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Google Ads: 5 Mistakes Beginners Often Make

StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article |Google Ads|Google Ads: 5 Mistakes Beginners Often MakeUsing Google ads for the first time can be a bit of a baptism of fire. Mistakes can be very costly and leave a large hole in your marketing budget for very little return.

The rewards are there if you know how to get them. Using a Google ads specialist, for instance, will ensure that you don’t make any rookie errors and get the best return on your investment in terms of driving traffic to your site and winning new customers.

Here is a look at some of the classic mistakes that are often made when you are unfamiliar with how to get the best out of Google ads.

Understand how to set your budget correctly

The way that Google works seems straightforward when it comes to setting a daily and monthly budget spend but it can be all too easy to overspend.

The confusion comes from the fact that you enter a daily limit for your marketing budget but could end up almost doubling that figure. The reason for this is down to the fact that Google averages out your spending over 30 days.

A good way of budgeting accurately would be to use an account spending limit. That way you know that you will have a better chance of avoiding an overspend scenario.

Learn about pinning

A lot of Google ads newbies tend to pin every headline and description response. The problem with that is it does not give Google the flexibility it needs to combine your assets in a variety of different ways.

Aim to only pin the most important descriptions and headlines that you want to be included in your ad copy.


Make sure you exclude display network

When you are setting up your search campaign it is essential that you omit the Display Network option and opt for a separate Display Campaign instead.

The reason for doing this is that it gives you much better attribution. This allows you to get more informative insights into the effectiveness of each campaign.

Don’t be tempted by auto-applied recommendations

Google Ads has started selling its ad performance recommendations. These operate without human intervention and do not give you the results and performance you might be expecting.

The best approach is to opt out of this and navigate your way around the recommendation tab within Google Ads to choose the recommendations manually. Once you know which ones are best for you it is then possible to manipulate the auto-recommendations to your preferences.

Check your conversion settings

It is vital that you set up your conversions accurately. If you don’t, you will suffer the consequences of inaccurate or broken conversion tracking. Your decisions could also be based on incorrect assumptions and data.

A good housekeeping strategy would be to review the conversion setting on a regular basis. That gives you the opportunity to pause any conversions that are no longer required. This will make tracking easier and more effective.

It is perfectly possible to create a Google Ad campaign that really hits the spot and delivers great results. You just need to have the know-how to be able to use the system and settings to your best advantage.

Three digital marketing techniques your company should try in 2021

StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article |Digital Marketing|Three digital marketing techniques your company should try in 2021Every business knows that marketing is important. After all, it doesn’t matter how fantastic your product or service is if no one knows about it! Traditionally a lot of advertising was done in newspapers or magazines and even direct mail, but these days the digital sphere is undoubtedly the most powerful arena in which to do your marketing. Regardless of the size of your company and the industry in which you work, having a professional quality website and decent online presence is vital. With that in mind, here are three digital marketing techniques that your business should definitely consider trying in 2021:

Content Marketing

Content marketing is a strategy that involves creating ‘valuable, relevant and consistent’ content that is aimed at a particular audience (for example, people of a certain age or gender or who have certain interests), with the intention of attracting and retaining customers. Right away you can probably see that this covers a huge range of materials, from infographics and podcasts to books and videos.

When it comes to your business, one of the simplest ways to get started with content marketing is by having a blog. The key factor here is to make sure that the articles you write are genuinely interesting and informative – they shouldn’t feel like marketing to the reader. If you can give your audience something of value, they will keep returning to your website and be more likely to convert into paying customers.

Paid Advertising

While content marketing has the advantage of being free (aside from paying your staff to write it!), sometimes there are advantages to using paid advertising too. Some of the most common examples of paid advertising are pay per click Google ads, product listing ads, video ads during YouTube content, and Facebook ads.

The world of paid advertising can be a confusing one, so if you’re not an expert in the area, then it may well be worth working with a professional agency such as Octiv Digital. They can help you to design the best adverts, decide where and when to place them, and manage them once they’re up. This is a great way to ensure that you get the best return on the money that you spend.

Social Media Marketing

Although Facebook ads must be paid for, there are ways to use social media for free marketing. By creating tailored content for the most relevant social media websites in terms of your target audience, you can boost engagement with your company, raise awareness of your brand, promote your products or services, and ultimately increase your sales.

Social media is actually one of the best ways to showcase your brand’s unique personality, thanks to its informal nature and opportunities for making direct connections with people. These days the majority of people use social media, so it’s a key place to advertise and build relationships – particularly if your target audience is young. Take a look at your top competitors and see how they use social media if you want some ideas to get you started!