Pay Per Click (PPC) is one of the most popular marketing methods for a good reason – it gives a great Return on Investment (ROI). At the same time, it’s not difficult to execute and get results quickly. But within the PPC world, there are many online platforms where you can spend your ad budget. The most popular include Google AdWords, Facebook, Bing, and LinkedIn Ads.
All of them have their pros and cons. It’s up to marketers to take a closer look at them and find a platform that will work best for their needs. There is no one-size-fits-all solution, meaning that if something works for a specific campaign, it might not be so good for yours.
So without further ado, let’s see what you should consider when choosing a PPC platform.
Usability and User Interface
Not all PPC platforms are created equal in terms of ease of use. Some platforms feature simplex dashboards with hundreds of settings. They might not be intuitive for someone who has limited experience in using PPC platforms.
If you are going to set up, launch, and manage your campaigns, you should consider using an intuitive platform. All platforms offer advanced settings, but some are more user-friendly than others—the importance of using a platform that is intuitive and suits your approach is undeniable.
Facebook Ads, for instance, has highly complex targeting options, but once you launch the campaign, the management becomes easy. With Google AdWords, the situation is the opposite. It lets you launch campaigns fast – but managing to bid, keyword targeting, and budgeting is tricky.
Integrations with PPC Automation Tools
Managing PPC campaigns in real-time can be a daunting task. It becomes more complicated the more keywords you target. This is why many marketers use PPC automation tools to streamline PPC campaign management. This is not the only benefit of PPC marketing automation.
It can significantly increase ROI, save time on your PPC campaigns, and automate lead generation and conversion optimization. If you want to benefit from these perks at some point in time, you should choose a platform with built-in support for automation, or support for integration with PPC automation tools.
Your Budget
For many marketers, their budget is their primary concern and the main factor that drives them to choose a specific PPC platform. You should know that different platforms charge differently per click. They all have unique pricing strategies and plans.
We won’t dive deep into the pricing analysis and cost-efficiency of using any particular PPC platform. There is one thing that you should know, though. If you target competitive keywords on search engines PPC platforms, such as Google and Bing Ads, you will need a substantial budget.
Targeting the same audiences on social media through Facebook and Twitter Ads can be significantly cheaper.
Amount of Traffic
All companies look to get as much traffic as possible on their ads. With more prospects on their website, they can generate more leads and capture more sales. Given how important it is, many businesses often seek out assistance from professionals to help them choose a PPC platform and run a campaign in their stead.
Generally speaking, if you want more traffic, you need to boost your reach. The best way to do it is to choose a platform that enables you to connect with the most potential customers. Google Ads is perhaps the best choice in this scenario because more than 1 billion people use it daily.
Your Target Audience
Depending on your target audience, some platforms might be better than others regardless of their total traffic. For instance, Google AdWords is great if you want to increase visibility and reach the most people.
However, if you know exactly who your potential customers are, Facebook Ads might be a better option. The platform comes with comprehensive targeting options, enabling you to get your ads in front of the right people.
The Size of your Business
Some platforms are better for smaller and local businesses, while others can yield better results for large organizations. Many enterprises use Google Ads because they have enough money to bid on keywords with large volumes.
Small businesses, however, opt for Bing Ads, which has many targeting options but less competition than Google. They also choose social media platforms, such as Twitter and Facebook Ads, since they have more control over ad cost.
What your Campaign Goals Are
Every business has unique goals. A PPC campaign should reflect these goals, which can include:
- Promoting brand awareness
- Generating leads
- Increasing sales
The platform choice depends on your goal. For instance, Facebook Ads are great for promoting brand awareness, thanks to many branding options in a brand awareness campaign.
Level of Competition
Finding a platform that doesn’t have much competition for your target audience and keywords is essential. To gain a competitive advantage, you first need to discover what the competition is doing, which calls for competitive analysis.
Generally speaking, most of the high-volume keywords are pretty competitive on both Google and Bing Ads platforms. To stay in the game, you will need to outbid the competition. The competitive analysis will provide you with actionable insights. You will be able to discover the best PPC platform for your specific use case, in terms of competition and the availability of your target audience.
Conclusion
Choosing the right PPC platform for your campaigns is not an easy task. Being thorough with your research is the best way to choose a PPC platform that suits your specific business needs and goals. Given how important it is, you should devote some time to follow through with all the tips that we’ve shared with you.
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