PSA to the solopreneur or small business owner who is keen on Google Ads or Facebook ads: I want to help. But it may not be right for you!
Listen to this on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
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This article is especially for you if you’re on the fence about using ads, because you may have heard bad experiences with agencies…
Related: Get the most out of your agency – THE DIGITAL PICNIC.
I’ve probably said this before in some form or another, but I’ll say it again… Lots of small and solo business owners are pursuing digital ads when they won’t benefit from them. It’s especially not good if you’re paying for a management fee on top of your ad spend, and not making money back on your investment.
Have you got the wrong idea about Google Ads?
I get the impression that people think Google Ads (formerly Google Adwords) work like this:
- Appear on Google.
- Someone clicks.
- You get a sale!
But it’s more nuanced than that. Especially if you’re not selling an everyday commodity and price is your point of difference. (You’re not a race to the bottom seller, are you?)
Before starting Google Ads, you need…
Before starting Google Ads, you need a really great grasp of your money.
The less we know about your customer value, incomings, outgoings, etc. the worse a time we’re going to have with Google Ads.
If you’re a service business, and you don’t know what your cost per lead is (or what you want it to be), we’re going to struggle with Google Ads.
If you’re an eCommerce business, and you don’t know what your AOV, we’re going to struggle with Google Ads.
So before you start, get a good grasp of your numbers. Your Google Ads specialist will thank you! And even if you’re not ready, they should be able to point you in the right direction!
Before starting any online ads, you need…
Before starting any online ads, Facebook, Instagram, Google, or otherwise, we need understanding of your ideal customer.
- Who are they?
- Where are they?
- What do they desire?
- What’s happened recently in their life or business?
- What problem they’re trying to solve. (In what way do they describe this?)
- What words or images make them say, “shut up and take my money”? (In other words, which of your organic marketing materials made them react in that way?)
If none of those things are well defined at all, we’re going to be doing a lot of trial-and-error with your paid ads.
And so of course, if we have too many unknowns, then we might conclude that “ads are a waste”.
On the flipside, if we have proof from our existing, organic (i.e. unpaid) marketing material, we can use that as a guide on what to say in our ads!
Summary — are paid ads right for you? Right now?
In my experience working in agencies managing Google Ads, I can say I’ve encountered a lot of, “Yes we can!” situations.
But just because one has the technical know-how to set up and run ads, does not mean it’s the right thing to do for your business… Maybe not now. Maybe not ever.
Related: The Agency Business Model Is Broken, What Do We Do Instead? (my presentation at WordCamp Sydney)
If it’s not going to be profitable, if it’s not going to bring multiples of your investment back… Why do it?
Don’t make donations to the advertising companies if you’re not going to get anything back.
There are many other avenues to explore to get your business out there. Paid ads don’t have to be your starting point — Especially if we have very little data to work from.
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