What is social PPC and why should I be interested in it?
- by Steve Taylor
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- 09 Feb, 2018
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What is social PPC and why should I be interested in it?
When we talk about pay per click advertising, we naturally think of Google and the paid ads that appear on their search results. In truth, PPC extends much further than that and one area where it’s expanding rapidly is social media.
As a business owner, you more than likely have a Facebook business page, Twitter profile and LinkedIn, amongst others. To improve the reach and attract more of your target audience to those pages and profiles, you can create a paid ad campaign on a cost per click basis.
The key difference between social PPC and that of search engines is how it works. Social PPC will display your ad to your target audience in the advert areas of their feed, whereas search engine PPC requires the right keywords to be searched for before the ads will display.
Social PPC is a great way of attracting new leads in conjunction with your existing social media marketing campaigns
That means choosing the right social media channel for your target audience.
A lot of people think that Facebook ads are a must when using social PPC, but that really isn’t the case. If your audience tends to hang out on LinkedIn (i.e. business owners or professionals), then it makes more sense to invest your marketing budget there.
You don’t have to be socially active on your chosen platform though, that is a common misconception. So long as you as have an account set-up, you can purchase ads.
Running a few small ad campaigns is a great way to get started
As your ads are getting displayed to your selected target audience, it makes sense to have more than one campaign running at once, especially if you have several products or services that target one segment of your audience more than another.
It is important that you have a clear idea of your target audience to set up your ad campaigns correctly. Setting things to everyone aged 18 – 60 is likely to prove costly, so do your research and segment things as much as you can.
You’ll need to consider how you assess your return on investment too.
Social PPC has the standard criteria like:
· Cost per click
· Return on ad spend
· Conversion rate
But it can also generate additional actions that have an indirect impact on your marketing. For example, someone might like and share your ad but not click on it. That might seem meaningless, but it widens the audience seeing the ad – which may turn into a click and lead from someone else.
Social PPC can be a great way for small businesses to make an impact on their audience
Successful PPC campaigns can be expensive, particularly those on search engines where your competitors have the budget to beat your attempts on a frequent basis.
Social PPC levels the field and makes it easier for your ad to be successful without the high-cost implications while improving your brand reputation and credibility where you’re likely to be seen most.
Amazon has taken the world by storm with its range of products, drone deliveries and streaming services, but one aspect you might not have considered before is its pay per click marketing, otherwise known as “sponsored products”.
If you sell products, then advertising through Amazon is an effective way of reaching a bigger audience and increasing your revenue. But how do you get started with one of the world’s largest retailers?
Sponsored product ads appear in both Amazon’s search results and product listing pages
Although you will find that the PPC ads on Amazon are discreetly marked as ‘sponsored’, they do fit in seamlessly within the rest of the search results, dare I say it far better than on Google where it’s obvious to many that the advertisement has been paid for.
It’s also easy to get started with Amazon’s PPC system.
Any seller with a professional selling plan can place ads, although not all of Amazon’s categories are currently available to advertise under. You can quickly get started and find the answers to your questions under Amazon’s helpful service pages , and as always, their customer service is easily accessible for support.
Just like Google Ads, Amazon’s PPC works as an auction style system where you place bids for where you want your advert to appear, and the highest bidder wins the first position.
There are several key reasons why you should be considering Amazon for your PPC advertising
Amazon is fantastic at running seasonal promotions. Like many people, around those all important dates of the year – Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas, Mother’s and Father’s Day and Valentines, you probably head straight to Amazon to either buy gifts or garner some inspiration.
Amazon advertising can be found everywhere, from billboards to television ads, so you know that your PPC campaign can tap into some of that marketing magic too, something that Google still struggles somewhat to achieve.
It’s also perfect for boosting a single product you might be struggling to shift from your warehouse. Where Google is best for landing page campaigns and sales funnels, when you just have a product to clear or a new line to introduce to the market, Amazon is perfect for giving an instant boost exactly where you need it.
Don’t forget about the “accidental effects” to your organic SEO either .
The more your products are viewed online, along with visits to your website, positive reviews and that crucial “social proof” is in place, you will find that your organic SEO is given a boost and the effects of an Amazon PPC campaign will be found elsewhere in your digital marketing.
We think that giving Amazon sponsored products advertising a try in 2019 is certainly worth a try if you’re an e-commerce or drop shipping business owner looking for a new marketing tactic. As always, for advice and support with all things pay per click marketing, get in touch with us here at Bargainarena Limited, and we’ll be delighted to help.
