Pay-per-click or PPC advertising is becoming a standard marketing tool. There is a time and place for PPC but before you drop a nickel in the bucket, you need to be clear on one point. PPC is not an investment, it’s an expense. The problem with PPC is that the cost is always going to rise. Over time it will require more money to get the same results. For that reason PPC is not always the best way to acquire new leads online.
How to determine when PPC advertising is worth the cost.
Cost-per-lead
- The biggest factor for deciding whether to include a PPC campaign in your online marketing strategy is whether you can get a new lead less than your cost-per-lead or your CPA (cost-per-acquisition) amount.
- Let’s say you currently spend $50 to acquire a new customer. That means that if you spend less than $50 to acquire a new customer through PPC, then it is worth it to spend the money with Google or Facebook.
Branding and short term attention
- As a “branding” strategy to compliment your organic strategy. The more people are exposed to your brand online the more likely they are to click and visit your website.
- Product or service awareness that need instant attention online
What if pay-per-click just doesn’t fit into your budget?
That’s okay! PPC is not the only way to generate new leads and customers and the inbound methodology is a wonderful tool for businesses who want to manage their digital marketing over time. Even with all the money in the world, PPC is not the best long-term marketing strategy. PPC has its place in the online marketing world and it can be very effective and affordable, if used correctly, but the majority of your marketing time and money should go towards creating an effective inbound marketing strategy.
If you’d like to learn about how inbound methodology creates leads and customers for your business then download our free ebook for 30 great lead generation tips, tricks, and ideas!
