When it comes to digital marketing for eCommerce businesses, there are a whole lot of channels to choose from:

Social media can boost brand awareness and make connections. 

Email marketing can keep your community active. 

…And PPC (specifically Google Ads) can enable steady growth and sales.

Why PPC for eCommerce?

PPC (pay per click) advertising is a favorite among eCommerce marketers—and for good reason. 

Reminder: 

PPC Advertising = Ads that appear on search engine result pages, videos, apps, websites, and social media.

These ads appear everywhere, so they get a whole lot of views (like a billboard on the side of the highway). But the business owner doesn’t pay for views, they only pay when a user clicks.

The best part? PPC advertising is about finding customers who are ready to buy through search history, audience type, and a whole lot of data.

Why Google Ads for eCommerce, Specifically?

Google Ads is the most effective form of PPC (pay per click) advertising on the planet.

Think about it: 

The term “Google” has become so synonymous with “answer.”

We’re been trained to turn to Google with every question we have. And Google is so much more than a search engine, it is also YouTube, email, apps (like Google Calendar), Google Maps, and Android.

…And, Google collects information about us all, and can therefore predict intent—which means Google can put somebody who’s willing to buy your product in front of your ad (sometimes before the user even knows they want to buy).

In fact, 67% of all high commercial intent keyphrases go to a paid ad.

We’ll reiterate: 

When someone wants to buy, two out of three(!) of those Google searches result in clicking on an ad.

That tells us that when people are in the learning phase of the buying process, they go for organic search results. 

But when they are ready to buy—customers click the ads.

Is Google Ads Right for Your Business?

One more thing before we go any further: 

While Google Ads is the most effective marketing platform on the planet, it isn’t right for everyone. 

So, it’s imperative to determine Google Ads is right for your eCommerce business before you can hit the ground running.

It takes time to build, launch, and optimize campaigns—and ultimately, see results. 

That means you need to have realistic expectations. Here are seven quick questions to consider first:

1. Are you ready to commit? It typically takes about 90 days to determine if there’s potential for a predictable, scalable growth schedule. 

2. Can you afford the cost to get the ball rolling? You’ll want to spend at least $1,000-$1,500 per month at the bare minimum; but I recommend starting at a $2000 minimum.

3. What are your business goals? Ask yourself:

• Do I know my close rates?
• Do I know how many leads I need to make a sale?
• Do I know how many leads each month I need to make a profit?

By establishing your specific goals, you can determine if you can successfully run a Google Ads campaign in the long-term.

4. How is the quality and speed of your website? Your website should be:

• Fast
• Mobile responsive
• Informative
• Easy to use

5. Can you handle an influx of traffic? 

• Are you going to answer your phone when customers call? 
• Will people call you directly, or will you have a sales team that’s trained and ready to take calls?
• Are you fully stocked and ready to ship? 
• Can you accurately forecast how much product you need?

6. What is your audience size and location? If you’re local and rural—with only a handful of people nearby—your audience size might be too small. In this case, Google Ads probably doesn’t make sense for your business.

7. Are you ready to be competitive? Make sure your ad spend is competitive enough to get enough clicks; Otherwise, Google Ads won’t work in your favor.

How Google Ads Works Inside The Google Network

In order to be successful with Google Ads (or any marketing platform), it’s important to understand how the entire network functions.

Now, we tend to think of Google as the search engine, right?

But the Google ecosystem is massive and includes: 

• YouTube
• Gmail
• Apps (think Google Calendar)
• Google Maps
• Android
• The Google Display Network

And for every piece of “real estate” owned by Google (email, search engines, YouTube, apps) there is a way to advertise (i.e. a campaign type).

The Different Types of Campaigns

Let’s briefly cover the different types of Google Ads campaigns:

Google Search Campaigns

This is the campaign we generally refer to when we talk about Google Ads. 

Again, you’ll recognize these ads as the first results that pop up on the top of a Google search results page:

Google Shopping Campaigns

This campaign type exists inside Google’s shopping ecosystem but can also be expanded to Smart Shopping and other types of responsive display ads.

Google Display Campaigns

Websites that allow advertisements to take up space on their pages. The ads are usually an image (see: “display”).

Video Campaigns

Video ads that pop up before, after, or in the middle of a YouTube video.

These video ads can also appear at the top of a YouTube search:

But! Video campaigns are not just for YouTube. These types of ads can appear through Google display network (see above) and other areas of Google’s ecosystem.

App Campaigns

Promote your app across Google’s networks, including Google Search, Display, YouTube, and Google Play (the app, game, ebook, and general entertainment store for Android devices).

Google Smart Shopping Campaigns

Algorithmically controlled automated ads on Google and across the web.

Google Discovery Campaigns

These ads are pushed across the entire Google ecosystem.

