Google Ads is a great recruiting tool. It allows you to present your value proposition to a potential customer who is looking for you. There is no better way. It’s not that easy, but the results can be spectacular.
In order to do this, you must have previously influenced that user for the campaigns to really work. It’s difficult to make campaigns profitable when that’s the first impact. I could elaborate more on this introduction, but I think the idea is perfectly understood.
What if an SMB with a limited budget wants to generate leads through Google Ads? Which corresponds to reality.
As I just mentioned, on the one hand, the process of making campaigns profitable takes longer than companies would like, and on the other hand, new campaigns (type “Max Performance”) require an initial investment to find users with a higher propensity to buy. Which brings us to two factors that are an obstacle for SMEs: long terms and high investments.
Alternatives to Google Ads for lead capture
Given this scenario, what can an SME or an entrepreneur do?
As I said in my article on the best digital marketing strategy for SMBs and entrepreneurs, I think it should be content based. (SEO and social networks), supported by the rest of the channels to generate interest leads (especially Google Ads and email marketing). That means Google Ads as a support, not as a primary acquisition channel, as can be the case in larger companies.
But what if they need to accelerate revenue acquisition? The optimal alternative might be to increase investment in Display and Google Ads, but we’ve already seen that this isn’t always an alternative.
Customers have changed and businesses need to adapt
The digital behavior of our audience, while evolving more slowly than the internet as such, has changed significantly in recent years.
Online purchases are already part of everyday life for a large part of the population. In addition, the way we do it has changed. Every time we do more and better research before buying, we learn to appreciate the usefulness of ads before clicking, we have our favorite online stores, the first thing we do is look for digital alternatives for our needs… we have many reasons to support this idea.
This means that the need to offer the content our audience needs to make their purchasing decisions has gone from being a good alternative to a necessity.
Even more so if we consider the impact that artificial intelligence will have in this sense for companies and in the usual channels of attracting traffic, as we are likely to see in search engines, especially Google.
Therefore, content is the fundamental part of digital marketing for SMEs. In terms of content formats, articles are still basic, but we’re seeing more and more video content gain traction. We see it on the internet, but especially on social networks.
What is the ultimate video platform? Where do our users look for inspiration, more detailed information, solutions, etc.? What is the second most important search engine after Google? The answer to all these questions is the same: YOUTUBE.
Youtube as an alternative for generating leads
Of course, I will not present you with a magic recipe that works in the short term and with little effort. And even less via a platform like YouTube, which has been active in the digital scene for so many years. But it’s a great alternative that SMEs haven’t explored much yet.
I found some data from a study by Youtube and Oxford Economics that I found very interesting.
YouTube focuses on the user experience. Their goal is, like that of Google, Facebook and many others Let’s stay on your platform for as long as possible. This directly impacts both parts of our strategy on the platform:
- Contents: We’ve traditionally talked about videos having to be less than 2 minutes long. And even now, with the reels on Instagram and the shorts on YouTube, even less. That might make sense for the platform because it helps it retain users, but it’s just a prop for our strategy (think a company). They need to find us when they need information and we need to give them the right answers. And if we do it in a way entertaining and extensiveYoutube will reward us with greater visibility.
- Advertising: It’s no longer so much about short videos with strong calls-to-action that entice us to buy (similar to Google Ads behavior), but about videos To sue which represent added value for us as users and lead to them staying longer. And it penalizes those who immediately remove them from YouTube (similar to other platforms). This means that the cost of this type of advertising has multiplied.
YouTube: Define a lead capture strategy in 2023
The key is to qualify your audience before you show them the ad that will entice them to buy (which is becoming increasingly expensive).
1. Keyword research on YouTube
There are some tools to do this keyword research, but the most effective and inexpensive way is to do it yourself on YouTube.
- Start searching using a list of important keywords (less than 10).
- Analyze the results obtained in terms of titles, video covers, content, descriptions, etc.
- Use the keywords that best suit your needs to create your video and use it as the basis for your content ads on the platform.
2. Create the most appropriate video content for your YouTube promotion
As I just mentioned, we need to create videos To sue different. If we want them to stay on YouTube but at the same time build a relationship that ends in a purchase, we need to create much longer videos (10 minutes) that start with some value and start with a call to action (like a mini webinar ) ends that were so fashionable a few years ago).
To better focus these videos I will talk about the methodology ADUCT I found it on the Social Media Examiner blog. I find it useful to use acronyms to remind me of key stages.
- Attention: Use the keywords of the video in the first 3 seconds.
- demonstration: Explanation of your value proposition and key things they need to know.
- singles: How do you differentiate yourself from the competition? What is your position? Why should they choose you over the competition?
- client: Speak clearly about your audience profile. “This product was built for…”, “I work with companies that…” Your users need to feel identified.
- Adjust (I would translate it as “adapt”) It means that you have to adjust to whoever sees you, they have to see you as someone who is accessible and close. That’s why it’s good not to try to show yourself as perfect. Talk about a mistake made, corrections made, etc.
- Trust (Trust): Once you’ve shown yourself vulnerable, you need to inspire trust by talking about the solutions you’ve found and establishing that trust through social proof (testimonials, books written, press appearances, awards, etc.).
- exit (Closing a sale): We end with the call to action: subscribe, another video, or even the link to the sales page.
3. Find the most appropriate place for each type of video ad
Depending on the goal of each ad, you need to define one schedule or another:
- search results.
- Before, during or after the most relevant content.
- As a video suggestion to the right of related content.
The first two options are more intrusive and the third is best for making a first contact that inspires more trust right from the start.
As you can see, it takes preparation and dedication, but these are the formats our audience needs to make a purchasing decision. Combine content with advertising and always try to add value and build a relationship with your audience. It’s not about volume, it’s about quality.
The image attached to the article (Youtube for SMEs and entrepreneurs) is from Freepik
