Paid Advertising Tips For Small Businesses In Portland

Paid advertising tips for small businesses

Are you dreaming of growing your small business in Portland? Are you storming the internet for marketing strategies that will help make this dream into reality? Well you have found the right article, because we have the best option for you….We can sum it up in 3 simple words: Pay-per-click (PPC).

PPC Marketing

PPC is one of the best business tools you can use to advertise your business.

You would not want to spend too much money on something you are unsure of and PPC is an advertising strategy where you pay for every ad clicked. It is like investing $5 on an ad with the possibility of making $500 from it (depending on your niche and lifetime customer value).

With PPC, choosing the right keywords and which landing pages your campaign will direct visitors to is essential. Here are of 7 of the best PPC networks that you can utilize for your business suc.

Facebook Ads Marketing

With Facebook advertising, your ads are presented in two different formats, it can be in the form of a video ad or a photo ad. These ads/promotions have more exposure, because it is inserted seamlessly on the user’s feed, and is a lot harder to block. On top of that, you can target your audience through their interests which is harder on other social media platform ads. With over 2.6 billion users, you don’t want to miss out on the potential of getting in front of your audience using social media advertising with Facebook Ads.

Facebook will also help you optimize your ads to fit both website formats and mobile app formatting. 

Instagram Ads Marketing

Instagram works the same as Facebook (or close to it). Utilizing Instagram can reach more users and bring an increase in clicks and potential targeted leads to your local business. On instagram, your ads will show up in the user’s feed, but they also offer an option for Stories Ads. Instagram stories are becoming more popular these days. Stories typically are either photos and videos you take throughout the day that last only 24 hours. Your ads are inserted in the middle of the stories of people you follow. If viewers watch the whole ad, they then have the option to swipe up to take them to your website or landing page. Stories Ads are just one of six ad forms that you can choose from on Instagram to help grow your business.

Pinterest Ads Marketing

With 200 million monthly active users, Pinterest is another network to seriously consider. Pinterest ads are a little different in how they look. Pinterest ads are shown as ‘pins’ on potential customers feeds, so it looks like it blends in. Ads are then placed on their websites and mobile applications.

Keep in mind that most Pinterest users are mainly composed of women. Some of these women have up to a hundred thousand dollar worth of household earnings. This is great news if this fits your business niche and even better news if your business specifically caters to women. Search queries on Pinterest are much more general than other social media platforms. This will require you to take a little more time in researching keywords so you can specifically target the right client. Sharing and saving of the pin’s that you advertise will help you get that audience you are going for, and thus likely turn into profit.

Twitter Ads Marketing

On Twitter, you have a much wider audience, but you can filter your potential audience based on their interest, gender, device, and network. Ad formats on Twitter are in the form of tweets that may contain images, videos, GIFS, or just simply plain text. One thing to note is that Twitter literally has little to no downtime. There are posts and hashtags 24/7 around the clock and it has roughly 300 million monthly active users. If you have a very clear target audience and you are great with hashtags, consider Twitter a posible option for your social media marketing campaign.

Linkedin Marketing

If Twitter and Facebook didn’t fit the bill, Linkedin could be another option. On Linkedin, you can filter potential customers and clients by job title, industry, and location. Linkedin ads are usually offered through content and in direct messages. With approximately 630 million adults, professionals, and business owners, Linkedin is ideal if you are looking to target on a B2B level (business to business). This can be a great option for local marketing.

Bing Ads Marketing

Bing is the network behind both Bing and Yahoo search engines. What this means is that Bing can give you a wide audience to reach. Bing’s search engine (although way smaller than Google) still gets millions of searches every day. Because it is smaller than Google, you can take advantage of offers and great deals when it comes to buying advertisements. A Bing ad might only cost you $.01 per click. This can give you a lot of room for testing and getting a good ROI on your ad spend.  

Google Ads Marketing

Google Ads paid search, holds its reputation for being the king of PPC. This is the most used network for business owners across all platforms when it come to PPC. These ads will appear at the top of searches on Google based on what keywords you chose. Google Ads also offers third party website advertising. Third-party websites are sites or apps from other companies that are a part of the google Adsense networks. These website essentially offer this because when they get the clicks on their website, they get a little piece of the revenue.

Since Google is the king of PPC, there is a continuous escalation in their prices/costs. Compared to the networks mentioned above, Google Ads typically cost more, but it truly serves and delivers its purpose. 

Small Business Advertising Ideas To Get More Customers

As a small business, if you mix Google Ads with amazing onsite search engine optimization, you will get an amazing one-two punch which is what we like to use as a successful business strategy for a lot of our clients.

Whatever business strategy you decide on, pay-per-click ads will help give you an added boost to both your brand & online presence.

If you are not sure who your audience is & what they are really searching online, reach out to us & we can help put together a list of keywords that work best for your niche. Once you know what people are searching for, you can then choose the best platform that will give you the highest ROI for your online advertising campaign.

For more information on local marketing, you might want to read our article on local advertising ideas for small businesses.

For more information on Search Engine Optimization, please visit our Portland SEO Company Page. 

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7 Marketing Ideas That Will Help grow Your Plumbing Business

Plumber marketing image

From the moment that idea pops up in your mind to the opening of your doors to the public, you must know that running a plumbing business is not an easy task.

