The following article is part of the Small Business Ad Academy, offering marketing and social media advice for small businesses, presented by Chase Ink®.
More than one million businesses are using Google AdWords for one simple reason—it works. With millions of Google searches taking place every day, the potential for a business to be noticed by interested audiences—and have them consider making purchases—can be life-altering for an entrepreneur.
Especially important for the budget-conscious, any business seeking to further bolster visibility and sales through online searches can invest in Google AdWords for a relatively modest fee.
Unlike most other forms of traditional or online advertising, Google AdWords is a pay-per-click service. That means the business owner only has to pay Google when the ad actually works: when a consumer clicks on an ad to visit the company’s website. The amount a company pays is directly tied to the success of the ad.
Plus, by purchasing these types of ad placements with a business credit card, small business owners may be eligible to earn rewards on their purchases—further benefiting the business. With Chase Ink Business PreferredSM you can earn 3X points on advertising purchases made with search engines and social media sites and in other select categories.
According to Google, creating an AdWords campaign is a simple and speedy process. Interested business owners are encouraged to take these steps:
- Write a compelling call-to-action: Each AdWords ad should include a simple, obvious and urgent next step for interested searchers to take. For instance, if “Free Shipping” is available for all orders or a 50 percent discount only lasts for 12 more hours—say so!
- Pick relevant keywords: It is important that the words selected dovetail with the terms people are most likely to search for, and that match the message in the ads. Seeking a broad audience? Then include more general keywords, like “bracelets.” If the target needs to be more pinpointed, carefully select more specific keywords, like “designer bracelets.”
- Target geographically: A local lawnmower repair business won’t benefit from international queries. So, entrepreneurs must focus each ad with the right words that ensure only relevant audiences will take action. The Google AdWords geographic targeting options will limit advertising to a specific area.
- Measure, measure, measure: Business owners can easily review their results, and should do so regularly. Then, subsequent ads can be revised or repurposed accordingly. Also, AdWords easily integrates with Google Analytics, a free product to help get even more insights about how campaigns are performing.
Small businesses can make a big impact on sales with Google AdWords and other social media marketing tactics.