on platforms where your audience is active and where you already have a successful presence to accelerate existing efforts.
- Optimize Your Landing Page/Conversion Funnel: Tailor your landing page content to match your ad’s message for a seamless user experience and better quality scores. They’re easy to build and great for testing.
- Test, Analyze, and Optimize Continuously (A/B Testing): Remember, it’s A/B testing, not ABCD… testing! Change only one variable at a time (e.g., just the headline, just the image) to accurately pinpoint what works or what breaks your ad. This requires patience and consistent monitoring.
- Have a Strong Call to Action (CTA): People need to be told what to do. Make your CTA clear, prominent, and compelling (e.g., “Shop Now,” “Learn More,” “Sign Up”). We’re all “click-exhausted” and need to know what’s on the other side.
- Be Consistent with Branding: Maintain a cohesive brand voice and visual identity across all ads.
- Allocate Budget Wisely: It’s tempting to “go all in,” but Michelle warns against it. “Proceed cautiously, start slow, and build when you’re finding success.” Ad platforms are businesses, and it’s up to you to navigate them effectively. You can even use ads to speed up domain ranking for new websites.
The Don’ts:
- Don’t Guess Your Audience: Research and define them properly.
- Don’t Have Vague or Undefined Goals: You can’t measure success if you don’t know what it is.
- Don’t Use Generic or Irrelevant Messaging: Be specific and resonate with your audience’s needs.
- Don’t Spread Yourself Too Thin Across Too Many Channels: Focus your efforts where they’ll have the most impact.
- Don’t Neglect Your Landing Page: Sending users to a generic homepage after an ad click is a missed opportunity and hurts performance.
- Don’t “Set It and Forget It”: Ad campaigns require constant monitoring and tweaking. If you’re too busy, consider running “micro-ads” for a few days at a time to build a safety net and prevent runaway spending. Remember, for expert management, one variable at a time, like in the scientific process.
- Don’t Forget a Clear Call to Action: Your audience needs guidance!
- Don’t Misrepresent Your Product or Service: Clickbait is annoying and counterproductive. It creates false positives and damages trust. Gimmicks are never worth it.
- Don’t Ignore Competitor Activity (But Don’t Just Copy): Pay attention to what your rivals are doing, but don’t assume their strategy is working or that their marketing team is always effective. Focus on building an authentic relationship with your audience through your unique brand.
Ready to Elevate Your Ad Campaigns?
At Shepherd’s Loft Web Design Agency, we’re here to help local businesses navigate the complexities of online advertising. We offer tailored campaign services, including:
- Ad Campaigns: Let us help you craft and manage effective ad strategies.
- Review Campaigns: Boost your social proof and online reputation.
- Referral Campaigns: Build a program that encourages your happy customers to spread the word.
And for a limited time this July, we’re waiving sign-up fees for email accounts, domain names, and other tech services!
Plus, you can get a free website review or a full website analysis (for less than $100).
Reach out to us and let us know how we can help you make smart advertising choices that bring real results. Remember, the right amount of money is the one that gets you the results you’re looking for!