10 Ways to Use PPC and Display Advertising Effectively

Breaking: Marketers are driving targeted traffic and gathering conversions by running effective PPC and display advertising campaigns.

Read time: 3 minutes, 20 seconds

For many digital marketers, the world of pay-per-click (PPC) and display advertising is somewhat of an enigma. While these classic marketing staples have proven to be effective at driving targeted traffic and garnering conversions, far too many marketers end up with little or nothing to show for their campaigns. If you’re ready to optimize your ad dollars, below are 10 ways you can effectively leverage PPC and display advertising to achieve optimal results.

Tips for Effective PPC Advertising

1. Watch your PPC campaigns like a hawk. Carefully monitor important metrics such as click-through rate (CTR) and conversion ratio to ensure you are quickly identifying the best performing ads, and tweaking or eliminating the ones that yield lackluster results. Once you have narrowed down your top performers, adjust your budget accordingly so you can channel your resources towards the most productive ends.

2. Eliminate poorly converting keywords as fast as possible. According to industry data, it is estimated that over 60% of the average PPC marketer’s ad spend is wasted on search terms that simply don’t convert.
3. Make sure your landing page is highly relevant to the content of your ads. This is one of the biggest mistakes new PPC marketers make – they send people to landing pages that have little or nothing to do with what the ad was about. Strive to create a seamless, integrated transition from the ad to the landing page to maximize the continuity of your message.

4. Take advantage of using exact match and exact phrase keywords in your campaigns, so you can garner more targeted traffic for your offers. If you’re only using broad match keywords, you’ll receive a lot of poor-quality traffic, which leads to dismal conversion rates.

5. Optimize your PPC campaigns for mobile devices. As of 2015, mobile search volume has surpassed that of desktop, which means a large portion of your audience will find your ads by way of a handheld device. You can capitalize on this massive traffic source by making sure your landing pages are mobile-friendly, with a responsive and intuitive design that is optimized for mobile users.

Tips for Effective Display Advertising

1. Focus on refining your audience targeting. The more specific you can get in terms of pinpointing what type of consumer you’re trying to reach, the more effective your display advertising campaigns will be. Take advantage of the various tools available to narrow down your audience – e.g., geolocation, behavioral targeting, etc. – so you can tailor your ads towards the people who are most likely to be interested in what you have to offer.

2. Your banner ads should feature a simple yet eye-grabbing design that can immediately attract the attention of your target customer. With the help of features such as animation, bold colors, the use of faces, easy-to-read fonts, etc., you can craft visually interesting banner ads that will make your brand’s message stand out from the crowd.

3. Be concise with ad text. You’re working within very limited space constraints, so avoid excessive verbiage and say only what is necessary. If you try to say too much, you run the risk of cluttering your ad and diluting the simplicity of your message.

4. Include a clear call to action, so there will be no guesswork regarding what you want your potential customers to do. Dynamic, action-oriented phrases such as “Download the Report,” “Sign Up for Your Free Trial,” “Take the Challenge,” “Get a Quote,” etc., are good examples of clear, compelling calls to action designed to elicit a prompt response from the viewer.

5. Similar to the approach you would take with PPC ads, you should focus on optimizing your landing page to retain a high level of continuity from the ad click to the page visit. Maintaining a consistent look and feel throughout the user experience can do wonders in terms of boosting conversion rates.

Running successful PPC and display advertising campaigns doesn’t have to be a mystery. Keep the above tips in mind to help you get the most out of your marketing efforts. If you have questions or need assistance, contact the pros at 2060 Digital.