Tips About Online Advertising

Yelp

Pros: People who search yelp are ready to spend money (talk about a target audience!). You can start a productive ad campaign for roughly $300 a month to capture eyeballs and meet expressed needs.

Cons: You had better have an impressive reputation on Yelp before you start paying for advertisements. Yelp users look at those stars and ratings.

Google

Pros: Google AdWords is one of the most recognized names in online advertising with traffic that is nearly off the charts. So if visibility is what you want, Google has got it.

Cons: The catch? Beyond location there is NO demographic control. The why here is quite simple, and I am certain you will now notice this in your own browsing behavior; The vast majority of searches done are for informational purposes, like research, instead of purchasing.

Facebook

Pros: Flat out AMAZING level of demographic control, you can target by gender, interest, location, people who like a competitor, etc. Making it great to market individual products rather than services. Most Facebook users are not always ready to make purchases but it does plant the seed.

Cons: Rock bottom click through rate- The fact is that Facebook users are there to socialize or to be inspired. Keeping that in mind you will be much more likely to find success with your campaign.

LinkedIn

Pros: LinkedIn ads are best used to remind your network what you do and what your services are all about. Usually your face is posted along your ad so really you are selling yourself rather than a product or service. In the end it’s great to remind your acquaintances that you exist and that you’re still in business.

Cons: Getting started with LinkedIn can be expensive! Furthermore if you do not have a well thought out plan including detailed specs about who you are targeting with the ability to really drill into the data afterwards you may be wasting both time and money.