Before we start you might be wondering, what is PPC? As defined by Wordstream, PPC stands for pay-per-click, a model of internet marketing in which advertisers pay a fee each time one of their ads is clicked.

1. Which PPC Platform is Right for Me? 

You might be wondering if PPC is the right fit or if Facebook or Google is a better option. 

Google Paid Search [PPC] is the right fit for you if you want to appear when people search for what you have to offer. For example, local service businesses are a great fit for Google Paid Search because many local services are not “impulse buys”. If someone’s toilet is clogged, they are going to search “plumbers near me” into Google and see what search return they get. This would be a great time to have an ad on Google Paid Search if you were a local plumbing company. While Google Paid Search can be expensive, it can also bring in a high ROI. 

Google Display [PPC] Don’t have the budget for Google Paid Search? If your budget is under $1,000 you will be better off using Google Display. There are tons of strategies that can be used on Google Display, but one of our favorites is to think of it as an “online billboard”. Rather than paying $1,000 or more per month for a billboard that is only seen by people who might happen to drive past it, you could pay the same or less and show your “billboard” online to the entire city! Need to get some name recognition, so people think of you when they need your product or service? Then Google Display is right for you.

Facebook [PPC] Do you know a lot about your audience, or do you serve a specific niche? Then Facebook is the place for you. Facebook tends to cost less than Google Paid Search but a little more than Google Display, and the audience targeting options are unique. 

Since people provide Facebook with information about themselves (like age, gender, interests, and life events) there are a lot of options available for getting your message in front of the right people. For example, if you sell wedding dresses online, you can show images of your beautiful dresses to brides-to-be who have gotten engaged in the past year. 

Another way to use Facebook [PPC] (one of our favorites on a tight budget), if you have a cross-sell product or service that you want to share with your current customers or members, you can upload a customer list to Facebook and show ads to existing customers. Cross-selling ads tend to cost very little to run and often convert at a much higher rate than traditional ads. 

Want to talk to a strategist to evaluate which platform is right for you? 

2. How Do You Track PPC Results?

Click-Through Rate, Conversions, and Cost Per Conversion should be the KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) used by PPC agencies. If they only focus on clicks or CTR and not Conversions or conversion rate there is something wrong. You’ll know you are headed in the right direction if you see the three things above. 

As you can see at the end of this case study, our agency focuses on conversions (sales/leads), and the agency you hire should too.

According to HubSpot; half of all small businesses are using PPC, so businesses who want to compete cannot afford to ignore these channels. 

3. Are We the Right Fit for Each Other? 

A lot of PPC agencies only work within specific niches, or with certain sized companies. Be sure to ask the agency what niches, or business models they specialize in. Or if they have any minimum spend requirements. 

We have a proven track record with credit unions, small, local businesses, and online B2C product sales. However, we love getting to know new clients and figuring out how we can help. 

If you are interested in the Google Display “online billboard”, the minimum threshold is $900 per month, and price minimums for Google Paid Search and Facebook are closer to the $1,500-$2,000 range. 

4. Are you currently taking on new clients? 

With everything moving online PPC agencies are getting overwhelmed with the demand, so it might be hard to find ones that are currently taking on new clients. Please contact us below to find out if we are currently accepting new clients.