Paid Ads (Optional)

Getting paid ads is something you should consider doing from launch day forward.

This milestone will help you get started with the basics of paid ads on a few different platforms.

Google Adsense And Adwords

The first step to getting ads is understanding how different systems work. Google Ads are described very well through this infographic developed by Search Engine Land:

Grab Keywords

Back in the Owning The Idea section, we took a look at identifying and refining your keywords based on paid search traffic in order to determine which ones would capture the most attention for the lowest cost - now we're going to use those same keywords (which we also used to build content on your site and blog) to create ads that will match.

If the ads are going to point directly to the landing page or unique guide site, the keywords that you identified as "core" to the guide should definitely be used (especially in the headline), but don't forget about the secondary terms (to be used in the ad description).

Make sure your ad headline and content are specific enough to attract a potential customer that will really want what you have to sell. If they click the ad, hit the site and realize it isn't what they were looking for, you've just lost money.

Pro Tip:

If your site or blog has been around for a while and doing well for traffic, you might want to consider applying for Google's Dynamic Search Ads beta here. This service pulls keywords directly from your website in order to shape headlines and descriptions. As long as your creating relevant content and ranking for the right keywords for you guide, this can be very helpful and beneficial as the ads will directly match the content.

Crafting Good Ads

When crafting Google ads, you only have 4 lines to work with. The title, 2 sentences of description, and a last one for the URL.

Here is a list of the character limits for the different part of your ads:

  • Headlines -> 25 Characters
  • Description -> 35 characters each including spaces
  • Display URL -> This is the web address you want to display to your customers
  • Destination URL -> This is the actual destination URL you'll send your customers to.

Adding A Winning Image

The most important part of your ad is the image. You can write the most brilliant copy in the world, but if your image doesn't catch your target users eye - it won't matter.

Most advertising experts will spend hours finding or perfecting their ad image. That's how critical it is.

Pro Tip:

You can find free images from all the most popular (free) image sites on AllTheFreeStock.com

Action:

Use http://www.picmonkey.com/ to add special effect filters to your pictures to help them stand out.

Getting Familiar With Facebook Ads

A great resource to explore is Facebook's own section on ads here.

Facebook ads work much the same as Google ads, except they are targeted to users based on their location, demographic, and profile information instead of keywords. Many of these options are only available on Facebook.

You'll need to start by clicking on the "Ads Manager" on the left hand column. Then you'll be prompted with your ads dashboard.

Pro Tip:

Keep in mind that ads on this type of social network are more like display ads than search ads. They should be used to generate demand, not fulfill it. Users are on Facebook to connect with their friends, not to find products to buy.

Creating A Facebook Ad

Once you've selected which Page you'd like you ad to come from (or a different URL destination for the ad - the landing page we helped you build is perfect), you'll need to being filling out some critical information.

Much like a Google Ad, you'll want to have a catchy headline that will appeal to your selected audience and a good description of what your selling (in this case your Guide).

Despite the 25 character headline and 90 character body text limits, you can still use the famous copywriting formula AIDA.
(A)ttention: Draw users into the ad with an attention-grabbing headline.
(I)nterest: Get the user interested in your product by briefly describing the most important benefit of using it.
(D)esire: Create immediate desire for your product with a discount, free trial, or limited time offer.
(A)ction: End the ad with a call to action.
AIDA is a lot to fit into 115 characters. Write 5-10 ads until you've managed to boil it down into a comprehensive and engaging ad.

Targeting Facebook Ads

The #1 mistake most marketers make with Facebook ads is not targeting them correctly.
Once you're done with the setup of the add, you'll create your audience for your ads in the Audience section.
Use the targeting options, such as location, demographics, interests and behaviors, to define the relevant audience for your ads.
You don't have to use all of the targeting options. The only targeting option that is required is country targeting. Although your ad will only show to people who fit into the target group that you choose, narrowing down your audience will ensure your ad is shown to the most relevant people.
As you create your audience, you'll notice the Potential Audience gauge on the right hand side. This gauge will show you an estimate of how many people your ad could potentially reach with the targeting options you choose. Your actual audience size depends on your budget and the duration of your campaign.

Pro Tip:

Many marketers target the largest groups possible. This is a mistake. These groups are more expensive and less targeted. Rather than target broad terms, try to appeal to very specific keywords that are common to your niche.

Finding Effective Twitter Ads

BuySellAds is a very interesting site for startups because they give you the ability to buy a single tweet from registered accounts.

While the site does provide stats and analytics to help you buy tweets and ads, I found a better way of guaranteeing I wasn't wasting money.

Now you're going to have to "hack" your own algorithm together to determine which account you should buy an ad from. Here's the process:

Step 1: Search for your niche keyword (I typed "photography blog") and click on 2 promising accounts.

As you can see they have 112,390 followers and the cost to buy a Tweet to those followers is $25.

This second account has fewer followers but they charge more per tweet. So which one will have the best conversion rate?

Step 2: Visit The Twitter Accounts

You'll need to then visit both accounts (in my case @pro4oto and @photoblggr) and click on their "Followers" tab to see a list of all the account following.

Step 3: Random Sampling On Each Account

Scroll down the followers page (on each account) so that Twitter refreshes 5 times giving you a total sample size of about 100 followers (there are 20 accounts listed per "page").

Step 4: Search For Your Keyword

Now we're going to search for your keyword on each of these preloaded Twitter follower pages. In my case the keyword I'm looking for is "Photo" - I really want to have an idea of which account has the most engaged followers and by hitting CMD + F on mac or CTRL + F on windows, I'm able to highlight all the instances of the keyword.

Obviously there are a few at the beginning of the search, but this will allow me to see that the first account @pro4oto seems to have way more followers that specifically identify themselves with some derivative of the keyword "photo" so I should buy a tweet from here as it should provide ROI for my money.

Step 5: Don't Trust Your Gut

Generate two different tweets with different shortened URLs and see which one does better. In my case, it was the cheaper tweet buy from @pro4oto with the more engaged audience that worked out best.

Getting Familiar With LinkedIn Ads

LinkedIn Ads are very similar to Facebook ads - but the environment dictates a more professional tone and appeal - which might be perfect for your step-by-step guide.

Professionals are always looking to add to their skill set and competencies - especially if they're a consultant or business owner.

Creating LinkedIn Ads

The first step of creating a LinkedIn ad to create a new campaign, name it and then add the landing page url and image (follow the same advice as for Facebook Ad images).

LinkedIn Allows you to create variations right away and I'd recommend taking the time to make at least 1 variation if not 2. Here is an example of some good vs not so good ads:

The next step is targeting and the system is quite similar to Facebook's. You can target specific people or types of professionals:

Note: Keep clicking on the Continent/Country to get to a province/state view.

The final step of the process is to set your CPC bid. The daily budget is up to you, but I'd recommend letting the campaign and its variations run for at least 2 weeks.

Pro Tip:

Check out LinkedIn's Best Case Practise page: http://partner.linkedin.com/ads/bestpractices/

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