All too often we hear from B2B companies who are either unsatisfied with PPC campaigns or have decided that PPC just doesn’t work for them. Online ad campaigns fail for several reasons, but the most common reason a B2B company throws in the PPC towel is because of poor lead generation. Generating leads is challenging enough, but when you add long sales cycles, intense competition and niche audiences into the mix it becomes even more difficult.
To overcome these challenges businesses must understand that some ad networks are inherently better for lead generation. The first step is identifying your target audience and then figuring out which platform best reaches them. It is important to note that this takes time and the only way to know which platform best reaches your target audience is to test. However, as an agency that launches hundreds of new campaigns each year, we know which platforms are most likely to drive leads. Below are the most effective lead generation campaigns that all B2B’s should consider testing.
Remarketing
Remarketing is one of the biggest opportunities for B2B companies. It allows you to reach an audience that you know is interested in your business. Before remarketing there was no way to nurture warm prospects with custom ads. Remarketing has recently become even more powerful as advertisers can now remarket to prospects while they visit social networks such as Facebook and Twitter.
All the major social networks offer ads, but only a few have proven to be a good source for leads. LinkedIn is the best social network for lead generation because it allows you to target qualified people. For example, if you know the job title of the decision maker you can set up a campaign and run custom ads to target this specific group of people. Also, Facebook has recently boosted their potential to be a good source for lead generation with the emergence of Atlas and their audience network .
Google and Bing Search Ads
Google remains the most popular ad network for a reason. Simply put, advertisers know their audience uses Google and that bidding on valuable keywords is good for business. To generate a desirable ROI it is crucial to target the right keywords with compelling ad copy and a focused landing page.
This summer Bing’s ad center got a facelift and many marketers decided to test PPC ads on the second most popular search engine. Some B2B companies have found less competition, lower cost per clicks and a better bang for their ad buck.
Just like any marketing decision, ad spend decisions should be based on business objectives. If lead generation is a top goal, then testing different ad platforms is the only way to find success with PPC ads. Tests require enough budget for 3-6 months and ideally an experienced PPC Specialist to setup, monitor and manage the campaign.
