Every business, big or small, needs to advertise. Through marketing, companies can promote their products and prices, gain new leads, improve sales, build brand recognition and so much more. The opportunities are endless, especially when it comes to online marketing.
The importance of online marketing in business
Internet access in South Africa is becoming more convenient and more affordable, not only for work purposes, but also for personal usage. According to recent statistics released by We Are Social, there are 24.9 million active internet users in South Africa, 23% more than last year. On average an individual spends over five hours per day browsing the internet via a PC, tablet or laptop and over three hours via a mobile phone.
The key to effective marketing lies in being visible where your target audience is. South Africans are online; therefore your business should be too.
Choosing the right kind of online marketing medium
95% of the time, when a company approaches us to get their company marketed online, we always recommend starting with Google AdWords. The reason? Because it works.
What is Google AdWords?
Google AdWords is Google’s advertising system in which advertisers bid on certain keywords in order for their clickable ads to appear in Google’s search results. Since advertisers have to pay for these clicks, this is how Google makes money from search. Google AdWords appear at the top of pages, usually as the first three or four listings.
What features are available in Google AdWords?
- Measurable – Google AdWords show how many people notice your ads and what percentage of them click to visit your website, or call you. With the tracking tools, you can even see the actual sales your website is generating as a direct result of your Ads.
- Insights around the clock – You can see how your ads are doing at any time by logging in to your Google AdWords account. To save you time, we’ll also send you a monthly summary, listing all of the key stats and numbers that matter.
- Stop, start, pause test – You can tweak your ads, try new search terms, pause your campaign and re-start whenever you like, for free – and all within Google AdWords.
- Advertise locally or globally – Target your ads to customers in certain countries, regions or cities – or within a set distance from your business or shop.
- Reach the right people at the right time – Your business gets found by people on Google precisely when they’re searching for the things that you offer.
- Reach customers no matter what device they’re on – In today’s mobile world, you need to be advertising on every device that your customers are using – desktop, laptop, tablet and mobile. That way, when they’re searching, browsing or buying, you’re right there.
What are the benefits of using Google AdWords?
- No click, no fee – Signing up for Google AdWords is free. You only pay when someone clicks your ad to visit your website, or calls you. In other words, when your advertising is working.
- Start with any budget – How much you invest is up to you. Begin with a daily budget that you’re comfortable with, then adjust it as you go. Many businesses get off to a good start with a budget of at least R60 – R120 a day.
- No contract to lock you in – You can adjust, pause or end your campaign at any time without extra charge.
- Flexible budgeting – Setting how much you’re willing to pay each time someone clicks your ad is easy, and you can change it later at any time.
- Simple payment options – You can pay using a regular credit or debit card (Visa, Visa Electron or MasterCard) or via a bank payment if you prefer.
- Up-to-the-minute reporting – Whether it’s website visits, shop visits, online sales, phone enquiries or newsletter sign-ups, the tracking tools always show you what Google AdWords is delivering.
- You’re always in control – You can adjust your daily budget and maximum cost-per-click bid whenever you like. If you need to stop or restart your campaign at any time, you can do that too – quickly and for free.
- Fine tuning is easy – Don’t worry about getting everything perfect at first. You can always play around with things like advert wording, keywords, locations and other settings later on.
How do I get started with Google AdWords?
To get started with Google AdWords yourself, head over to www.google.com/adwords and sign up online today. You’ll be asked to complete 3 steps:
- Create your ad – Start by writing an ad that tells people what you offer. Next, choose the search terms that will make your ad show in the Google results. Finally, set a daily budget. Now your ad is ready to go live.
- People see your ad – If the words people type in Google match your keywords, your ad can appear above or next to the search results.
- You get more customers – They select your ad and go to your website or call you directly. Best of all, you only pay when they do.
The Future of Google AdWords
AdWords is always evolving, not only can you target searches on Google but you can also reach users across millions of websites using the Google Display Network. Choose the sites you want to target or the interests of people you want to target and show them your message in a visual format.
Want to reach users on Gmail? You can do that too using Gmail Sponsored Promotions through Google AdWords.
More leads, more sales and more profits using Google AdWords
Online marketing is suitable to any budget and it is quick to implement. Your company can, and should, start running Google AdWords as soon as possible. It doesn’t matter if your business is a startup or a well established brand, effective online marketing campaigns will provide you with more leads, more sales and more profits.
For more information on how to get started with Google AdWords or if you would like to get yourself a free R1,200 Spend Match voucher to test on Google AdWords, reach out to jarad@iedm.co.za
