5 High-Impact Low-Effort Digital Marketing PPC Campaigns

In today’s world, PPC is a vital marketing strategy for businesses to find new customers.

PPC, which stands for pay-per-click, is where you pay a fee each time your ad is clicked.

We’ll explore 5 high-impact low-effort PPC campaigns that you can create to jumpstart your digital marketing strategy.

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1. Google Smart Display

Google Smart Display campaign is a simple and intelligent solution where you run responsive ads on Google Display Network. This helps to reduce labor and guesswork as compared to a manual Google campaign.

• Automated Bidding: Optimize for conversions in each & every ad auction so you get the best possible value
• Automated Targeting: Targeting optimizes as your campaign runs (ads will increasingly appear to people & at placements that’ll give you the most conversions)
• Automated Ad Creation: Ads are automatically generated from assets you provide & responsively fit into almost all ad spaces across the Display Network

The key element for Google Smart Display campaigns to be successful is your conversion data.

You can only choose automatic bidding such as Target CPA, Maximize Conversions and Target ROAS. No manual bidding strategies are available.

With the focus on conversions, you must set up conversion tracking (eg. setting up Google Analytics goal and importing into Google Ads) and meet the conversion-based eligibility requirements. Check out my articles for step-by-step guides on how to set up Google Analytics goals and Google Ads~

Pros

• Leverage Google’s machine learning
• Fast & easy to implement: Just plug in your assets & you’re ready to go

Cons

• Over-reliance on Google’s algorithm: You’re just trusting Google to do everything & that it’s correct in its targeting etc.
• Optimization is limited: There’s not much you can do since almost everything is automated

2. Google Performance Max

Similar to Google Smart Display, Google Performance Max also focuses on conversions. However, ads will appear across Google Ads inventory, such as YouTube, Display, Search, Discover, Gmail and Maps. Simply put, you’re running a single campaign with ads appearing on numerous channels and placements.

Google Performance Max uses Google’s automation technologies across bidding, budget optimization, audiences, creatives and more as well as the creative assets, audience signals and optional data feeds you provide.

Again, you’ll need to have sufficient conversion data to run this campaign successfully.

Pros

• Leverage Google’s machine learning
• Fast & easy to implement: Just plug in your assets & you’re ready to go
• Simplify campaign management: Run ads across Search, Display, YouTube etc. in a single campaign

Cons

• Over-reliance on Google’s algorithm: You’re just trusting Google to do everything & that it’s correct in its targeting etc.
• Optimization is limited: There’s not much you can do since almost everything is automated

3. Facebook, Instagram & LinkedIn Lead Generation

When running Lead Generation campaigns on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn, you can create a form asking prospects for details like their name, phone number, email, country and more. This form will appear on the platform itself so users will not leave the site and thus, create a hassle-free and seamless experience. For LinkedIn, the form will also be partially pre-filled as the platform automatically pulls from a user’s profile data.

Note that you’ll need a privacy policy page on your website to run this campaign. This is mandatory because you’re collecting personal information through these lead ads. You can quickly create a privacy policy page with the Lead Ads Privacy Policy Generator and revise the terms accordingly.

Also, since users are spending time and effort to fill up this form, it makes sense that you continue engaging them. This simply means that in addition to delivering what you advertised, you can consider getting in touch with them or enrolling them in an email nurturing drip campaign.

Let’s say that I’m running an Instagram Lead Generation campaign to take pre-orders for my novel. The first email will assure them that they’ve been added to my hot new release subscriber list and thus, will be the first to know when the novel is published. The next email would notify them when the novel is published as well as the various websites where they can purchase the book. Subsequent emails could include raving reviews from readers or discounts of my other books.

In other words, you should set up an email automation workflow for these people who filled up your lead form.

Pros

• Save time, manpower & resources: You don’t have to create a new landing page for each promotion
• Hassle-free & seamless experience for your target audience

Cons

• Not a set-and-forget campaign: Think about how you’ll continue engaging these people who submitted their information

Source: Facebook for Business

4. Facebook Store Traffic

Rather than Catalogue Sales where you need to list down all your products, Store Traffic requires much lower effort. You only need to list down your store locations which you should have probably already done so on your Facebook Page.

This type of campaign promotes your brick-and-mortar business locations to people that are nearby and thus, increasing foot traffic and boosting sales at your physical stores. A store means any physical place of business, such as a shop, restaurant, dealership, gym or salon.

• Customize your ads to pull in local information for each of your stores
• Use a store locator map card & call-to-action buttons such as Get Directions to encourage people nearby to visit the closest store
• Deliver ads to people within a set distance of each store

You can customize your ads with localized content for each store. For example, you can promote the 50% sale that is only available at Store A. Or you can promote an exclusive offer that is only available for Store B, C and D. Or you might choose to boost sales for stores with low foot traffic.

Pros

• Low effort: Don’t have to list all products. Just list your physical stores

Cons

• Limited reach: Smaller radius will make ads more relevant & increase foot traffic but will result in lower reach
• Might be tedious if you have many stores (can start with promoting a few stores first)

Source: Social Media Examiner

5. LinkedIn Message or InMail

With LinkedIn InMail, you can send direct messages to prospects that will appear in their inbox. Therefore, these ads feel personal because your target audience are receiving a message from someone in the company. The sender of the message should thus be someone with authority or at least, an amiable smile.

This type of campaign is great for events where you send a personal invite to prospects to attend your event (eg. webinar). You should also run this with accelerated delivery to book your prospects’ time.

LinkedIn’s precise and powerful targeting is an added bonus. You can target quality audience in a professional context. For instance, seniority, job functions, company industries and more.

Pros

• Personal ads with a tailored message: Like you’re talking to your prospects 1-on-1
• Effective especially for events (accelerated delivery)

Cons

• Limited reach: LinkedIn has a frequency cap where members only receive the same message ad once every 45 days

Now It’s Your Turn

Have you run any of the abovementioned campaigns before? How was your experience? What were the results of your campaign?

If you have marketing budget or prefer spending time on more important business matters, you can consider hiring a search engine marketing, display advertising or social media marketing expert from Fiverr instead. There are also top-rated professionals from Fiverr Pro who are hand-vetted for stellar quality and service.