Today's post is an excerpt from The MFS Guide to B2B PPC - A Strategic Approach to B2B PPC.
For this guide, we will use the term B2B PPC broadly to cover paid ads on any online digital platform. Before we delve into any tactics or technical set up items, it is worth taking a moment to go over some foundational B2B PPC activities. All PPC campaigns need to be built on solid foundations and you should address the following considerations before launching any campaigns.
B2B PPC Foundations
1. Identify Your Target Audience
One of the biggest advantages of PPC for a B2B company is the in-depth targeting options most platforms now possess. Digital platforms allow you to hone in on a particular audience, but they won’t choose your audience for you. Some platforms will offer features like auto expansion of an audience to personas with similar characteristics to your selected audience. You may even learn from an initial test that some of your previously-held audience assumptions were not entirely correct, but you will still need a starting point. PPC might help you refine an audience, but - before launching any PPC campaign - you - as a strategy leader - need to take the time to identify your target persona. Attributes to think about here include company size, location, job title, interests, and online activity. Targeting options will differ by platform, but you can do your part by nailing down your target audience.2. Why PPC?
Ask yourself why you are choosing to go down the PPC route. Do you have an assumption about your audience that you want to test out with an initial foray into the PPC world or is PPC a channel that has worked well for competitors in your niche? Whatever your reasons are for embarking on a PPC campaign, it is important that they are clear and defined. By taking this step, it will be easier to set some goals and figure out the success or otherwise of your PPC campaign.3. Pinpoint the Role of PPC in Your Sales Cycle
B2B sales is an entirely different beast than its B2C counterpart. Sales cycles are growing longer and the number of stakeholders involved often goes as high as 10 or more. As you begin your PPC program, it is worth considering what part of the sales cycle you plan to target with your ads. Are you in the early stages of your company and primarily focused on awareness or is it a situation where you are looking to move prospects through the sales cycle with more targeted PPC content? It might be a situation where you want to target each stage with separate ads, but whatever your situation is, it is important to have this clarity before you begin your PPC campaign.4. Set a Target PPC ROI
One of the main questions to consider is around ROI and what would a healthy ROI look like. You will have to consider factors like your average deal size, length of sales cycle, cost per lead, etc. By making this calculation, you can track the success or otherwise of your PPC program. Perhaps one factor to keep in mind here is that you will generally be working towards a situation where you are lowering your cost per click (CPC) as you iterate and improve on your PPC campaigns by refining keywords, ad copy, headlines, and more.5. Build Your Supporting Infrastructure
As you get set up on your various chosen digital platforms, you will need to build out the materials you need to support your PPC campaigns. The basics here are web pages, ad copy, graphics, case studies, and testimonials. Additionally, you should be clear on your value proposition and the type of messaging you will use to target your buyer persona or personas.With these basic foundations in place, you will be in good shape to move onto the next step in your B2B PPC journey.
This post is an excerpt from the MFS Guide to B2B PPC: A Strategic Approach to B2B PPC. If you would like to read more you can access the guide in full here. If you have a marketing challenge you are looking for support with, feel free to reach out today - we’d love to talk with you about what you’re trying to achieve with your B2B marketing and how we might be able to help.