Believe it or not, there’s more.

But for the sake of this guide, our sanity, and your business, we’re going to put most of our focus on Google Smart Shopping.

Standard Shopping vs. Smart Shopping: What’s the Difference?

You might be wondering what the difference is between Standard Shopping campaigns and Smart Shopping campaigns inside Google Ads.

Here’s a quick overview of how Standard Shopping campaigns work:

1. You (the business owner) send your product feed (the listing of all the products on your website) to Google using a Merchant Center account.

2. You set your budget.

3. Google uses your feed to create “placement shopping ads” that appear on relevant search results pages.

These ads include a photo of the product and its correlating information—a step above standard text ads.

These ads ensure the user sees all the important “must-know” details about your product before clicking—therefore, each click is (in theory) made by a more qualified lead.

However, Smart Shopping campaigns take standard Shopping campaigns a giant step further.

With Smart Shopping, you still: 

1. Send your product feed to Google via a Merchant Center Account.

2. Create a campaign and set your budget.

3.  …And Google still pulls your product information to create placement ads that appear when a shopper searches for a relevant product.

But, that’s just where it begins.

Why Google Smart Shopping Is The Most Powerful eCommerce Advertising Tool on the Planet

Unlike Standard Shopping, Smart Shopping uses algorithmic targeting to show ads to very specific users. 

How specific? We’re talking about users who have shown high intent and interest in a product based on their past search activity.

Smart Shopping uses all five channels to advertise: Search, display, youtube, gsp, and shopping. 

And with such powerful algorithm targeting, that means you no longer have to do the heavy lifting of pushing prospects strategically from the top of the funnel to the bottom.

Instead, Smart Shopping goes through their massive user database and matches your ad with the best user who’s ready to buy from you right now.

How? Dynamic Prospecting.

Dynamic Prospecting uses information about your current users and your products to find new prospective customers.

On the other hand, Dynamic Remarketing shows ads to those who previously visited your website or engaged in your ads. 

Feeling Psyched on Google Ads?

Hey, me too. 

Next time I pop in, I’ll go over the prerequisites every eCommerce business needs before building and launching a campaign.

But if you’re feeling eager, you can check out this Google Ads Mastery Workshop that has you covered.

Or, you can check out my entire guide to Google Ads for eCommerce here.

Happy campaign building!

The post An Intensive Guide to Google Ads for Ecommerce appeared first on DigitalMarketer.

A lot goes into building a high-converting funnel. How would you rate your skills in hooking and converting high-value leads?

The post How would you rank your funnel-building skills? appeared first on DigitalMarketer.

Are you ready to turn your digital marketing contractor-work into a sustainable business? 

Then you need to hit the ten-client mark!

To help with that, we’ve created a five step process to get you your first ten clients. 

And not just any clients. 

Below we’ve provided exactly what we would do if we were in a new market and needed to to get our 1st 10 clients in the next 90 days.

This is an actionable strategy designed to attract more clients, who are excited to work with you, that actually implement your advice, and, most importantly, pay you what you’re worth. 

If you’re a coach, consultant, or agency that has been operating below the ten-client mark for any length of time, you’re probably tired.

Tired of prospects failing to see your value.

Tired of delivering excellent work at sub-par rates. 

Tired of working a “side-hustle” just to make ends meet.

Tired of the “feast or famine” every month.

Tired of losing clients to competitors that are less qualified.

Tired of taking on difficult or pain in the a** clients just to pay the bills.

And just tired of being tired, overwhelmed, or burnt out.  

We know the struggle and we have a solution.

Follow this 5 step formula  and you’ll have your first ten clients in no time.

(Btw, this is meant to be a “get out and go get’em” guide to take massive action today but if you’d like a full, in-depth training on how our coaches, consultants, and marketing partners use similar principles to build full client acquisition machines, you can check that out here >> 

“How To Generate $3,500/Mo In Retainer Clients And Build A Marketing Consultancy That Sets You Apart” )

Now, Let’s get started! 

STEP 1: IDENTIFY YOUR IDEAL CLIENTS

OBJECTIVE: List 10-15 prospects that you can create a quick win for.

To understand who your “ideal clients” are, you need to understand yourself. 

What digital marketing skills are you good at? Which of those skills can be best demonstrated through a single project? What pursuits are consuming most of your time? What issues are you currently struggling with? Answering these questions will put you in the right mindset.

Start by listing your top three digital marketing skills. 

Maybe you’re an excellent graphic designer, or a master email campaign creator, or a talented social media professional. 

Now, create a short list of projects that can visibly demonstrate your talent. 

A graphic designer may be able to create an amazing Facebook ad. An email marketing expert could make high-converting email funnels. A social media professional could construct amazing Instagram stories.

