Top 5 Paid Advertising Mistakes

With 43% of small businesses choosing PPC, the statistics prove just how popular this outreach method is. While you may think it sounds simple to create an ad and deliver it to an intended audience, there is a lot of complex strategy behind the task. 

As experts in supporting small and medium-sized companies to make the most out of their budgets, we see mistakes commonly being made, which result in a loss of budget and a lack of results. 

Keep reading to learn how you can avoid the top paid advertising pitfalls.

What Is Paid Advertising?

Paid Advertising Refers to Any Form of Advertising for Which a Company or Marketer Pays in Exchange for Ad Space or Placement, as Opposed to Owned or Earned Media. It Typically Involves a Financial Transaction Between Advertisers and the Owner of the Advertising Space, With the Most Popular Platforms Including Google Ads and Facebook.

The Purpose of Paid Advertising Is to Reach a Specific Target Audience and Drive Desired Actions, Such as Website Visits, Conversions, or Brand Awareness.

Why Is Paid Advertising Important?

• Paid advertising can increase brand awareness by as much as 80%. This is because while the purpose is to gain conversions and click-throughs, becoming known by your target consumer through repeated result appearances is also a goal of PPC. 
• 70% of consumers prefer to shop online, meaning digital ads are your best way of being noticed.
• It shows that your brand is relevant and can compete within busy markets. 
• SEO also feeds into paid ads, with the content improving your domain authority and overall online presence.
• Consumers trust paid ads and are likely to click on them as they trust what Google and other search engines tell them. 
• You can also learn a lot from paid ads regarding audience and demographics. This information can then be used to shape other marketing efforts for better results.
• ROI can also be measured in detail through paid advertising.

Main Paid Advertising Mistakes:

1. Not knowing your target audience or having a strategy in place.

Knowing the target audience is crucial in pay-per-click (PPC) advertising campaigns. Identifying the ideal customers can help craft a message that speaks directly to their needs and desires, resulting in more effective ads and a better return on investment.

This can then be tied into your content and financial strategy to stop you from losing money. Managing campaigns with your target audience in mind also allows you to get the content spot on. 

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2. Using the wrong content.

The first point leads us nicely to the topic of content. 

Paid advertising will deliver your ad to your chosen audience, but the messaging and image will compel them to visit your website. This is because content plays a vital role in advertising as it directly affects how well messages resonate with the target audience and influences their buying decisions.

A mixture of emotive copy, targeted keywords and statements, plus standout graphics and imagery must always be used. This also needs to match the messaging style on your website for continuity purposes.

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3. Not considering your call to action and landing pages.

Website visitors can click off a website as quickly as they arrive if they don't think it is for them. Your landing page needs to be equipped and ready to convert customers in a short space of time. 

This means your messaging needs to further develop the story outlined in the paid ad and that any branding should be the same as what you have already showcased. Not doing this could lead customers to be turned cold as there will always be someone else possibly doing things better.

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4. Wasting budget and not operating reactively.

Using your paid advertising budget wisely is critical to maximising your promotional campaign's resources.

You will find that constant attention is needed for paid campaigns, as what could be working one minute could be haemorrhaging money the next! Always be mindful of your overall budget and weave the spending into your strategy and perceived ROI.

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5. Not planning follow-up activities.

As is the case with all marketing campaigns, follow-up is essential for converting customers and ensuring they remain loyal.

When it comes to paid campaigns, this may be a retargeting campaign or a separate outreach method if you managed to obtain their contact information. Without doing this, you are less likely to achieve a high ROI.

How Can Kopa Help With Paid Marketing?

At KopaMarketing we have fine tuned out paid advertising services to achieve results every time. 

We offer both Facebook Advertising and Google Advertising that offer everything from strategy to campaign execution. Thanks to our in-house creative teams and paid ad experts, this is a simple process for us which we then confidently manage hands-on to take the pressure away from you. 

To learn more, contact us today or view our case studies.

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