You know that feeling you get when you unwrap a gift and what’s inside isn’t what you were expecting. You try to freeze the smile on your face so that the look of disappointment doesn’t register and upset the gift-giver who’s anxiously awaiting your reaction. It’s the same feeling I hear from some business owners who have recently launched their first pay-per-click (PPC) campaign and don’t see the results they expected. But it can be avoided.

It’s easy to get frustrated with a new initiative when it doesn’t live up to your expectations. And let’s face it, there’s a lot of hype about PPC, SEO, and other digital marketing opportunities. The key is to not let unrealistic expectations or inexperience with the medium keep you from benefitting from what digital marketing has to offer.

Here are a few reasons why digital could be an attractive addition to your next campaign:

  1. Ability to target your audience – Does your primary audience include people living in Dallas who are online between 6:00 – 10:00 pm? PPC can reach them. Want to reach people who are fans of HGTV, are between the ages of 30-40, and enjoy cooking? Try Facebook ads. Just because your message could be seen by everyone online doesn’t mean it has to be. Take advantage of the ability to target specific audiences online and tailor your message accordingly.
  2. Immediate results – Tired of waiting weeks after your ad drops to see if it increased sales? When you run a PPC campaign, you can log into your management account anytime to track performance. You’ll see in real time which ads and keywords are driving the most clicks and conversions, and can optimize your campaign accordingly.
  3. Opportunity for change – If you discover that a headline or ad copy is outperforming others in your campaign, you can do something about it. Test headlines and copy, then optimize your campaign by driving traffic to your best performers. Take your findings and apply them to other messages and mediums. The possibilities are practically endless.

If you’ve sworn off digital marketing, I hope you’ll give it a second chance. Remember those disappointed marketers I mentioned? I’ve seen them go from frustrated to elated with the launch of a well-planned, strategic digital campaign. So start planning, and stay tuned for more tips on how to make digital work for you!

View similar posts: Digital Marketing, Marketing, Planning, PPC, Social Media, Web and Digital