What are the most important SEM channels and platforms to allocate budget to?

If I have to choose is the way, because I have an experience. When I am looking for a product around my area. I head to Google search, when I don't know a location. I put it on Google and Google gives me results in seconds. So if anyone is looking to advertise, put your money on Google. I have been using Google to advertise and I have seen the response, it is amazing.

YouTube, the second largest search engine generates amazing results for a full funnel strategy including conversions. The platform requires right targeting approach and 1st party data ingestion to perform effectively. A generic recommended approach would be a full funnel strategy, involving different in platform ad formats (Discovery / in-feed and In-Stream / short form ads). Studies also prove a cross platform correlational search growth, impacting efficiencies of SEM campaigns across other search engines, aiding overall growth of conversions.

Google stands out to be the most effective SEM channel with respect to traffic intent and the conversion rate. However, while having a multi channel strategy, it is difficult to assess the incrementality it contributes.

Search Ads, Video Ads, Display Network Agreed. If you treat YouTube as the second largest search network, use Discover ads, you can really make an impact. People usually push their videos on YouTube. Better campaign structure can make YouTube a lead generation machine. Just think about it: How many times have you opened YouTube to search a video/tutorial/recipe? Answer: Most of the times.

Google is the biggest search engine globally, it has the largest market search. It only makes sense to be where the majority of people are. So, in my opinion, for now, until the foreseeable future, Google will remain the top SEM platform of choice.

Bing is mostly popular in the United States and in other not to miss out on any opportunity, it's wise to keep your bing ads active the same way your Google ads is. Just like I said earlier, making sure your brand name is visible and linked to you is vital to every online business. One easy was to handle this is to import your ads from Google ads. So Yes, Bing ads is very essential to be included in your ads budgeting.

In my past experience, I had a retail account with Google ads and Bing ads. We imported the campaigns from Google, and all the changes and optimizations that worked on Google were replicated on Bing. In terms of budget, make a comparison of the number of searches you could bring from Google and from Bing and distribute, but most of the time it will be a 70/30. However, Bing has an audience that could complement your paid search strategy and shouldn't be underrated.

Bing Ads, the underdog in the realm of search, a quieter battlefield with untapped potential. While Google's echo reverberates, Bing whispers to a different audience. Understand your seekers; they are not clones of the Google legion. Import not just campaigns but adapt strategies; here, nuances matter. Adjust bids and keywords with a painter's precision, for relevance paints a clearer picture on this canvas. Test relentlessly; it's a playground of curiosity. Measure not just results, but the resonance in this alternate universe. Bing Ads, where the perceptive thrive and the astute conquer.

Consider the following: Ad Position and Bid Strategy: Monitor your ad positions and adjust your bid strategy to ensure you're appearing in the desired positions for your target keywords. Keyword Match Types: Use different keyword match types (broad, phrase, exact, and broad match modifier) to control the level of precision in matching your ads to search queries. Device Targeting: Adjust your campaigns for different devices (desktop, mobile, and tablet) to optimize performance based on your audience's device preferences. And also: Ad Scheduling Ad Copy Testing Geotargeting Negative Keywords Quality Score Ad Extensions Competitor Analysis Budget Flexibility

Many people copy over their Google Ads account into Bing Ads and expect to have the same or better results from both channels. They don't realize that Bing Ads audience is different than that of Google Ads and they need to be optimized differently. Even though Google Ads drives way more traffic - Bing Ads can be a very profitable SEM channel if optimized correctly, independently of Google Ads. Different channels, different audiences require different approaches!

It is essential to have different campaigns that bring your audience to other stages, considering the other goals and audiences on Facebook. *An upper funnel campaign focused on Awareness with a broad target with interest, ages and demographics. *Middle funnel focused on traffic or content views. *Finally, a direct response campaign focused on conversion. Use Facebook Advantage tools with a prospecting audience focus on conversion and have a retargeting campaign *Strong CTAS for Mid & lower funnel. *Your upper funnel efforts will enrich the performance of your results or retargeting. *Make sure your ads mention your unique value proposition: Why are you unique? Why are you different from others? And what are the benefits of your product?

Whereas SEM is a great way to capitalize on demand that has been nurtured over a time-period or instant high intent traffic (think of you looking for a plumber to fix a leak), Facebook remains the best way to grow a business in terms of generating that demand. It is really important to look at the entire picture and the touch points, demand generation, psychological tendencies withing industries and markets and factor in how different channels play into that. Facebook has been and still is a large part of the modern marketer's stack.

Facebook can get you amazing results only if you avoid the common pitfalls. What many businesses sometimes do wrong is that they try to make their targeting very narrow by adding multiple layers of interests, demographics, and behaviors. This limits the algorithm and after a few days your campaign starts giving less results. You need to give the platform enough margin to test and optimize the campaign based on your selected objective.

Through multiple incrementality studies, I have found Meta campaigns to be effective and efficient at higher budget scales. If you have a decent 1-P audience base, GMV is the KPI & no distinction for customer type, then Meta campaigns are a must in the marketing plan.