Now, look at your life and categorize the activities that consume most of your time, energy, or effort. 

It could be parenting, remodeling your home, golfing, exercising, dieting, playing video games, etc. 

Next, create a list of issues that you struggle with. These could be finding time to play with your kids, dealing with contractors to find the best price, stinking at golf, learning how to exercise without hurting yourself, finding new healthy recipes, or getting your butt kicked by 12-year-olds online playing your favorite game.

Your ideal clients are people with which you share interests, experiences, and problems . 

Now that you know your personal skills, issues, and struggles, you can be much more intentional about finding 10 ideal clients.

For example, let’s say that you’re a 45-year-old graphic designer who’s remodeling his home and struggling to find a good quote for your new patio. Your research into contractors has led to you being targeted by local businesses with Facebook ads. Many of these ads are probably nowhere near what you can design, and now, you have a prospect.

STEP 2: CONNECT, ALIGN & PROVIDE VALUE IN ADVANCE

OBJECTIVE: Contact each prospect with a custom message.

The mistake that most agencies make is believing that they can construct a broad campaign that can be blasted out to everyone and succeed through sheer numbers. 

Not only is this strategy ineffective, it’s counterproductive and could damage your brand. 

How many times have you received a direct message from a vendor that is obviously not targeted specifically for you? It’s cheap and offensive, and will probably lead to a social media block or spam report.

The cornerstone to this part of the process is delivering value in advance. 

Your messaging to each prospect should evolve from the research you conduct into their offering, current marketing methods, and brand image. 

You need to identify a specific problem you see with what they’re doing, demonstrate your expertise, and sell them on what you’re offering. 

Specifically, your initial message should contain the following:

• Compliment the prospect on their brand/offering/achievements/etc.
• Align yourself with a specific problem you notice based on your research.
• Provide evidence of your capability to solve the problem.
• Present a custom (but incomplete) solution.

Here’s an example message from the 45-year-old graphic designer we referenced in the first step:

 

---

Dear Mr. Smith,

I’ve been looking to remodel my patio and I found your portfolio of work online. I have to say that they are some of the most attractive decks that I’ve seen and your reviews on Google are amazing. 

I’m not quite ready to pull the trigger, but I did start to receive targeted ads on facebook for your company. 

I’ve done quite a few Facebook ads myself, and I have to say that your ads don’t do you any justice for your work. I didn’t even realize it was you until I saw it several times and recognized your business name in one version.

Here is a version of an ad that I think will lead to a lot more traffic (LINK TO VIDEO). It’s animated, shows off your portfolio, and has a clear call to action for your potential customers.

I’d be happy to implement the ad for free if you’re interested. Let me know and I can get that up right away.

---

 

This message over time should get enough desired responses from the right type of clients.

Side note: If you want to go deeper on the value in advance step, and client acquisition as a whole, I would encourage you to schedule time for the full webinar we mentioned earlier.

In that Ryan shares how to use his “one sentence pivot” script at the end of any message, video, or presentation to convert those conversations into a sales meeting without looking needy or “sales-y”.

That one sentence pivot script has been proven to have prospects begging to book a meeting with you!

STEP 3: The Strategic Consult Session

OBJECTIVE: Document their strategic plan.

Your goal is to get a quick win for your prospect.

 If they don’t see how your skills, talent, and willingness to get them results at no cost is a benefit, they may not have been the right prospect. 

If you’ve done a good job, they will see your value and be ready (and excited) to keep working with you.

At this step you need to deliver a concise path for your prospect to become a new client.

 If you don’t have your offer, pricing, and onboarding in line, you may not close the sale, or you’ll have to close the sale for a lot less value.

STEP 4: Ask If They Want Help Implementing

OBJECTIVE: “Need some help with that?”

Stay by their side and walk them through the process. 

Ideally, they will see more immediate success, and it will incentivize them to continue working with you. Especially if you complete the project and have another potential contract in mind. 

Prove your value in the short term, and then re-pose the simple question: “it looks like you’re also struggling over there. Need some help with that?”

STEP 5: Make the Sale

OBJECTIVE: Propose an ongoing solution.

All you had to do to get them was ask that one simple question: Need some help with that? 

Then, once you’ve got your client up on their own, all you’ll have to do is keep asking it. You’d be surprised at the fact that, a lot of the time, the answer will probably be no.

If they do encounter problems later on and need serious help, there is no one better qualified to help them than you. 

You understand their business, their pain points, and their customers. 

You’ll officially have a relationship where everyone wins, and both you and your client will be able to reap the benefits of it.

There is a lot more that goes into the process of the Agency Growth Funnel, so be sure to check out our free training webinar. https://www.digitalmarketer.com/lp/fractional-cmo-playbook-b/ 

Once you’ve mastered the process, it’s almost impossible to stop! 

