One very attractive thing about PPC as an online marketing strategy is that it is fairly accessible to those working with a smaller budget. So, if you are in the market for some PPC advice and want to save as much money as you can, read on and we’ll share some handy insights.
Table of Contents
1. Set strict and clear goals – build your PPC account around them
Want to be successful with as little investment as possible? You need to set very clear goals, plan thoroughly, and build your PPC account around this singular income.
Looking to raise brand awareness? Display and YouTube ads can work wonders.
Want to drive more purchases and revenue? Search and shopping campaigns are the way forward.
Keep it simple and stick to one primary goal when working with a smaller ads budget.
2. Create simple and specific campaigns
You may sell thousands of different products through your website but when working to a tight budget you need to create a simple and very specific campaign. For example, focus on one specific product or product category.
3. Prioritize long-tail keywords
The more competitive a keyword the higher the bid will invariably be. As such, when you have a limited budget you should target less-competitive long-tail keywords with greater specificity.
The keyword ‘T-shirts’ is highly competitive and will be expensive to bid on, thus your budget won’t stretch very far. ‘Design your own T-shirts’ however, will be less competitive and you will be able to make it last that little bit longer – with an even greater chance at conversions.
Sure, it’s good to have a mix of short and long-tail keywords in your SEO campaign, but for PPC, at this stage, it is worth prioritizing long-tail.
4. Focus on specific markets and areas
Just because you can service nationwide, it doesn’t mean your PPC ads should have such a broad focus. Again, when trying to make a smaller budget last, targeting smaller geographical locations in markets that you consistently perform well in is a viable alternative.
5. Run and refine
Don’t set and forget your ads. You need to constantly monitor your progress and make the necessary changes as and when.
For example:
- Which keywords are performing well and which are not?
- Have you tried split-testing various ad copy for optimal CTR?
- What is your average ROI?
Removing non-performing keywords is an effective way to make your money last and dial your ads in. Just make sure you experiment with various CTAs and ad copy before you go retiring a keyword for good.
Conclusion
As you can see, the key to running a successful PPC campaign with a smaller budget is precision. Don’t be too broad and focus on a specific goal, in a specific category, in a specific location/market.
Do that and continue running and refining your campaign and before long you should be able to achieve a sustainable ROI. From there, you can slowly increase your ad spending further, widen your focus, and revisit your long-term goals.
It’s also worth hiring PPC services. You may have a limited budget, but working with the professionals who run campaigns on a daily basis is an effective way to achieve your goals in a much shorter time frame. , and managing a campaign (which is time and resource intensive) can be difficult for a small business manager.
