PPC is a vital tool when it comes to getting your business seen. However, utilising it to its full potential is often more difficult, especially when it isn’t your main role. Many small business owners can fall into the traps of what “should” be done, rather than doing what’s best for their business. This can often result in wasted spend or a lack of results. Unsure if your account is not reaching its potential? Take a look at these myths to see if you have fallen prey to them.

Myth #1: “PPC Is Too Expensive for Small Businesses”

It is a common misconception that if your business isn’t willing to spend tens of thousands a month on PPC, it won’t work. This simply isn’t accurate. Though thousands aren’t necessary, PPC is one of the more expensive forms of digital marketing, so you will require at least a few hundred pounds per month. 

At the end of the day, it’s the strategy you create with the budget that you do have that wins the conversions and the revenue for your business. Spreading any level of budget too thinly will ultimately lead to an unsuccessful campaign. Make sure that whatever budget you do have; aiming towards your top performing products, or your highest revenue driving service.

Myth #2: “If I Run Ads, People Will Automatically Convert”

PPC activity doesn’t straight away create a load of leads or sales for you. It can’t be achieved with a click of your fingers. Helping people down the road to a conversion once the user is on the site is the real key. This can be achieved through understanding the user intent and improving the landing pages, site speed and much more.

PPC alone can never guarantee conversions. PPC drives traffic to your site that if done correctly, is likely to produce conversions, but is not set in stone. Conversion rate optimisation (CRO) picks up from this point and is the driving force behind ensuring your website is easy to navigate, clear to the user and ultimately, better than your competitors.

Myth #3: “Set It and Forget It”

We often see that businesses, either by lack of time or bad advice, set up campaigns and leave them for months on end. PPC relies on constant monitoring, testing and changes. That is the bread and butter of PPC. 

We understand that if you are doing this internally, time may not be on your side to complete every change or check under the sun. If you can, try to set a routine for your optimisation such as weekly reviews or monthly ad copy changes.

Myth #4: “PPC Doesn’t Work for My Industry”

The belief that niche industries or B2B can’t benefit from PPC is an old fashioned perspective, that simply isn’t true. PPC can reach every industry with the right strategy. From utilising the keywords your customers are using on Google, to showing up on their Instagram feed.
For whatever your niche is, make sure to use targeted, compelling ad copy that can make the biggest impact on users when seen. 

Myth #5: “More Clicks = More Success”

Clicks do not guarantee conversions, qualified leads or ROI. Making sure you get the RIGHT clicks is the crucial part. Focus on quality not quantity when it comes to finding the right traffic. When reporting, don’t focus on impressions or clicks, focus on the metrics that truly matter, like CPA and conversion value, not just CTR.

Consequences of Believing These Myths

Believing the myths above is more common than you would think. These misconceptions often lead to wasted ad spend and missed growth opportunities. Our recommendation is to do your research, don’t take the word of something you were advised on years ago. Make sure that you are up to date on the possibilities of PPC and what it can do for your business. Poor decision making based on misinformation will only hurt your company in the long run.

How to Fix It: A Smarter Approach to PPC

Not sure how to make sure you are on track? Follow these few simple steps to get you started. 

1. Audit your current campaigns
2. Work with reputable experts or educate in-house teams on recent trends and the latest ad types and releases from your chosen platforms. 
3. Set realistic goals and track real business outcomes, not just clicks
4. Regularly check in on your campaigns, and make sure you have an optimisation routine and strategy to continually improve your account.

Conclusion

These myths are common knowledge, but they aren’t just wrong, they’re holding your business back. Make sure to review your performance and set up to check you aren’t falling prey to them. If you aren’t sure where to start with your PPC, get in touch with us for a free account audit.