Running a service-based business can be undoubtedly lucrative, especially when you\u2019ve got the experience, tools and skills to build yourself a lifelong customer base.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But in today\u2019s highly competitive landscape, you need to do everything possible to maintain your edge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You know that marketing and advertising are essential to your continued growth and success, and these days, there\u2019s no marketing without the internet. But also know you\u2019re no expert in digital advertising \u2012 not to mention you\u2019re busy providing essential services to your clients!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To cut to the chase, you need to get the most bang for your advertising buck<\/strong>. And that means choosing the best PPC advertising channel<\/strong> for your service business from day one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I, for one, hate seeing time and money go to waste. So I\u2019ve put together some points to help you get off on the right foot and choose the right ad channel for your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read on to learn:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even a well-written marketing message with a strong creative direction is wasted if it doesn\u2019t reach the right audience. Focusing on the correct marketing channel is key.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s why you don\u2019t overhear ads for HR software while your toddlers are watching Sesame Street clips on YouTube Kids; nor do you typically see display ads for Sesame Street while you\u2019re browsing LinkedIn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, choosing the right advertising channel isn\u2019t always so cut-and-dry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chances are your audience is a lot broader than something like, \u2018kids age 2-4 who watch PBS\u2019 or \u2018tech-savvy HR professionals.\u2019 Say you offer a service like plumbing or auto repair. Your customers don\u2019t congregate on a particular channel at all \u2013 in fact, they\u2019re practically everywhere<\/em>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the other hand, your target audience could be also so specific<\/em> that there\u2019s simply no obvious, sure-fire avenue for reaching them. Say you\u2019re trying to sell turnkey co-packing services for burgeoning hot sauce companies in the Northeast U.S. with between $200K and $750K annual revenue. Last I checked, there\u2019s no such thing as Hotsaucebook<\/em> where all the hot sauce aficionados congregate\u2026and even if there were, they might not be the specific kind of aficionados you\u2019re looking for!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Put simply, choosing the right online advertising channel can be tricky. There are dozens to choose from, and not all of them will bring in the client and customer leads your business needs to grow. To begin, here are a few of the basic steps you must take to be properly equipped to decide which digital advertising channel your business needs right now. You can\u2019t advertise your business successfully without a basic understanding of the PPC landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The only way to fully leverage the power of internet marketing by yourself is by taking the initiative to learn about it on an elementary level. When you lack this baseline comprehension, it\u2019s far too easy to make costly mistakes (see: 5 Mistakes KILLING Your Google Ads Budget<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you haven\u2019t got time to hit the books, do yourself a favour and find yourself a lead generation partner who\u2019s already done the heavy lifting. You\u2019ll save yourself dozens of hours of trial-and-error, not to mention potentially thousands of dollars in spending gone astray! Understanding the costs involved in digital marketing channels will allow you to shape a budget on what\u2019s acceptable to spend. It\u2019ll also help you temper your expectations on what kind of funds should be poured into each channel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To illustrate, you could be earning $1,000,000 in revenue per week. If you\u2019re spending $1,000,001 per week to generate those sales, you\u2019re still in the hole $1.00! It\u2019s Business 101, but easy to lose sight of when you\u2019re still learning the ropes of a new advertising channel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are a couple of considerations to ponder over: For advertising to be profitable, and to decide the correct channels, you must know your objectives. Crafting an action plan is a must.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In an online marketing capacity, here are how goals align with strategies:<\/p>\n\n\n\n At first, you might want to start with a smaller budget to get things started with your digital marketing. Understand that there\u2019s a ceiling with how much success you\u2019ll find with this approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Overspending is even worse, but that\u2019s why you\u2019ve performed the necessary cost research. You must coordinate those industry-standard prices with what\u2019s affordable and makes sense for your current business model.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ll find that you\u2019ll be able to steadily grow your marketing budget to reflect your company\u2019s evolution. Getting positive results with any marketing strategy or campaign necessitates a deep insight into your audience. Otherwise, you won\u2019t know how to target your messaging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Any knowledgeable lead generation partner will utilize industry and competitor research tools to help you round up essential data about your target market, such as: Now that we\u2019ve offered some criteria involved in choosing the right internet ad channel, it\u2019s time to look at the channels you should be investigating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n1. Why You Must Spend Your Digital Ad Dollars (and Time) Wisely<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s start with the basics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n2. The 5 Time-Saving Steps to Take Before You Decide On a PPC Advertising Channel
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<\/p>\n\n\n\na. Familiarize Yourself with Forms of Online Marketing
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<\/p>\n\n\n\nb. Thoroughly Weigh the Costs
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<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\nc. Clearly Define Your Goals
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<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\nd. Craft a Budget
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<\/p>\n\n\n\ne. Tune into Your Audience
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<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n3. Top 3 Digital Advertising Channels You Can Quickly Use to Get New Customers
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