Digital Advertising is becoming the new norm – this marketing channel has rapidly developed into a preferred advertising channel and shows no signs of slowing down. Companies love digital marketing because of its ability to be targeted, engaging and easily measurable. You know your outreach is going to people who want your information, you have the ability to reach your audience when they are on-the-go, and the metrics of digital advertising are built right in so you can see how the channel is adding value. Google is definitely the leader of the online advertising realm with millions of Canadians using Google every day to search the web.
But how do you invest in online advertising if you decide to dissociate from Google AdWords? Here at Strathcom, as a preferred Google partner, we are huge fans of AdWords and manage campaigns for many dealers across the country that allow dealers to gain more customers and sell more cars. However, running Google AdWords campaigns isn’t for everyone. Since Google uses an auction system, over time, AdWords campaigns become more expensive to implement as more and more companies enter the auction house. For some particularly competitive geographic segments, getting someone to visit your site can cost you a hefty amount. If you are a smaller dealer, this makes it hard to compete with bigger companies with larger marketing budgets.
The good news? There are several credible alternatives that will allow you to drive customers to your site and increase your customer base. Let me present you with my top 4 alternatives:
YouTube Advertising
YouTube Advertising – which is owned by Google – is one of the more undervalued, underutilized and underestimated advertising options dealers have. For advertisers with more modest budgets, in-stream YouTube advertising is a great option. YouTube offers both non-skippable ads and skippable, or TrueView, ads that can play before a YouTube video is played. If you don’t want people to skip your video, it is also possible to promote your video advertisement as an in-search option. This works much like a standard AdWords Search campaign on Google; select keywords, place your bidding strategy and then have your video thumbnail appear in the YouTube search results pages. Videos are engaging, no matter the targeted demographic, so providing engaging videos is sure to entice the visitor and boost conversions.
Bing Advertising
The authority of Google in Canada leaves little crumbs to its two main competitors, Bing and Yahoo. However, on a limited advertising budget, you will find a real alternative to AdWords is Bing Ads. Microsoft’s Bing Ads are less competitive, which means it generally offers advertisers a lower auction rate and a real return on investment. Another benefit of Bing advertising is that Bing is the default search engine on all Microsoft products, giving you a vast and unique set of viewers.
Facebook Advertising:
In Canada, Facebook has over 14 million daily users. Facebook advertising has matured over time and advertisers are bound to find a suitable response as Facebook now allows advertisers to promote their Facebook page, showcase their site, promote their event, or even market their mobile application. Facebook also offers remarketing and retargeting solutions with different advertising formats, which is a great bonus as well.
Instagram Advertising
Instagram could also be a key lever for great engagement. Instagram is great for interacting with your community, showcasing your inventory, demonstrating what your products can do, creating anticipation and highlighting highly satisfied customers.
The insane growth of the app presents a great opportunity to define your brand and increase your presence on the mobile network. With over 400 million users worldwide, Instagram has now surpassed Twitter and is the largest mobile photo-sharing app in the world.
For more information on online advertising, give the professionals at Strathcom Media a call!
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