Rachel Begg
If you haven’t already added pay-per-click ads to your online marketing repertoire, it’s time to get on board with one of the most effective tools money can buy. A PPC program (also called cost per click) takes advantage of context marketing to attract interest: delivering the right content to the right person at the right time. When done well, you have the opportunity to tell the world your story, describe the products you sell, and convey a compelling call to action.
However, like any methods of marketing, you face challenges in making pay per click work. You have just 95 characters to engage customers – a pretty tight space to fit content that’s convincing and offers that a prospect simply can’t refuse. Plus, you’re competing with others in the increasingly saturated world of Google AdWords. But if you arm yourself with a few pointers on creating contextual, dazzling PPC ads, you’ll capture attention and drive sales.
Start with Killer Content
You might be a pro at creating engaging blog content, but PPC is a whole different ball game. Your text has a few jobs to do, and that’s even before you get to your call to action. Qualify your prospect at the outset by stating your price in bold font to eliminate tire-kickers. Showing your reliability is also key to making pay per click work, so gain their trust. State the number of years you’ve been in business or offer free shipping. Obviously, you need to include basic information about your product, but don’t go overboard. Chances are your targeted customer is already familiar with your offerings.
KISS Your CTA
Now that your stunning PPC ad has grabbed their attention, KEEP IT SIMPLE, STUPID with your call to action. You’ve likely used up most of your allotted 95 characters, so tell them what to do in two to three words. Drafting a compelling call to action is similar to those you’ve done with other inbound marketing methods; however, making pay per click work means creating a sense of urgency. A limited time offer, an expiring coupon, or diminishing stock will inspire your prospects to act.
Deliver Effective Landing Pages
Nothing is more annoying than clicking on a PPC ad that takes you to a company’s home page or other non-relevant location. PPC ads thrive on being spur of the moment, and your prospects want to be taken immediately to the product page where they can place an order. Fail to deliver on this expectation and you’ll lose their attention quickly.
Follow Guidelines for PPC
Google has established rules for the formatting and text for PPC ads, so make sure yours isn’t rejected for something simple.
- Use one exclamation point throughout the body of your ad, and it cannot be inserted in the header.
- Don't claim you’re the “best,” “primary,” or “No. 1” in your description, unless you have third party proof to back it up.
- Link to a unique landing page for every ad, as many times this is different from the primary domain.
Good luck! If you are still stumped on how to create a PPC ad and just want someone to do it for you, don't hesitate to contact Impulse Creative for help.
