The early days of the Internet were dominated by annoying pop-up ads that almost ruined the user experience online. As a small business taking your brand online in the 21st century, the ad situation is better in some senses, and worse in others. On the one hand, the incessant barrage of pop-up ads is under control (to a degree) today, but competition is up.
With so many businesses and brands competing for limited screen space, it’s all-too-easy for consumers to skip right past your ads. The key to success is creative imagery that avoids the wrath of Google.
How Bad is the Situation?
Google recently released its Better Ads Report, in which it revealed that more than 780 million ads were disabled online in 2015 alone for a variety of reasons, including phishing, malware, scams, and overall poor execution. Google and others are cracking down on these so-called “bad ads” online to defend consumers from false claims, or dirty tactics in marketing that trick consumers into clicking links just to drive up clicks and traffic.
Google isn’t going to stop on its never-ending quest to clean up the overall consumer experience online, which means you need a good approach to creative advertising. So here’s three tips to help you out.
Ditch the Gimmicks
Just getting users to click through your website or arrive on your landing page isn’t going to do much for your brand. In addition to being a waste of time, as few consumers stay long enough to purchase something, Google will come down hard on you for this tactic. Keep in mind, Google just disabled 780 million ads for this exact reason.
Take advantage of the wealth of data online to create ads that target your consumer segment in a way that increases the likelihood of matching your ads with the right consumer interests.
Build Better Messaging
You don’t need a massive marketing war chest to beat out major corporations, but you do need the right messaging. Whether it’s a quality Pay Per Call campaign, excellent social media posts, or regular blogging, the key to success doesn’t always rely on how much money you have. The best campaigns are the ones with creative messaging that draws the consumer in, builds their interest, and converts that interest into sales.
Read More: Evaluate Which Local Ads are Succeeding for Your Business (and Which Ones Aren’t)
Work with an Expert
Whatever type of online marketing campaign you’re going to run, you need an expert in your corner to help you effectively target users. If it’s a Pay Per Call campaign you want to run, find the best distribution partner so you can target your online ads to mobile searchers and even have your campaign ads appear in mobile apps. This will help drive conversions by placing your Pay Per Call ads in front of the eyes of consumers already looking at a smartphone screen. This is, of course, just one example of the benefit of working with an expert.
Whatever you do, remember to be creative and avoid the gimmicks of old. The only thing those old tactics achieve is lost funds when Google disables ads you’ve already paid for.