Roundpeg was a content marketing firm long before there was a name for what we did. We have been ghost blogging and writing social media content for almost five years. In that time, we have seen how a steady stream of good content on a website can deliver dramatic increases in qualified web traffic and significant improvement in search position. In addition, the steady flow of information creates opportunities for engagement with prospects and a more educated customer at the point of purchase.

Unfortunately, content marketing will not deliver overnight success. It is a slow and steady building process which can take several months to begin delivering traffic results and even longer to move into top search positions for competitive keywords. So what do you do if you need faster results?

If you don’t have an established web presence or existing customers, you may want to consider paid search marketing or pay-per-click advertising (PPC) as a way to to gain traffic in the short term. While the research shows more than 90% of traffic comes to a website through the organic responses, 10% of visitors will find your site through paid advertising. These cost-effective ads can drive traffic while you are building a solid content foundation. And as your content grows, you may be able to dial back or eliminate your dependence on PPC entirely.

However, if you are going to use PPC as part of your marketing plan, keep these elements in mind:

  1. Clear goals – Do you want people to call, signup for a newsletter or download a sample? Track your results and make changes over time.
  2. Conversion strategy – PPC is a waste of time if you are simply driving people to your home page and hoping they know what to do next. Create content (landing pages, download forms, etc.) to engage visitors and encourage them to take the next step once they arrive
  3. PPC and content marketing should work hand in hand –  As you refine your keyword campaign, make adjustments in your content strategy as well. These two elements should compliment each other
Just as content marketing is not a perfect fit for everyone, neither is PPC. If you are selling a revolutionary product or a relatively low-margin product in a competitive industry, PPC may not be a good choice. Why?
  1. New or revolutionary product –   If this is the case, no one is searching for  you or they need more explanation to understand how your product fits into their life. In this case, you will need to be patient and use content to inform and educate your prospective customers. Social media is a good tactic to help build awareness as well.
  2. Low margin product in competitive industry –  You can expect to spend an average of $1-2 per click for PPC, depending on the competitiveness of the keyword. In extremely competitive categories, the fees are much higher, with cost per click around $7-10. That doesn’t sound like a lot until you realize that you are paying for a lead, not a sale. You may need 25, 50 or even 100 clicks to find a qualified prospect who becomes a customers.   Your profit margin needs to be high enough to support the true cost per sale.
Bottom line, there is no one perfect strategy. The trick is to find the balance that will work for you. Want a content marketing crown like the one pictured above? Purchase it here.