A lot of small business owners, once they are established, begin to look at running ads to drive traffic to their website or social media pages - and why not? Online advertising can be extremely effective, generates interest from a new audience, and can reinforce a brand to an already-existing customer. In the past few years, platforms like Google and Facebook have made the ad setup process user friendly to even the most inexperienced marketers, so it’s easy to hit ‘Boost Post’ (here’s my warning against that!) or create a Google Ad.
The problem, of course, is that advertising done without knowledge and purpose can be a waste of time and money. I have heard over and over again from business owners who set up an online ad, only to be frustrated by the high costs and lack of return on investment. This is completely understandable. Smart business owners should know their numbers and be able to tell whether or not their marketing dollar are being put to good use or not - which often they are not, because an easy setup does not mean an effective ad will be created.
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