A good marketing strategy is essential to make your name stand out from the rest of the crowd. Luckily, the digital age has blessed the industry with an abundance of ideas that you can use for your own business. Getting your name out there doesn’t have to be rocket science, you just need the right tools and a comprehensive plan to make it on top.

And we are here to help you.

This article is dedicated to providing you with handy marketing ideas that will generate more leads and sales for your business. Let’s dive into it!

The Golden Rule: Boost Your Online Presence

Perhaps everything boils down to this.

Everyone has a phone they can easily use if the situation asks for it. When someone suddenly finds out that they have a burst pipe, they can just grab their phone and search for the nearest plumbing business that will immediately resolve their problem. When that happens, you have to be on the first page of the search results. You have to be visible as much as possible to put your name at the forefront of your potential customers’ minds.

We listed tried and tested ways so you can beef up your online reputation. Let’s start with the most obvious one:

1. Create a Functional Website

Don’t get us wrong, we think that the aesthetics of your website is still important. But the priority has to be on the functionality. It should load fast, you don’t want to keep your customers waiting. The website should contain accurate information and details about your business, you don’t want your customers to call a competitor. Make it easy for them to request your services. It’s all about the user experience that you provide for them. See, you can have a simple website, but when it’s able to give what your customers are looking for, then it’s safe to say that they will consider doing business with you.

If you don’t know where or how to start, there are platforms such as WordPress that allows you to build your website without breaking the bank. Set up your website and see for yourself the difference it makes.

2. Use Customers’ Reviews To Your Advantage

This might scare some businesses. Why? Well, it’s not always rainbows and butterflies when it comes to the customers’ feedback. So the big question is this, how can you benefit from customers’ reviews?

One thing to do is to accept reality. People will always have negative things to say. Your response to the situation is what matters. When someone leaves a positive review, be professional, and thank them for it. When a negative review shows up, stretch your arms and back because it’s time to show your customer service skills. Handle the situation properly by asking them to reach out to you for further assistance. The next time a prospect sees your response to poor reviews, it will give them the impression that you genuinely care for your customers and they will have more confidence in your business. After all, you have to go inside people’s houses to do your job. Trust is very important.

  Portland SEO Services 3. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

This is a no-brainer.

If you want to increase your visibility and relevance to other people, then this is a sure way to do it. People are more likely to learn about new businesses through online research. Your goal is to be on that first page for as long as possible and excellent SEO allows you to do that. Invest in your SEO; learn the basics, ask the experts, and make it a habit to constantly improve it. Driving more organic traffic to your website will give your business more chances of turning visitors to returning customers.

4. Share Your Expertise Through Blog Posts

Creating helpful content to potential customers will greatly help your SEO. How? Let’s say you posted an article about solutions on plumbing problems and you included the right keywords, this allows you to rank high on search results. Search engines look for new and fresh content. If you are consistent with posting the latest content, then the favor will always be on your side. Another big plus, you get to showcase your knowledge on plumbing and add credibility to your business. A win-win situation.

  5. Pay Per Click AdvertisingPPC Management

Some will say that when a customer sees that “ad” word, it automatically throws them off. While we cannot deny that this is somehow true, it’s good to know that there’s always the other side. When a customer needs immediate assistance over their clogged sink or faulty water heater, discovering your plumbing business through advertisements won’t matter to them. Advertising remains an effective strategy of reaching out to potential customers and attracting them to choose your business. This is how this works: you bid on keywords and phrases and when someone searches for them, your website is guaranteed to appear on the results. You get charged for every click that your ad receives. A well-thought plan on how you will use this kind of advertising will help your business to receive good results.

6. Facebook Advertising

When launching an online advertising campaign, you should not forget the audience that Social media holds. Facebook allows you to customize your advertisements in so many ways. If you want to be specific in terms of age, location, and even behavior of the audience you want to target, then Facebook got you covered on that. This allows your advertisement to pique the interest of the right people and when that happens, convincing them to convert will be second nature to your business.

7. Google My Business Listing

Don’t overlook this powerful tool. Don’t make the mistake of other businesses. As soon as you start your operations, take the effort to set up your Google My Business listing. It doesn’t even take too much of your time – you just need to provide a company name, location, and necessary contact information. When you already have your listing, then your business will be more visible to potential customers near you. When a person has a problem, they will look for a solution. And they want it fast. It’s the same thing to plumbing businesses. You want to be there when customers look for quick solutions to their problems. A strong Google my business listing is your best bet. Oh, and did we say the best part? It’s free. Another reason to claim that listing. Go for it.

plumbing parts

Do The Work and Be that “Go-to” Plumbing Business

You can do it.

We know that the plumbing market can be too crowded and it can be overwhelming. But this is why we made this list of marketing ideas for your business. You just have to know where to start and you will eventually know how the industry works. Of course, you have to couple your digital marketing with excellent service. But we know that you already have that. Don’t wait for your success to sink. Or go down the drain. We know that you make a living by fixing the broken, but you don’t have to wait for your business to “break” before you take any action. Make a great marketing strategy from these ideas, serve your customers well, and take hold of success.

How To Get Started

If you would like us to look at your business and put together a personalized plan for you, just follow the button below for a free website review:

Free Website Review

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