Things you need to consider when starting out in paid media
In the complex world of digital marketing, every dollar needs to count. That can make it difficult to take your business into a new channel even when you’re sure it would be good for it. We at Oversite work with clients all the time who wish they could get into paid media channels but don’t have the tools to know what to do.
Before you launch a successful paid media campaign, there are several crucial steps to take to ensure you get the best return on your investment.
Set clear Goals
First things first, set clear goals. It might seem obvious, but if you’re not sure from the outset what you want to achieve it will be hard to know if the channel is working for you. Think specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) objectives. Whether it's boosting brand awareness, driving traffic, generating leads, or upping sales, having clear goals helps you track progress and make the most out of your budget.
This includes when you’re just starting out. If you’re truly not sure, it could be as simple as ‘I do not want to pay more than $X for a lead’. Put a stick in the ground, and move the stick once you know more about how your new audience is responding to you.
Understand your audience
Knowing who you're talking to is essential. Before you begin, have a clear idea of who they are, learn about their demographics, interests, behaviours, and preferences. Get familiar with the audience tools in Google Ads and Facebook Ads (and the other social platforms) to understand how those channels segment your audience.
If you’re looking to grow your audience, you’ll be able to start your audience strategy by building audiences that are similar to the people you know are interested in your business. Use the information you have available to research and understand how you might find them.
Pick your platform
Not all platforms are created equal, and choosing the right ones can be a difficult choice when you’re operating alone.
If you’re not sure, we’ve done a simple explainer here:
Think about your content
In paid channels, you are competing against every other business that’s investing in that channel. To make sure your audience sees your ad, your content needs to grab attention and resonate with your audience. High-quality visuals, clear messaging, and aligning with your brand’s identity are key. Think about your goals from point 1 and what content would best drive that result.
Set a budget
Work out how much you’re willing to spend on your first entry into this new digital channel. Remember that small budgets mean the platform algorithms can’t learn very much, but also to only spend what you decide you can. Campaigns can easily be turned off, so if you’re not getting the results you hoped for you can always adjust the campaign or regroup.
At Oversite, our Independent Digital Audit includes paid search and paid social analysis where we review your cost performance. If you’re not sure if what you’re paying is “good”, we can help!
Review your website landing pages
If you are running a campaign that points people to your website, it’s important that your landing pages (the website page your audience comes to) are optimised. Your landing pages should be fast, user-friendly, and relevant to your ads. Good landing pages increase conversions, so include clear calls-to-action, and responsive design to make the most out of your ad spend.
We also review your website and how your landing pages are optimised in our Independent Digital Audit, if this is another area you’re not too sure about.
Implement tracking and analytics
So you’ve got a campaign, but how is it performing? If you’re sending people to your website it’s important to know what they do once they are there. You can use tools like Google Analytics or Meta’s Pixel to track performance, but there are lots out there aside from these. This data will help you understand what’s working and what needs tweaking. What metrics you’ll watch will depend on your goals, so remember what you decided in point 1.
No ‘set and forget’
While they are the main things to do when you’re entering a new paid channel for the first time, there’s one final thing to do once you’re live to make sure you get the best value for money.
Test and learns are important for learning what works best for your brand and your audience. We recommend a continuous test and learn strategy where you can test different versions of your ads to see what performs best. This helps you optimise ad creatives, copy, and targeting, leading to better engagement and conversions. Sometimes this isn’t achievable with the creative you have available, but don’t worry because you can test different objectives, audiences and channels outside of creative. There’s lots of ways to learn.
Keep learning!
Digital marketing channels are changing all the time, so it’s important to keep across the latest trends and best practices. Keep reviewing your performance data to see what works and be ready to change your approach. Experiment with new strategies to keep your campaigns fresh and effective. It’s a constant learning process.
Not sure if your performance is good? Our Independent Digital Audit can review and see what’s working for you, and what’s not. Click here to reach out to a team member for an obligation-free demo.
