Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is a popular digital marketing strategy that allows advertisers to serve ads to very specific online audiences.
When approached correctly, PPC for manufacturers can help your company establish a strong online presence and generate high-quality leads. We’ll introduce you to the basics of PPC for industrial companies and manufacturers, as well as several key strategies for getting started.
What is manufacturing pay-per-click advertising?
The odds are high that you’re already familiar with PPC advertising, whether you realize it or not. You know how you often come across ads on Google search engine results pages (SERPs), on social media sites, or even on YouTube? Those are PPC ads in action.
Given your industry, it’s no accident that you likely see manufacturing ads pop up on your screen from time to time. That's because PPC ads target people based on the type of keywords they use when searching online. PPC advertisers actually bid on different keywords to determine whose ad gets to appear when someone types them in.
The beauty of integrating PPC manufacturing ads into your overall marketing strategy is you only have to pay for ad space each time someone actually clicks on your ad. Hence, the telltale name, pay-per-click.
Benefits of Google Ads for Manufacturing Companies
While also commonly used in social media marketing strategies, the most popular PPC advertising forum by far is Google Ads. It’s easy to understand why when you consider that the platform is capable of getting your manufacturing ads in front of over 90% of global internet users.
But when you set up visibility with Google Ads, the perks don't end there. Some studies have found that Google PPC ads can also have an ROI of up to 200%. Some of the other benefits of Google Ads for manufacturers include:
- Increased visibility and product awareness
- Ability to generate quality leads from highly targeted audiences
- Flexible budgeting options
- Trackable performance insights
- Faster results than marketing tactics like SEO
How to Use PPC for Manufacturers
Whether you’re interested in using PPC for manufacturing marketing or as part of your overall sales strategy, there are a few strategies you'll need to understand. Here’s a breakdown of the process involved in setting up the average PPC industrial campaign.
Understand Your Audience and Goals
To map out a solid PPC manufacturing campaign, you need to begin by clearly defining who you want to reach and what you want to accomplish. For example, do you want to promote a new product to individual consumers?
Or do you want to generate leads from other companies in relevant industries? Understanding your goals and creating a specific buyer persona can be among the most helpful and essential PPC strategies.
Choose the Right Platforms and Ad Types
Your ideal target audience and goals will provide valuable hints when it comes to selecting the right channels for your manufacturing ads. For instance, you might choose to serve Google ads for manufacturers on Google search engine results pages (SERPS) or industry platforms with a strong B2B audience.
If you’re more interested in focusing on individual consumers, then you might lean more toward the most popular social media networks among your audience. You’ll also want to decide which type of ad campaign is best suited to your goals. Google Ads alone offers a wide variety of ad formatting options. You can choose from search campaigns, text or image-based ads, or even YouTube video ads.
Create Your Ads
When it's time to create your ads, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with the best practices for creating compelling PPC ad copy. But it’s worth keeping in mind that this is where a good manufacturing marketing agency or freelance copywriter can be worth their weight in gold.
Creating an ad that people will actually click on can be a deceptively tricky task. Not to mention one that can make or break the success of your campaign. Here are a few general tips to keep in mind:
- Focus on what sets your products and service apart from the competition
- Emphasize the unique solutions you offer
- Include a strong call to action (CTA) that tells the viewer what you want them to do next (“down our free brochure,” “schedule a consultation,” etc.)
Identify the Right Keywords
Remember, your ads are only going to appear to people who search for certain keywords. That’s why selecting the right ones is essential. Luckily, Google has a free tool called Keyword Planner that can be a big help.
You can also choose from certain keyword match options, such as:
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Broad Match: Serves ads to any searches that broadly relate to your keyword or phrase
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Phrase Match: Serves ads to searches with the same meaning as your keywords
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Exact Match: Only serves ads to searches for your exact keywords
Select the Right Landing Pages
Each time a viewer clicks your ad, they’ll be redirected to a new landing page. Choosing the right one can be one of the most essential PPC strategies for success.
Generally speaking, you won’t want to send a clicker to your website’s homepage. You’ll usually have better luck with conversion-optimized landing pages that make answering your CTA as easy as possible.
Choose the Best Bidding Strategy for Your Budget
To get your campaign up and running, you’ll need to determine your budget and choose from one of several bidding strategies. For instance, Google Ads offers bidding strategies designed to help you meet certain goals, such as boosting conversions, clicks, or visibility.
If you’re just getting started, you might want to start with an automated bidding strategy. This AI-fueled option will use your budget to auto-bid on the keywords most likely to result in success.
Are PPC Ads for Manufacturers Effective?
A well-planned PPC manufacturing campaign can produce exceptional results. The trick is that executing one also requires a great deal of research and planning. Much like any other digital marketing strategy, PPC for industrial companies also involves its fair share of analysis and optimization.
Working with PPC manufacturing professionals (or putting in the effort to become one yourself) can definitely boost your odds of success. If you’re interested in learning more, get started with this free paid search advertising lesson from HubSpot Academy.
