| During your small business advertising campaign using | | | | baseball glove. That's $200-$30. You've just paid $170 |
| pay-per-click advertising, how many times have you | | | | to get one customer. If your customer comes back in |
| uttered something like this phrase? "What?? I don't | | | | 3-5 years when his glove wears out to buy another |
| understand how the keyphrase "cheap online | | | | one, now you're only down $130. Supposing he stays a |
| advertising" has such a low relevancy on a page | | | | lifetime customer, you could break even in about 20 |
| about cheap online advertising! It doesn't make any | | | | years. That's not so bad, right? |
| sense!" | | | | You'll have to forgive my sarcasm there. I will openly |
| Believe me, I've been there too, numerous times, | | | | admit being biased, but I just don't feel it's fair that the |
| wasting money. Buying books and trying to trying to | | | | major internet advertising players, particularly a few |
| implement their small business advertising strategies to | | | | search engine giants, tell small business owners that |
| get my Click Through Rates higher and my keyword | | | | they can advertise on a level playing field. If your daily |
| relevancy up didn't seem to help either, so I just ended | | | | advertising budget is in the single digits because that's |
| up wasting more money. Does this sound familiar? Are | | | | all you can afford, that's not the same playing field as |
| you stuck in this rut too, trying to advertise your small | | | | a business that can afford hundreds or thousand of |
| business but just spinning your wheels? | | | | dollars per month, or even per day! |
| The good news is, your small business doesn't have to | | | | Your best bet for low budget online advertising is to |
| burn through advertising dollars, paying way too much | | | | make use of social networking sites that are highly |
| for pay-per-click ads. I'll discuss those options in a | | | | affordable or even free, like Twitter and Facebook. |
| minute. While we're on the subject, however, when | | | | Both are excellent ways to promote your site on a |
| you're on a penny-pinching budget, who can afford $8 | | | | budget. Plus, in all likelihood, social networking is the |
| to $10 per click when you're trying to keep your small | | | | future of advertising (if it's not already) in an |
| business afloat or at least get it off the ground? | | | | increasingly competitive internet market that's trying to |
| Advertising and internet marketing books will tell you | | | | capture the short attention span of its users. Strive to |
| that the ultimate lifetime value of a customer will | | | | make personal connections with your potential |
| outweigh the cost of that click. While in some cases | | | | customers. They're more likely to remain customers of |
| that may be true, if your small business is selling a | | | | your small business if they're dealing with someone |
| product that a person might buy once every few | | | | they know on a personal basis, instead of some |
| years, it could take a while to recoup your expenses. | | | | faceless corporation. |
| Especially if your Click Through Rates and keyword | | | | It's a bit of a misnomer since we're talking about |
| relevancy scores are low and your cost per click is | | | | dealing with people over the internet where anonymity |
| higher. For example, say the market for selling baseball | | | | reigns, but try to focus on human interactions. Your |
| gloves is extremely competitive, your CTR and | | | | small business advertising campaign might just involve |
| keyword scores are low and you've tried every SEO | | | | making friends, instead of wasting money on |
| trick in the book to get them up, but you're still paying | | | | pay-per-click ads. Wouldn't you rather make a new |
| $8 per click. I'm just throwing out random figures, but | | | | friend than stress out over Click Through Rates or |
| let's suppose it takes you 25 clicks to finally sell a $30 | | | | keyword relevancy? |