Save Money on Ads (So You Can Spend It on Wine)
There’s nothing like a great bottle of wine at the end of the day.
When you think of marketing, what do you think of? For many, it’ll include billboards, that one realtor’s face on a bus stop, or the not-so-random ads when you’re scrolling through Instagram.
It’s actually much more than that. Yes, paid ads have their time and place to increase your exposure, but let’s let you in on a little secret: there’s a better way to market yourself, and it’s not by relying on ads.
I know, shocking.
Content is King
Creating a steady stream of blogs is more powerful than you’d think. It shows Google that you’re an active site to keep on their radar.
It’s a fast-paced world and there’s always a question that needs to be answered. You’re an expert in your field, answer it. Isn’t that why you spent all of that time in law school?
Creating relevant content establishes your personal expertise in the subject matter. Blog posts hone in on your brand voice and audience. The key to a successful content marketing strategy is knowing your audience.
It’s okay to have a product that’s not for everyone, it’s better that way. Your audience will go to you for expert advice. When you know exactly who you’re talking to, it’s easier to pinpoint their needs. They go to you for legal advice, not to figure out the latest fashion trend.
Knowing your target audience, and speaking to them specifically builds brand loyalty. As a business, your content marketing efforts should reflect the kind of content your target audience consumes. You want your clients to continue using your services and recommending them to others.
Return on Investment
We always want to make sure we’re spending time wisely. It’s a smart way to live so that bills are paid, but also to enjoy the simple pleasures of life, like wine Wednesday. You want to make sure the money you’re investing in marketing is effective and efficient. We love a perfect balance.
Once you post an article, all of your hard work is there to stay. Like a good investment, it’ll work for you while you watch on the sidelines. A great article will continue to generate traffic to your site way past the published date. On the other hand, ads only generate traffic while you’re paying for them.
Shockingly, 25.8% of internet users block ads. Only 750 people out of the 1000 people your ad was sent to actually saw it. Feels like a waste of money. To top it all off, Content marketing is 62% cheaper than ads, and three times more effective.
You might want to say “check please” to pouring all of your money into paid advertising.
The Power of Search Engine Optimization
One of the best ways to implement a marketing strategy for your business is through organic Search Engine Optimization (SEO) growth.
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What’s this? Glad you asked. SEO is a method of using key trending topics or words to increase your credibility. Increased credibility means you land higher on a search engine page, think – Google.
The higher you land on a search engine page, the more website traffic you receive. The more website traffic you receive, the more interactions, the more credibility, and ultimately, the more business you’ll grow. You’re increasing brand awareness. See where we’re going here? If you answer the question the best, you’ll rise to the top.
Let’s say you’re posting an article about everything Cabernet Sauvignon (Shoutout to our CEO, Andrew). An SEO program will let you know other keywords associated with “Cabernet Sauvignon” that should be in your piece of content. When you add those keywords, Google will recognize them, and begin to realize you are another credible source.
Sure, you can pay to rank #1 on Google. I don’t know about you, but when I Google search, I skip over ads and choose the top-ranking organic search. Maybe that’s just the marketer in me. Long story long, if your SEO is ranked high on Google, you’ll get more traffic from a high ranking than from an ad.
When Should I Use Paid Ads?
We aren’t saying never use paid ads.
They are a beneficial asset to use strategically in your marketing toolbox. You didn’t build your own business without utilizing many other resources, right? Didn’t think so. It’s the same thing for marketing. We just recommend you use more organic content instead of paid content.
Paying for some ads like boosting posts on Facebook and Instagram can help improve social performance and engagement. If you have a post that’s already doing well by itself, it doesn’t hurt to push an ad for it on different platforms. This brings in more engagement to your already well established site. More traffic will increase your status on Google.
Lookalike Audiences
Last but certainly not least, we have your all-star player, lookalike audiences! You may be scratching your head and wondering what this means. Don’t wander too far, we are about to give you the scoop!
Lookalike audiences when used correctly take the headache out of ways to reach your “cold audience.” By uploading a list of your current clients with their emails (make sure you have a diverse list with at least 1,000 contacts) to Facebook audiences, Facebook helps you make a new lookalike audience in minutes.
Once your list is uploaded, Facebook takes the emails you provided and matches them to their FB profiles, and pulls only the top 1% of profiles that have similar interests and demographics to build your unique and highly targeted lookalike audience, aka your cold audience!
So next time you want to throw a few bucks on your social post to a general target audience in hopes more people will like, click or purchase from your post, don’t waste your money. Create a lookalike audience and target a warmer audience to improve your cost per acquisition. Facebook will only target the new lookalike audience you’ve created from your client list, and will exclude those who are already your clients!
Talk about saving you some money!
Ready to use your ad money on wine? Us too. We specialize in outsourced marketing for Financial companies. If you’re looking for a great marketing agency that will grow your business better than social ads can, contact our team today.