Some additional considerations for effectively allocating the budget on Facebook Ads: Audience Segmentation Ad Placement Ad Testing Ad Frequency Pixel Tracking Custom Audiences Lookalike Audiences Ad Scheduling Budget Allocation Ad Copy and Visual Consistency Video Ads Best Practices Analytics and Reporting

While LinkedIn ads may not offer the same scale as Google Ads or Meta Ads, they possess a unique magic - Precision Targeting. ?? You can unlock LinkedIn's potential by reaching decision-makers in B2B businesses and catering to high-ticket sales. ?? Remember, LinkedIn ads might be pricier, but they allow you to target curated professionals on the most serious professional networking platform. Quality over quantity, every time! ??

Some additional considerations for effectively allocating the budget on LinkedIn Ads: Audience Targeting LinkedIn Matched Audiences LinkedIn Lookalike Audiences Ad Placement Ad Testing Bidding Strategy Ad Copy and Visual Consistency Landing Page Optimization Lead Generation Forms Budget Monitoring Analytics and Reporting

While LinkedIn ads may not reach as many people as Google Ads or Meta Ads, they have something special: Precision Targeting. ?? With LinkedIn, you can connect with key decision-makers in B2B companies and focus on high-value sales. ?? Keep in mind, LinkedIn ads might cost a bit more, but they help you reach carefully chosen professionals on the most serious professional network. It's about quality, not quantity, every time

It's a "must do" for B2B companies. Linkedin is not only to apply for jobs. It is a platform that professionals use to share information everyday. The Ads features are good, always evolving and keeping the engagement high. Linkedin Ads are essential when you are B2B focused.

Twitter is a conversational social media, and I have used it to generate awareness or traffic. Because of the type of social media, these are some strategies to consider in targeting: *Target individuals attracted to specific keywords and queries inside the platform. *Engage in conversations with people discussing online or offline events *Connect with people based on their conversations, covering over 25 categories and 10,000+ topics * Focus on your custom audiences for personalized engagement.

Some additional considerations for effectively allocating the budget on Twitter Ads: Audience Segmentation Promoted Trends Promoted Accounts Tailored Audiences Video Best Practices Ad Copy Testing Hashtags and Trendjacking Campaign Schedule Budget Reallocation Analytics and Reporting Engagement Campaigns

I am going to be brutally honest here - I don't recommend anyone to run Twitter Ads. From my extensive experience testing this channel over the past 8 years - it has never yielded a profitable outcome for many of my clients. Even though you can target a lot of different audiences using it - the only use I see for it is for branding and raising awareness (so top of the funnel). Don't expect to see quick results or profits from this channel. It can definitely assist other channels but by itself it is unfortunately inefficient.

Reaching your target audience should dictate which platforms you select for your paid search endeavours. Large platforms like Google will give you the reach and search volume to a large number of people. Slightly smaller platforms like Microsoft/Bing can be very good strategically as they've been known to have lower CPCs; depending on the brand/vertical. It's also popular with older demographics. Amazon Sponsored Ads is also an up-and-coming platform that's good for e-commerce brands. While it has some ways to go in terms of capability and optimization tools; the amount of traffic to Amazon daily makes it a good investment or consideration for marketers.

Each SEM platform has its advantages and disadvantages depending on various factors, primarily where our audience is located. From experience, I would offer these three brief tips: 1. Audience research: Understand your audience's online search habits and behaviors using tools like Google Analytics and surveys. 2. Testing and analysis: Experiment with different SEM strategies across various channels, conducting A/B tests and evaluating performance with clear metrics. 3. Continuous optimization: Monitor your SEM campaigns closely, adjusting strategies based on results and constantly optimizing to maximize your investment impact.

I am not sure why TikTok is not on this list given that it has beaten Google as the top search engine for Gen Z. Forward looking companies are already on it and using it on a daily basis. I would highly recommend you start using TikTok ads to raise awareness and drive traffic to your brand. Gen Z is a very powerful audience and if you are not using TikTok right now - you are missing out on a lot of potential customers.

As overarching perspective, ensure that two things are present in whatever channel you decide to engage with for SEM and one thing you need to do: 1) Your Audience: ensure that you are choosing the channel that your audience are present at. Otherwise, what’s the point. 2) Intent: Make sure that there are enough search volume for relevant keywords 3) Speak your audience’s language: make sure that you both use keywords and phrases that your audience use to engage with content/products/services you provide as part of you SEO and keywords targeting.

When planning your SEM strategy it helps to think beyond the most common platforms. Some platforms many forget about: - Amazon - Pinterest - Reddit - Snapchat - TikTok - DuckDuckGo - Apple Search Ads When allocating your budget, consider your specific audience, product, and campaign goals. Each platform has unique advantages and it’s important to tailor your strategy to fit your business needs. Testing and analyzing the performance of different platforms is crucial to determine the best ROI for your SEM investments.