PPC. Can Quickly Drain Your Marketing Budget and Mortgage Payment!

Part 7: Google Adwords and PPC

As a wedding videographer, using Google Adwords and PPC (pay-per-click) advertising can be a complex and tricky business. On one hand, we are told nearly everywhere that it can be a highly effective way to reach potential clients and secure bookings. We meet other suppliers at weddings and they tell us how they get their work from PPC. On the other hand, it can also be a costly and complex endeavour that leaves you feeling like you've thrown a lot of money down the drain, and very quickly. You need time and a lot of it to learn and keep an eye on your campaign.

When we first started using Adwords, we quickly learned that it's easy to burn through a budget without seeing any real results, apart from a few enquiries and website visitors. We spent nearly £900 before getting a single booking and it was easy to see why many wedding vendors are scared off by Adwords. The cost per click averaged at 77p but some competitive keywords went up to £2.50 and it's easy to believe that your competitors are the ones searching for your keywords and clicking on your results just to cost you money.

Google Adwords can become very complex due to the need to run different adverts for different keywords even across different areas, you then have to select different match types and add negative keywords to filter out searches you don't want to appear for. We paid a campaign manager to run adverts for us and we spent £1700 to receive 15 enquiries and 4 bookings back in 2015.

Since then, we've learned a lot about marketing in general, finding your ideal client, building and telling your stories, sales funnels and nurturing leads from cold. We still use PPC as part of our drive in promotions, but we've also tended to go towards Facebook adverts, due to their ease of use, visual appeal and targeting/re-targeting tools. While Adwords can be a great way to reach potential clients, it's important to approach it with a clear strategy and a solid understanding of the platform. Otherwise, you may find yourself throwing money down the drain.

You either need a lot of time or a good campaign manager. If you are a new wedding videographer looking for work, PPC will get eyes on your website very quickly, and you will also have the time to spend learning the complexities. Start with a lower budget, test and keep a very close eye on your campaign.

Tips learned from the corporate side of the business, utilising a PPC specialist:

Understand your audience: Like any marketing, before you dive in and start creating your ad campaign, take the time to understand your target audience. What are their interests? What are their main pain points? Then create adverts that tell a story and provide a solution to these pain points in an attractive way.

Use long-tail keywords: Instead of using broad keywords like "wedding videographer," consider using long-tail keywords that are more specific to your services. For example, "wedding videographer in [city]" or "cinematic wedding videography in ....". These keywords will be less competitive and more likely to reach your target audience.

Use ad extensions: Ad extensions allow you to add extra information to your ads, such as your phone number, address, or reviews. This can help increase your ad's visibility and make it more likely that people will click on it.

Utilise re-marketing: Like with Facebook adverts, re-marketing allows you to target people who have previously visited your website. This can be a great way to convert leads into clients.

Monitor and adjust your campaign: Keep a close eye on your campaign's performance and make adjustments as needed. If you're not seeing the results you want, try changing your keywords, ad copy, or targeting.

Use Google Analytics: Track your website's traffic, bounce rate, and conversion rate from your ad campaigns.

Test different ad formats: Try using different ad formats like responsive search ads, video ads, and dynamic search ads to see which one performs best for your business.

Useful Resource: PPC Tips to Drive a Profit — https://www.business4beginners.co.uk/small-business-ppc-tips/