Like many of us running traffic on popular online platforms like Google and Facebook, I’m sure you’ve experienced some significant (and not so great) changes in your CPL, conversion rate, and monthly ad spend.
And I won’t even get started on how frequently ad accounts are being shut down.
Here’s what we’re learning…
It’s NOT going to get any easier.
In fact, expect things to get even more difficult as more and more restrictions unfold.
Any good news?
Over the next few Infinite Business Newsletter editions, I’ve going to cover the TOP 3 costliest mistakes businesses are making right now when it comes to running ads and driving traffic.
These are also the most common mistakes that are pretty easy to rectify (as they are variables you CAN control).
If you have an inhouse team member who takes care of your ad management, or you outsource it to a third party, make sure you forward them these three newsletters to ensure you get them corrected.
The first mistake has everything to do with how your target audience “sees” you.
96% of consumers simply don’t trust ads. Not a HUGE surprise. But did you know that fewer than 1 in 5 adults say they trusted social media ads?
As if the odds weren’t already stacked against us!
The challenge: Create an ad that not only grabs our prospect's attention, but ALSO conveys “trustworthy” and our “message” must be compelling enough to get them to take action.
One of the biggest ways to instantly FAIL in this task is using stock images in your ads and your social posts.
How often do you see companies like Apple, or Pepsi, or Canon using stock images in their ads?
You won’t. And there’s a very good reason why…
Nothing displays lack of ingenuity and effort quite like having the same stock photos that have been circulated all over the web. Using stock photography translates that you just don’t care about your brand or your culture…or even the message you are trying to deliver.
It also shows lack of differentiation and authenticity (as clearly you look like everyone else). Those “big league” players know the value in building their brand–they want to be unique, they WANT to stand out. They want to resonate with their audience on a higher level.
If you really want to resonate with your audience, entrust a dedicated person on your team to be responsible for unique content and ad creation.
Create your own unique content.
You don’t need to be in the race to post all day everyday, either. It’s all about quality content. Just look and see how many times big, successful companies post in the red oceans and win big. They only post quality videos a few times and they are almost always part of a campaign that leads you to the next one.
Strategic placement of creative custom footage and ads is exactly how you play to win.
Now, I hear this quite often…
I know it might seem EASIER and sometimes even FREE to just get a subscription to some stock photography service or platform.
But have you ever read the fine print? Many subscriptions under a free subscription are free, but with risk. The site might only let you use it as long as your subscription is valid. Some time goes by, and maybe your forced to pull your ad because you canceled your subscription.
Sometimes the creator of the stock footage decides they don’t want their photography on the site anymore and requests it to be pulled. Then the content creator might place a block on any photos videos on YouTube or Facebook using that footage regardless of the license you have.
In rare cases, getting the wrong license can and will lead to lawsuits. Let’s say you paid for a license for up to 100K reach and you exceed that reach. Now you have to adjust and pay for more licenses. If don’t, you could be up against legal action if they can prove that you knew and didn’t pay. Then they go for a big chunk of your earnings. It’s simply not worth it.
Another reason NOT to use stock photography is the risk of using a photo that someone has used and in turn has created a negative “anchor” around it. Then you use it (not knowing)and when your audience sees it, they automatically feel negatively towards you.
Using stock images can cause a major disruption in the message you are trying to send to your target audience.
One last tip:
Think long and hard about the message you want your audience to see. Ask yourself if what you are putting out is congruent and aligned with your brand, your culture…Your mission…Does it represent who you are as a company?
As always, get clear on what you are offering, and the value it brings. By doing this, you’ll become the trendsetter.
One of the best ways to own your market is to position your brand as the trusted company it is… Again, one of the best ways to do that in your ads is to create and promote your own content.
If you don’t have a team member or a third party that can help you optimize your ads (and ad spend), I highly recommend investing in a traffic audit (having a team of ad experts put your ad accounts, strategies, ads and stats under a microscope and audit every moving part of your prospect journey).
My senior ad team performs Premier Traffic Audits here at Business Nitrogen. It’s a 30+ point comprehensive audit process that identifies any and all areas that can decrease your CPL, increase your conversion rate, and optimize your ad spend overall. Sometimes just one discovery and alteration can pay dividends in the end.
You can get more information here: Premier Traffic Audit.
Stay tuned for Mistake #2!
To your success,
David
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