Think about how much you spent on the last online ad campaign you started. Chances are good that a good chunk of your bill came from the agency that helped you manage the placement of the spots you took out. High ad agency fees eat into the return on investment you would otherwise see from the increase in business that normally accompanies a big advertising blitz.
Running everything on your own is a great way to avoid paying these fees, but doing so comes with its own risks. You might end up throwing money away on various types of digital advertising that only ever gets seen by a handful of netizens.
That’s especially true if you represent a growing company that hasn’t had much experience in this field so far. It’s exactly why you’re going to want to start out by finding the best way to author your own management plans.
Earning An Advertising Education
Some online marketing professionals may have studied in a formal classroom environment in order to master their craft, but most have learned on the go. While you will certainly want to keep expanding your command of important concepts tied to this field, there’s no reason that you can’t do so at your own pace. Start by eliminating any preconceived notions you have about conversion rates.
There’s a big difference between ad lift and the overall conversion rate you get from placing any given ad, but many digital marketers never realize this. Lift specifically refers to the power of promotional material to change your customers’ behavior. Some ad campaigns with high conversion rates may not be doing you much good simply because the people who purchased something through said ad would have ordered from your brand anyway.
Once you’ve gotten a basic grasp on these efforts, you might consider working with a dedicated mentor instead of an ad agency. In many cases, these firms offer services that are considerably more cost-effective than what a traditional agency provides. For instance, Clarity PPC offers Google Ads mentoring and actually teaches customers the best way to map out their future campaigns.
Writing a Marketing Script
Education can only go so far. Eventually, you’ll have to put things into practical use, which is why you’ll need to sit down and figure out exactly what it is that you want your campaign to do. It’s easy to throw money at a struggling digital online marketing campaign, but the ROI for any such venture is bound to be very low. Figure out whether your brand needs to increase its overall visibility or whether you want to specifically target people who need a given product or service.
Spell out the details about where you’re going to place ads and how long you’re going to let them run for. Specify the type of consumer you’re aiming for and where they’re most likely to spend time online. You’ll then be in a great position to start placing your ads using a variety of online apps.
Leveraging The Power Of Online Tools
Considering the sheer number of apps coming onto the market, you shouldn’t be afraid to experiment even if things feel a little overwhelming at first. Explore new types of advertising, especially if they tend to be more cost-effective than what you’ve previously invested in.
Spark ads are found on newer social networks like TikTok, and they’re always tethered to organic content somehow connected to the demographic you’re trying to reach. That increases the probability that they’ll be fed to someone who is planning to buy the very thing you’re marketing. Most of these solutions can manage a campaign without any human intervention once they get going.
Automation is only ever half the battle, however. Strong website analytics tools are a must if you want to be certain that the ads you’re posting are going to the right place. It’s very easy to get caught up in the convenience and novelty of certain solutions, but you’ll want to always be certain you’re keeping things dialed into the end goal.
Set and Achieve Actionable Goals
No two marketing goals are going to be completely the same, but there are a few general concepts that most companies will have to consider if they’re planning on doing everything without a professional agency to help them.
Growing organic traffic is probably one of the biggest since it involves a promotional push from non-paid search results. Depending on your circumstances, you might also want to focus on outreach campaigns as well as learning more about your prospective customers.
Regardless of what you decide to make your goal, codify it and write it down. Check back on a regular basis to measure your progress, and make periodic adjustments if things don’t seem to be working out. Soon enough you’ll be able to manage all of your own marketing efforts without ever paying a dime in agency fees.