Should Your Company be Using Paid Ads to Help Generate Online Traffic

With so many people now running businesses entirely online and so many consumers engaging with businesses in the same way, it is no surprise that the number of organisations paying for online ads continues to increase. Google is currently the largest digital ad seller in the world, with Facebook coming in second having 6 million active advertisers, followed by the likes of Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. 

With such a huge amount of paid advertising happening online all over the world, it’s only natural that you, as a business owner, are considering doing the same. However, you may also be wondering how beneficial this would actually be. Here we will discuss whether your company should consider using paid advertising. 

What Actually is Paid Advertising Online? 

Paid advertising works differently online compared to the real world. Whereas in the real world your business might pay for a billboard or the ability to place an advert in the paper, generally speaking, most paid advertising online is generated by PPC (pay-per-click). 

All of the large advertisers tend to adopt this method including the likes of Google Ads, Facebook and Twitter. It means that you will be charged for advertising services as people click on that ad. Most sites allow you to set a limit on what you would like to be charged, so once that limit has been met, your ad will be taken down. It’s a fair system and one that a lot of companies are now utilising; however, that being said, how effective is it? 

The Benefits of Paid Advertising 

1. It Generates Fast Results 

Organic content on social media does not generate as many results or as much growth as it used to. Paid advertising guarantees you and your business reach, which can then be used to build your brand and continue to grow. This reach can be beneficial on social media as well as Google, where a paid advertisement can push your website to the front page for specific search terms. 

2. They are Affordable and Measurable

The amount you pay for paid advertising depends entirely on your objective or on the type of ad that you would like to run. If you are looking to drive traffic towards your website then you will pay for every click; however, if you want overall brand awareness, you’ll pay for every thousand or so impressions. 

It is easy to keep track of the money you are spending with ads. If you have a specific budget then sites like Google, Facebook and Twitter let you set one so that you never overspend on campaigns. They are incredibly cost effective as with paid ads online, you are paying depending on how much they work, as opposed to other methods such as billboards where you pay for an ad and hope that it works. 

3. You Can Target Your Ads

You can specify when taking out paid ads the kind of audience you are hoping to reach. If you sell a specific product or offer a specific service, your ads can be targeted towards people who look for similar things. 

Not to mention, once someone has clicked on your ad then you can use a retargeting campaign in order to keep driving that customer back and continuing to engage with them. This means you are not just getting new customers but keeping them as well. 

4. You Can Use Multiple Platforms 

Thanks to Facebook’s new Cross Platform Messenger Service, this is a benefit that is only likely to get better. You can make banners and images and display them across multiple different sites that offer advertising services. These include: 

• Facebook;
• Google;
• Instagram;
• LinkedIn;
• Reddit;
• Snapchat; and
• Twitter. 

With such a variety of options and due to the multiple campaigns that you can use on each of these sites, there is advertising out there that will suit every business’s needs. Your brand and message can be tailored depending on which site you are using, meaning you can see which one’s work and which don’t and focus more on the working sites in the future. This can help with generating new customers and consequently, with the overall growth of your business. 

The Limitations of Paid Advertising 

1. They Require Time Investment 

Because of the fact you are putting money into these adverts, you need to ensure that what you are paying for is working. This means that it is difficult to simply set up advertising campaigns and leave them, they need to be monitored to ensure the traffic they’re driving is beneficial to your business and assess whether they need altering. 

2. They Can Be Difficult to Set-Up 

A lot of advertising facilities for these different sites will come with set advertising templates to follow; however, if you want to stand out from the crowd and create adverts that are unique to your brand, it can take a lot of practice. Setting up a good ad campaign requires skills, which is why many companies now opt to use specialists such as Digital Marketing Agencies to set up the most eye-catching adverts possible. 

3. Costs Can Add Up If You Let Them 

If you don’t monitor the amount you are spending on your campaigns, you could end up wasting money. Allocating a budget is extremely important and even then, you need to be constantly assessing whether those clicks that you are paying for are turning into genuine work. If they aren’t, then you could be paying for an advertising campaign that isn’t right for you. 

So, Should You Be Using Paid Ads? 

The short answer is yes. Paid ads are an incredibly efficient way of reaching a lot of people in a short amount of time. You can also customise these ads and your ad campaigns depending on what your business does, meaning there is a good chance these will lead to positive growth for your company.  

That being said, paid advertising also has its limitations. They need to be monitored frequently to ensure that the money you are spending on them is worth it as clicks to your site do not immediately lead to sales. The skills required in order to set up the right advertising campaign can also be tricky. 

It is for these reasons that a lot of people opt to use Digital Marketing Agencies such as YouYaa for assistance with setting up paid ads and helping their businesses grow. If you would like more information on what YouYaa could do for your company then you should get in touch today to find out.