In the world of PPC (pay per click) advertising campaigns, it is becoming increasingly more difficult to stand out in a crowd. As more and more people move to this effective online advertising forum, many marketplaces are becoming increasingly competitive and cutthroat. But don't worry – implementing the following three bid management techniques will help put you back on top.
First, don't outbid your own budget. Just because there is a bidding war going on doesn't mean you have to get caught up in it. Remember that if you spend more to get customers than the profit you earn by converting them on the backend, your entire campaign is not only a waste of time, it's actually a waste of money also. It is much better to have fewer clicks and get them at a price where you can achieve ROI (return on investment) then to get caught up in a bidding war you can't win. Plus, with fluctuations in the PPC market, just try to ride the low waves, and avoid the high waves.
Next, you should not bid to get in the top spot, now matter how big your budget. Unless you are the undisputed leader in your industry, or are attempting to become the undisputed leader in your industry, bidding for the top spot is a quick way to erase your margins. You should let your ad sell your service, not the spot you are in. Plus, many people click on the top spot without thinking too much about the contents of the ad. This is the last thing you want, because you are lowering the quality of your leads. If you're going to pay for a click, you want to make sure it's for someone legitimately interested in what you sell. This should be the guiding light of your PPC bid management techniques.
There is another technique called bid jamming that you may consider utilizing. This calls for you to "jam" the bid of your competitor by bidding one cent less than their bid. Because a PPC service operates in the same way as an online auction site, you only pay one cent more than your closest competitor – not your actual bid. So if your competitor bids .49 per click and you bid .32 per click, your competitor pays .33 per click to hold the top spot. By bidding .48 per click, you can force them to pay full price for their bids.
These are a few simple pay per click bid management techniques that you can use in order to gain a competitive advantage in your PPC advertising campaign. Use a little patience, and you will place smarter and more effective bids.
