Effective online marketing for your SMB comes in many forms. Emphasizing proper SEO and specific keywords is great and are often the first avenue business take when pursuing virtual identity. However, a savvy business owner knows that far more can be done to improve your ability to reach more potential customers. Paid Advertisements are among the more profitable ways to enhance your online marketing campaign and grow your business.
What are Paid Advertisements?
Essentially, Paid Advertisements are exactly what they sound like. Much like having a billboard provides a way for customers in the real world to have information about a business, Paid Advertisements are used to place ads right in client's faces while they are searching online. These ads are placed on websites frequented by customers and designed to maintain a constant contact point for your business. By giving customers a continual way to see your brand, you can promote brand loyalty and influence new customers to visit your site. Paid Advertisements can come in many forms, but the most popular types are PPC and PPV.
What is PPC?
PPC means Pay Per Click. These ads are costed by how many people click on the ad. PPC ads are excellent for enticing visitors to your site and can garner many clicks each day. The only downside to this type of ad is in the event you have many, many clicks in one day, your account will be charged for each one, so this form of advertising can potentially cost you substantially. Most PPC ads cost $.01 per click, but some PPC ads on some of the more affluent sites can cost up to $14.00 per click.
Business owners must know how much each PPC ad costs and ensure they have enough capital to substantiate those costs. When using PPC ads, you recommend that you link the ad to a squeeze page that allows you to receive information about prospective customers. Information such as an email address, name, or phone number, can help your PPC ad do more for your business marketing campaign.
Benefits of PPC Marketing
- Easily Measurable and Trackable
- Quick Results
- Allows You to Control Your Reach
- Works Alongside Other Marketing Channels
- Great at Targeting Specific Customers
What is PPV?
PPV stands for Pay Per View. Generally speaking, a business owner might think that paying for views on a specific advertisement would be substantially more expensive than PPC. Still, this form of advertising is actually far less expensive. Instead of charging for each view, as with PPC, PPV is usually paid out in groups of 1000 views. On average, you can expect $.30 for 1000 views of your ad. PPV ads can prove highly profitable, but there is a downside to this form of online marketing as well. Just because an ad receives, many, many views do not mean it will have any actionable response to the site. Startup costs for PPV ads can range from $25 all the way to $1000, depending on which hosting site you use the service from.
Benefits of PPV?
- Endless Earnings Potential
- PPV Networks Often Offer Amazing Support
- Little to No Risk of Account Bans
- Unlimited Traffic Potential
- Direct Linking to Landing Page is Acceptable
How to Choose
Finding what is exactly right for your business can be difficult when trying to determine an avenue for effective online marketing may seem like a challenge, but it is simply about knowing what you want from your business and where you see your growth potential. When choosing PPC vs. PPV ads for your business, evaluate your needs.
PPC can prove remarkably effective for businesses with more substantial financial backing or generating high profitability already. The same, however, can be said of PPV. Investing in a hosting site that offers high-end PPV packages will substantiate even more growth for already successful businesses.
As for smaller businesses, or startups who have yet to achieve greatness, PPC ads might become a bit of a challenge. However, when employed correctly and marketed to the right avenues, the investment can lead to substantial and quick growth. PPV for small businesses and startups remains one of the more affordable but effective options as the company pays for groupings of views, making it easier to have ads based on a smaller budget.
If all comes down to choices and which choice you choose with PPV vs. PPC ads can allow your business to thrive or inhibit growth. Take the time to examine your goals, ability to take risks, and perspective ROI in regards to both PPV and PPC ads to help determine what works best for your business model. The next step in our online marketing journey can take you even further, and it's called Link Building Strategy.