Competing in the digital realm can be tough, but some marketing directors are further handicapped by resistance from management. You might understand the importance of diversified digital marketing strategies and have a keen understanding of PPC best practices, but what good is it if your boss won't green-light your paid search spending?
We understand that frustration. The sales pitch is key to getting your boss's backing, but the most successful arguments won't take a marketer's perspective — they'll speak the language of your boss and present PPC best practices in a way that matters to him or her. Here are some tips for convincing your boss of the importance of paid search.
The Costs Are Fully Scalable
Search campaigns can be scaled to meet your department's budget, no matter how constrained it might be, and fiscally concerned bosses tend to love this feature. In addition, you can adjust the spending over time as you see fit. The financial commitment is low, and you're only paying for the exposure you're getting — something other marketing campaigns can't always promise.
Emphasize the custom pricing ability to adapt the campaign on-the-fly, and your boss just might change her tune.
Paid Search Marketing Is the Natural Complement to SEO
Compared to paid search campaigns, search engine optimization can be more of an investment. It can be time intensive and the best SEO compaigns don't necessarily come cheap. If your boss has already warmed up to SEO, point out how, as Marketing Land notes, paid search can serve as a natural complement to SEO. For one, paid search ads and SEO results can display simultaneously on a search results page, and these dual campaigns can help any company monopolize their subject area.
Meanwhile, paid search offers quick and easy data insights that can be used to inform an SEO campaign. You can either build an SEO campaign based on the insights gathered from paid advertising, or you can modify your strategy as you go thanks to what you're learning from paid search analytics.
Paid Search Will Reveal the Truth About Your Product or Service
A good paid advertisement can make any product or service look appealing. But any consumer knows this isn't always the case. An ad might draw a consumer in, but the actual product she buys will ultimately decide whether she's satisfied. Sometimes, great advertising can only expedite a product's downfall, because consumers experience the dissatisfaction sooner — and let their friends know, too.
Whether you're offering a great solution or something that's failing to deliver to consumers, paid search can offer a fantastic barometer for your company's long-term viability. You can use this to adjust your strategy — and maybe even your product — if things don't go well. In some cases, you simply might not be marketing yourself the right way, as Search Engine Journal points out, while in others the product may be to blame. Paid search is a way to identify this trend and correct it before your brand takes heavy damage.
Most bosses tend to respond to saving money. If you can sell them on the idea that a little paid search spending can offer great savings down the road, you might finally be able to get over that hump and bring paid search to your company.