Many of the agencies we work with have seen 25–30% of their free discovery session meetings turn into paid clients. And yes, they actually want to work with those clients.

As we mentioned, this is a down and dirty guide to getting to your 1st 10 clients in the next 90 days. 

If you would like the full playbook on “How to Make $336,000 a Year, Part-time as a Fractional CMO” you can register for that here.

In that free training, we cover:

• What exactly a “Fractional CMO” is (hint: if you’re reading this, its you!)
• The math behind a $336,000 a year, part-time as a coach, consultant, or agency
• The exact, 4-step client attract, convert, and onboard process we teach our agency partners at DigitalMarketer
• The one-sentence “pivot script” that has prospects begging to book a meeting
• A simple little “trick” that filters out virtually all the “lookie-loos” and crazy clients with unrealistic expectations…
• When to sell retainers (and when NOT to sell retainers)

Until then, happy selling! 

 

The post How to Get Your First 10 Clients in 90 Days appeared first on DigitalMarketer.

If you couldn’t rely on Facebook Ads any more, what would be your top alternative? Find out which ad platform is the best!

The post After Facebook Ads, What is Your Favorite Paid Ad Platform? appeared first on DigitalMarketer.

LinkedIn advertising has been steadily gaining notoriety over the past few years, thanks to its super specific demographic targeting and professionals-based network. 

But there are definitely a few fears that may be preventing you from delving into LinkedIn advertising: it is expensive; it is uncharted territory (in comparison to Facebook or Google); it is not a sales-based platform; etc. These concerns are 100% valid. 

If you are reading this article, you are likely a LinkedIn skeptic. And that’s okay! This article will walk you through the proof that LinkedIn ads ARE worth the effort, then suggest a few resources for your next steps. 

A Quick Disclaimer: 

Like we said above, there are some real drawbacks to LinkedIn advertising. Really quick, let’s address those concerns (because it’s completely possible that you’re right: LinkedIn ads might not work for you). 

Reasons to say “No thanks” to LinkedIn Ads:

#1 | You can’t afford it.

 Advertising on LinkedIn is simply more expensive than alternative options. Of course, it also has the potential to be more lucrative… but it is a huge investment. If your business is still small or is not focusing a big chunk of the budget on advertising, this might not be a good time to start LinkedIn advertising. 

#2 | Your primary goal is to sell.

Yes, yes. Obviously, we are all trying to sell something. But the LinkedIn platform is not centered on buying. It is centered on growth: personal growth, career growth, business growth. If you can market your business so that it can contribute to a potential client’s growth, then you’ll succeed on LinkedIn. 

Alright, if you are still interested after our disclaimer, then we are ready to seal the deal and give you definitive proof! 

LinkedIn Advertising Statistics: 

LinkedIn is a great advertising platform because it simultaneously 1) attracts almost every kind of person and 2) singularly appeals to people interested or involved in business. So everyone on LinkedIn is potentially interested in your business, but you can also find virtually any demographic. 

LinkedIn reported over 706 million users and furthermore, says that 80% of these users have influence over business decisions. Because of the professional environment and high concentration of business accounts, LinkedIn also claims that their users have double the buying power of a more general online audience. Surely, these are very valuable potential clients! 

LinkedIn also reports that their conversation rates are an average of 300% higher than other platforms.

These statistics can certainly justify the price point, as well as your time and effort!

Our Stats: 

While LinkedIn’s statistics are certainly encouraging, we also wanted to offer some of our own. 

DigitalMarketer’s LinkedIn page has 55,622 followers, which means our posts already show up on all those people’s pages. This is a result of strategic ads to our targeted demographics as well as consistent and engaging posts. 

Aside from that, our analytics are quite happy with where we are at with our LinkedIn marketing. Last week, we got 483 click-throughs and in the last 30 days, we have gained almost 1,000 new users just from our LinkedIn! 

For us, it all ties into the Customer Value Journey: 

LinkedIn can play a part in the Journey, but it probably won’t be your biggest resource for converting. To be clear, this does not mean that good LinkedIn advertising will not make you money. 

Think of it this way: Using LinkedIn is like playing the long game. Maybe you won’t make as many conversions right away, but the LinkedIn platform is fantastic for Engaging, Exciting, and even Ascending (all of which are essential parts of the CVJ). We’ve seen our LinkedIn advertising contribute enough to our Customer Value Journey that we are excited to help you too! 

We just offered some pretty definitive proof that LinkedIn advertising is worth your time… so now it’s time for you to start planning your campaign! Don’t worry, DigitalMarketer is here to help you with that too. Check out: LinkedIn Growth Hacking Tips for Newbs or How to Build Your First LinkedIn Content Marketing Strategy today!

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