Essential types of PPC campaigns
We’re going to explore the different types of PPC campaigns that you can weave into your digital marketing strategy.
Search
Search-based PPC campaign marketing ads are those that appear in SERPs, much like the wedding dress example we explored above.
Search-based PPC ads typically appear in the top left or right-hand corner of a search results page and include a clickable headline, URL, and body copy.
Display
PPC display ads are arranged in a similar format to search-based campaigns, but they include a visual element to improve clicks and engagement. These types of PPC ads include imagery or graphics (often in the form of banners).
This is a solid example of a visually-engaging, digestible, and well-balanced display-style PPC advertisement.
Remarketing
PPC-based remarketing ads are usually presented in a display-style ad format, but they’re designed or programmed to reach customers that have previously engaged with a specific landing page, service or product.
By targeting a consumer using retargeting, you’re more likely to tap into a warm lead and close a sale. In fact, according to a study by Semrush, people are up to 70% more likely to invest in your product or service when you use retargeting.
Sponsored social
Paid or sponsored social media ads work in a similar way to search ads as you can add your content and set your ad parameters before launching your campaign. Social media ads are specific to each platform (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.) and you can view each channel’s native analytics data to measure your performance.
This particular example is a paid Facebook ad. The ad is presented in a carousel format with a personalized body copy as well as a mix of curated products and a ‘Shop Now’ CTA button to encourage click-throughs.
Video
You can use paid video ads for search engines as well as various social media platforms. Like static ads, paid video ads are highly-targeted and include a headline, body copy, a CTA button, and of course, engaging video content to entice users to engage.
Shopping
Paid Google shopping ads are highly-visual and appear in a carousel format above the main search engine results list. Succinct and punchy, these ads are served to users based on their search or shopping intent and typically feature the product price, headline, and brand name.
Wedding dress ad
This particular example is a shopping results carousel based on the search term ‘wedding dress sale.’ As you can see, two of the results feature a ‘%’ off’ tag to highlight the fact that the items are on sale.
PPC platforms
We’ve studied the key types of PPC ad content—now let’s look at the three main pay per click platforms you can leverage for your campaigns.
Google Ads/AdWords
Google Ads or AdWords is an essential platform for creating and launching your search engine-based PPC strategy content.
This intuitive platform allows you to conduct detailed PPC keyword research, set campaign budgets, and build targeted ads in text-based search, display, video, banner, and shopping formats.
Budget: The average cost per click (CPC) for Google Ads-based campaigns is between $1 and $2.
Bing
While it’s not quite as well-trodden as Google, Bing remains one of the world’s most popular search engines. That said, launching PPC marketing content on the platform will give you the tools to connect with a broader audience that you can convert into paying customers.
Formerly named Bing Ads, the search engine’s PPC platform is formerly named Microsoft Advertising. The platform is easy to navigate and shares many of the same characteristics as Google Ads. The best thing about Microsoft Advertising is the fact that you can import campaign content, details, and data from Google Ads or AdWords directly into Bing. As such, you can run similar campaigns concurrently across both PPC platforms for maximum engagement.
Budget: The average cost for a paid Bing or Microsoft ad in terms of CPC is $1.54.
Bing ads
Facebook is still popular across many user demographics worldwide and as such, it’s a popular (as well as potentially rewarding) social media-based PPC platform.
Setting up campaigns with Facebook ads is a simple process, with dropdown boxes and text boxes that allow you to set your target demographics, target locations, ad lengths and budgets, and of course, ad content.
Budget: The average cost of a paid Facebook ad is $1.72. But, this cost does vary slightly according to niche, industry or sector.
PPC vs organic
Both PPC and organic advertising are essential to a consistent, creative, and balanced digital marketing strategy.
In many ways, paid search is more direct and delivers swift results in terms of brand awareness, engagement, and conversions. But, without utilizing organic marketing or advertising, you will miss out on a wealth of brand-boosting and customer loyalty-inspiring opportunities. Here’s a quick ‘PPC versus organic’ guide to help you get to grips with each discipline: