Advertise...or Die! Internet Options
The internet is a vast and sprawling place, with millions of websites waiting to be found. For those who are unfamiliar with the online world, it can be difficult knowing where to start and how to navigate a website like Facebook. But every day more people are logging on, in order to stay in touch with friends and family, find information about health issues or car trouble, or simply because it’s fun!
In this post we will discuss five ways for businesses looking to advertise their products on the internet.
1. Google AdWords
Google AdWords is an online advertising service from one of the most powerful and popular search engines in the world. In order to utilize this program, you must set up an account, choose a budget for your campaign, and then decide what keywords or phrases you want your ad to appear for. These are called "keywords" by Google. Once you determine your budget and keywords, Google will automatically serve up relevant ads to users who are searching for information on the internet that aligns with your business. Ads are served up both on the web and in Google search results (for example, when someone searches for "locksmith near me").
The benefits of this service are numerous. Firstly, you'll be seen by (almost) every individual with a computer, or who owns the latest generation mobile phone. There is little cost involved in running an ad and the results are immediate. Relevancy is guaranteed because Google only serves up ads for searches which have been logged as “relevant” by the advertiser. Secondly, Google AdWords allows users to pay per click (which is exactly what it sounds like) so there's no risk of throwing money away on advertising that doesn't result in sales.
2. Facebook Ads
Facebook Ads are a hugely effective form of advertising when done correctly. This is a free way of advertising your business on the Facebook social networking website. It is free to setup an account but, as with any form of advertising, you will need to spend money in order to have an impact. When setting up the campaign, you’ll select what your audience will be – whether it’s age split (e.g. 18-24), gender or interest group (e.g. ‘homeless people’). You also determine what search terms you want your ads served up for and how much you are willing to spend on each click (i.e., per ad impression).
Facebook Ads can appear in several places on the website, including the right hand side of a user’s screen when they are logged in and using the site to connect with friends. It is also possible to have a small box at the top of the page that appears when someone logs on and selects ‘news feed’. Simply select your preferred placement, setup your budget and within minutes your ad will display across Facebook users who match your target audience.
3. Google Plus Pages
The Google Plus community is a very effective method for businesses to reach new clients, build relationships or reach a wider audience. It differs from other business pages in that it doesn't have to be run by the company itself. Rather, it's run and managed by a third party who has chosen to market your business to their followers. If you're interested, you can sign up at the Google Plus page.
Google Plus is different from Facebook because it puts more emphasis on individual engagement between people and businesses alike. For example, you can engage with your own business page by adding content and answering questions. This is an excellent way to build up a fan base and develop a following. You can also advertise your business on Google Plus through the use of AdWords. Google will work out which users are most likely to be interested in your product, and then show them targeted advertisements.
4. Google Places
One of the best ways for businesses to get involved with local customers is to create a listing for their company on Google Places . It's fairly straightforward to set up and can be done quite simply online (place a check mark next to 'Yes' if you're willing to claim your listing). For the amount that Google charges, this is an excellent way to build interest in your business. The more people who know about your company, the more likely they are to choose you over others when looking for a product or service.
Google Places is another website with a huge following, so you are certain of a good return on investment (ROI) simply by creating the page. It's free to set up and easy to use, which makes it well suited for those who haven't used websites for advertising before. You can also place several listings on one page if you wish. This does sometimes cause issues though; for example, if there's already an existing listing for your company then someone else may already be claiming that spot.
5. Yahoo! Local
Yahoo! Local is a service that allows people to find local services, events and other things to do in their area. It's one of the ways you can advertise your business on the internet. You can do this by creating a listing for your business in Yahoo! Cities (which is free to set up), or you can buy ad space on each individual category page (each category is set up separately). There are no limits on how many categories you can have and it will be free for anyone to visit and browse, meaning that there are no barriers for new customers.
The result of this advertising is that new customers will potentially view the information on your website by searching for it in Yahoo!. The cheaper you purchase the ad space, the more likely it is that someone will see your advertisement. For example, you might pay $100 for 25 clicks; if every click leads to one customer then that's an ROI of 25/1 = $10.
6. YouTube AdWords
YouTube is a popular video-sharing website with a huge following and a great deal of traffic generated every day. Also, it's free to advertise on YouTube if you have a business account (otherwise you will need to create an account first). There are two different types of advertising that you can use; Display Ads and TrueView (also known as video ads). TrueView ads show before videos that users watch and which leads to a higher conversion rate. TrueView ads will only be served up to people who are logged into a Google Account, or people who have indicated they're interested in watching video content on the channel. Display ads are automatically shown to people who have not indicated interest in the channel.
It's also possible to create an account for your business on YouTube and have an ad automatically generated for you when someone visits your website or watches any videos on your channel (this is called a “video ad”). You then pay for each click in order to get it shown; however, the advantage of this is that you can target specific groups of customers within certain categories.
Conclusion
Advertising is a powerful business tool that can be used to develop and grow a business, especially on the internet. However, it is important to have knowledge of how adverts work, who your target audience is and what you are actually trying to achieve – otherwise you’re just wasting your time. For more information about how you can advertise your business check out these sites:
http://www.facebookadvertising.com/
http://www.adwords.google.