Due to the highly competitive nature of the online gambling affiliation, smart affiliates are now looking beyond SEO to drive traffic to their sites. Social media paid media and of course, pay per click (PPC) now form part of the wider arsenal of tactics affiliates are deploying.
But what steps should you take when setting up a PPC campaign, and how can you monitor its success? Below, we talk you through the key steps.
Steps to Take When Setting Up a PPC Campaign
Before you do anything, you need to ask why you want to set up a PPC campaign. Many businesses waste a lot of time and money with paid advertising because they see their competitors doing it and think that it’s therefore something they should also try.
Any campaign without a clear reason or goal is destined for failure.
Once you’re clear on why you want to set up a PPC campaign, you can begin thinking about the nitty-gritty of getting things underway. The first step you need to take in this respect is determining your audience, along with considering how much you can budget towards your ads.
When you’re clear on who you want to target, you should start thinking about where you want your ads to show.
Are you going to focus on Google alone, or will you choose another place to run them? Your answer should relate to where your audience usually hangs out. Oh, and make sure you’ve optimized for both desktop and mobile.
Next, you must think about your ad copy. Ideally, you’ll have between two and three different sets, and you should A/B test these beforehand if possible. Doing so will ensure that your campaign doesn’t fall on deaf ears.
How to Monitor the Success of Your PPC Campaign
To measure whether your PPC campaign is successful, you can do several things. Since you’re paying for clicks, you should have a clear understanding of what your clickthrough rate (CTR) is – and whether those engaging with your ads are your desired audience.
Of course, clicks alone won’t grow your business. In addition to these, you should also measure how many of those that engaged with your ads turned into leads or – even better – FTDs. You’ll need to ensure that the conversions can justify your investment.
If you find that your PPC campaign isn’t successful for whatever reason, you’re better off cutting your losses and going back to the drawing board. Before you try again, consider tweaking the following areas:
- Your ad copy
- Segmenting your preferred demographics further
- The visuals that accompany your ads
If you’re new to PPC advertising, you’ll probably need to try a few times before you get things right. Of course, you can always look to work with a dedicated PPC agency – this will undoubtedly improve the success of your PPC ads, but it will require a greater investment.
If you have any questions about pay-per-click campaigns, why not post them in our new CAP Questions section where members of our community will share their answers and experiences.