Before you start using Google Ads you need to know exactly who you're talking to. Talk to a friend about your business. Who would want this? What do they want and what issues do they need help with?
First look at the customers you already have. What are their demographic characteristics? If you don't have this on hand you might need to look it up. You can learn a lot about your audience with Google Analytics and other tools. If you don't already have Google Analytics this could be the first thing you do. You can see who is visiting your site and what they are doing like an X ray.
You can also create profiles of your ideal customers. Consider their age interests behavior online and even how they shop. Do they only use their desktops or do they also look at things on their phones while they drink coffee at the local café?
One of the best things you can do is make a clear realistic budget. You want to get more visitors and sales but you don't want to spend too much money to do it.
Think about how much money you can spend every day or month. Setting aside 7% to 10% of their total revenue for marketing is a good way for many small businesses to get started. You can change this to fit your business goals and other financial responsibilities of course.
Your bidding strategy is also very important. You can choose between CPC (Cost Per Click) and CPM (Cost Per Thousand Impressions) when you use Google Ads. A lot of beginners should start with CPC. You only pay when someone clicks on your ad so your spending is directly related to what people do.
Now is the fun part writing the ads. This is where strategy and creativity come together. People need to be interested in what you have to offer in order to look for it.
One way to do this is to put yourself in the shoes of your potential customer. What would make you want to click on the ad? Don't be afraid to add details about what makes your business stand out but keep the words simple. A clear call to action can change everything. Direct language is powerful like "Call us today" or "Visit our store."
But a good ad isn't enough. People who click on your ad should be taken to a landing page that really delivers on what you promised and makes them want to do something. A common mistake is to send users to your generic homepage. Make your landing pages fit the campaign instead. Being consistent is the most important thing.
People should be taken to a page that shows off this very offer when they click on the ad for your new vegan pastries if you own a bakery in Magnolia. There should be nice pictures on the page reviews from customers and maybe even a discount code for people who buy for the first time.
It should work well on all devices and load quickly. It has to work on mobile devices now. You can check how well your pages work on mobile devices with tools like Google's Mobile Friendly Test.
Now is the fun part writing the ads. This is where strategy and creativity come together. People need to be interested in what you have to offer in order to look for it.
One way to do this is to put yourself in the shoes of your potential customer. What would make you want to click on the ad? Don't be afraid to add details about what makes your business stand out but keep the words simple. A clear call to action can change everything. Direct language is powerful like "Call us today" or "Visit our store."
Use words in your ads that people who are looking for what you have to offer are likely to use. You can use Google Keywords Planner to come up with ideas for these keywords and then narrow them down. Check out Google's Keyword Planner guide for more information on that.
Last don't forget to use ad extensions. These cool extras can give you more information like your business's address phone number or a link to a specific webpage. They are just one more way to make your ad stand out and sometimes you don't have to pay anything extra to use them.
But a good ad isn't enough. People who click on your ad should be taken to a landing page that really delivers on what you promised and makes them want to do something. A common mistake is to send users to your generic homepage. Make your landing pages fit the campaign instead. Being consistent is the most important thing.
People should be taken to a page that shows off this very offer when they click on the ad for your new vegan pastries if you own a bakery in Magnolia. There should be nice pictures on the page reviews from customers and maybe even a discount code for people who buy for the first time.
It should work well on all devices and load quickly. It has to work on mobile devices now. You can check how well your pages work on mobile devices with tools like Google's Mobile Friendly Test.
Make it easy for people to follow through with a conversion. This could mean making it easier to check out or putting your contact information somewhere people can easily find it. Keep in mind that less is more. A short appealing layout with a clear call to action can do a lot.
The end of a campaign doesn't mean the end. It goes on and on. You should keep an eye on everything and make changes based on performance metrics and real time data.
Your click through rate (CTR) is a good way to see how interesting your ads are. You might want to change your keywords ad copy or even your target audience if the numbers don't make sense. There is a lot of information to think about in Google Analytics and the Google Ads console. Check out Google's guide on Nonprofit Fundraising Metrics 30+ KPIs to Measure Success for a refresher.
You have to track conversions. Find out what success means to you. Is it a phone call a purchase that is finished or something else? Set up conversion tracking to find out how your clicks turn into real business results. You should change based on what you find. For instance if an ad isn't doing well A/B testing different headlines or images could show you how to make it better.
Finally don't be afraid to make mistakes. Digital marketing is all about learning as you go keeping up with the latest trends and following the data. Every campaign teaches you something new.
You can't just set up a Google Ads campaign and forget about it. But you're already ahead of a lot of people with these steps. What's important is that you're learning and improving your approach to business in Magnolia. Every click and every lead gets you closer to mastering this art form which is always changing.
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