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Quit Believing These 10 Myths About PPC

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Quit-Believing-These-10-Myths-About-PPC.

 

There are a lot PPC advertising myths that get significant air time. Some of those myths are even promoted by PPC agencies.

 

They should know better. Sadly, though, they lead their clients to believe outright falsehoods regarding PPC.

 

Here are 10 PPC myths you should stop believing right now.

1. You’re Guaranteed a Positive ROI

 

“You want a positive return on investment! Run more ads!”

 

That’s what they’ll tell you. Unfortunately, they’re wrong.

 

Not every ad campaign is a winner. If that were the case, then hardly any business would go bankrupt.

 

Some ad campaigns fail. That’s the nature of the business.


Don’t think that just because you’re running ads, you’re guaranteed to give your bottom line a boost.

 

If you ads are not getting positive return overall, it is important to really dig into the account and find where the money is being lost. Many times, there will be some campaigns that are profitable and others that are not. It is just a matter of putting in the time and working with a company who understands this.

2. You Can Run a Campaign With the Click of a Button

 

“Your ad can be running in minutes with just the click of a button!”

You can probably find verbiage similar to that on numerous ad network sites. But it’s all hype.

 

If you want an effective ad campaign, you’re going to need to do a lot more than just click a button.

 

You are going to need to select your targeting. This involves selecting keywords, websites, demographics, etc. You are going to need to create landing pages, funnels and calls to action. You are going to need to write copy and select images. If you really want to get the biggest return, you need to take the time to set things up properly.

3. It Doesn’t Matter Which PPC Company You Pick, They’re All the Same

 

“All those PPC agencies are pretty much the same, anyway.”

 

No, they aren’t.

 

Some are better than others at managing your ad spend. Some are more suited than others to your industry. Also, some companies focus on local PPC, others focus on national and finally there are those that focus on international.

 

Let’s take that a step further…

 

Some focus on lead generation, others eCommerce, some branding and it even gets more complicated when you get down to the types of networks. There are some that only do Facebook, while others that offer some or all of the following.

 

  • Facebook

  • Remarketing

  • Bing

  • YouTube

  • Display

  • Etc.

 

And some just don’t care about what you do or how successful you are as long as they get your money. Make sure you ask questions that are specific to your pay per click marketing needs so you can select a company that can deliver.

4. You Can’t Talk to Your Account Manager

 

“Everything is automated. Why would you need to talk to an account manager?”

 

First of all, everything isn’t automated.

 

Second, you do need to talk to an account manager from time to time. That’s especially true if you have questions or concerns about how your money is being spent. In fact, you don't want to just be able to speak to an account manager. You also want to be able to speak to the person actually optimizing your account. This makes all the difference, as nothing is lost in translation.

5. You Have to Use Google AdWords

 

“Google AdWords is the best! Why would you want to use anything else?”

 

Maybe Google AdWords is best for your business. But maybe it isn’t.

 

The reality is that there other other PPC ad networks that you can use instead of or in addition to Google AdWords.

 

If you’re promoting something directly to consumers, you might find that Facebook advertising gives you a better bang for your buck. If you’re running a B2B business, then maybe LinkedIn advertising is your ticket to success.

Just don’t fall for the myth that you must use AdWords.

 

It is really important you evaluate all the ad network options out there. Some will be much more profitable for you than others. The issue is, many companies only specialize in one network, so they often push you into the one they are most familiar with. Make sure you review all the options and speak with a variety of different companies.

6. PPC Companies Care About the Success of Your Business

 

“We succeed if you succeed!”

 

That sounds catchy, but it’s really not true. If you go bankrupt, your PPC company will still probably carry on.

 

That’s why you shouldn’t believe that any PPC company will go out of its way to ensure that you’re profitable. You’ll have to perform your own due diligence to make sure that your advertising campaign gives you a positive return. That is why it is important to have a basic understanding of how pay per click works before making the big hire. This could save you thousands.

 

When speaking with the company, notice if they have a big focus on whether or not they can actually deliver the results you need. This is a good indicator of their values.

7. PPC Is the Solution You’re Looking For

 

“Your sales are down? Why not run more ads!”

 

If only it was the simple.

 

No, you can’t necessarily rescue your failing business just by running more ads. In fact, you might just drain the remaining working capital that you have. Sometimes sure you can do this, but not all the time.

 

Consider all possibilities about why your sales are down before reaching the conclusion that advertising will save you. You can usually find almost all of these answers in Google Analytics, if you know how to use the software.

8. The Conversion Rate Is All That Matters

 

“If you have a high conversion rate, your sales will go through the roof!”

 

That isn’t necessarily the case.

 

Why? Because your conversion rate will change based on how much you spend, your targeting and your landing page. It also depends on how much your price your product and other things of that nature.

 

Absolutely, a good conversion rate is desirable. But you need to understand why. For example, you may be offering your product at a very large discount, killing your margins, which results in you doing all this work for nothing.

 

When you have a good conversion rate there is always a reason why. On the other hand, if you don’t, there is also a reason. It is important that you and your PPC manager understand the subtle aspects of the business in this area.

9. The Top Position Means the Best Return

 

“With PPC advertising, you can land at the #1 spot in Google. That will give you the best possible return!”

 

No, that’s not necessarily true.

 

Why? Because the window-shoppers often click on the #1 spot. They visit the site, forcing the business to pay for the click, but they don’t become customers.

 

Weirdly enough, it’s sometimes better to land in the #2 or #3 spot than the #1 spot.

While this is generally the case, it is important to understand that if you are investing heavily in remarketing and potentially have a long sales cycle, you might want that #1 spot. As it will allow you to ensure you cookie the user and remarket to them through the sales cycle.

10. If You Want More Conversions, Add More Keywords

 

“If you’re not seeing the conversion rate you want, just add some more keywords!”

 

Unfortunately, that’s false.

 

If you do add more keywords, you’ll probably just burn through your advertising dollars much sooner with nothing to show for it.

 

You might see the number of ad impressions increase, but you probably won’t see a better return on your advertising dollars. Adding keywords is not always the answer, instead focus on the ones driving the biggest returns and doubledown.

 

It's Not All Negative, Far From It!

 

Don’t get the wrong impression of pay per click, it is one of the best ways to drive revenue, leads and awareness online.

 

But, like with any industry, there are things to watch out for. Some of these companies get so large they stop caring about the client and hire unqualified staff. That is really what drives the issues.

 

That being said, I believe when done right pay per click is one of the best ways to drive business online. Some of our clients make tens of millions of dollars a year through this form of advertising. You absolutely must test it for your business. Just ensure you get with the right partner for your business.

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