Don’t want to make a mistake investing in an ad platform that won’t work? 

Regardless of what you hear online, no one can promise you that ( including me). 

But thankfully success leaves clues and we surveyed 60  B2B marketers to find the answer. 

So regardless if you’re a new advertiser, startup founder, or agency owner reading this.

We’ve got you covered, let’s dive in 👇

‍

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

• Where can you advertise online?
• How to decide on the best ad platform?
• Which ad platforms are best for B2B lead generation?
• Which ad platforms are best for B2B awareness?
• Which ad platforms are most popular for B2B?
• Which ad platforms are most B2B marketers planning to invest in?
• Making your final decision on where to advertise

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Where can you advertise online?

There is no shortage of opportunities where you can advertise online. 

Most channels can be grouped into these five primary categories:

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This isn’t an exhaustive list of every available ad platform but it  gives you a sense of what’s possible.

Now that you’re aware of the various ad  platforms available, how do you decide which to choose? 

How to decide on the best ad platform?

When considering investing in a new ad platform here’s four key criteria to consider:

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With these four criteria in mind let’s go through the qualitative results from our study and what B2B marketers have reported as their best ad platforms.

Which ad platforms are best for B2B lead generation?

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After reviewing the responses from 60 B2B marketers here’s what we found:

• 52.7% reported Google Ads
• 38.2% reported LinkedIn Ads
• 3.6% reported Facebook Ads
• 1.8% reported Capterra Ads
• 1.8% reported Instagram Ads
• 1.8% reported Native Ads

Which ad platforms are best for B2B awareness?

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After reviewing the responses from 60 B2B marketers here’s what we found:

• 56.1% reported LinkedIn Ads
• 12.3% reported Facebook Ads
• 12.3% reported YouTube Ads
• 10.5% reported Google Ads
• 3.5% reported Connected TV
• 3.5% reported Display Ads
• 1.8% reported Instagram Ads

Which ad platforms are most popular for B2B?

‍

After reviewing the responses from 60 B2B marketers here’s what we found:

• 20.2% reported Google Ads
• 18.8% reported LinkedIn Ads
• 13.0% reported Facebook Ads
• 11.2% reported Instagram Ads
• 9.0% reported YouTube Ads
• 8.3% reported Microsoft Ads
• 5.8% reported Capterra Ads
• 5.& reported Display Ads
• 2.5% reported Reddit Ads
• 2.2% reported Native Ads
• 1.8% reported X (Twitter Ads)
• 1.1% reported Connected TV
• 0.4% reported Quora Ads

Which ad platforms are most B2B marketers planning to invest in?

‍

After reviewing the responses from 60 B2B marketers here’s what we found:

• 13.5% reported YouTube Ads
• 12.1% reported X (Twitter) Ads
• 10.6% reported Reddit Ads
• 9.9% reported Connected TV
• 9.2% reported Audio Ads
• 7.8% reported Display Ads
• 7.1% reported Microsoft Ads
• 7.1% reportedFacebook Ads
• 7.1% reported Capterra Ads
• 5.7% reported Instagram Ads
• 4.3% reported Native Ads
• 3.5% reported Apple Search Ads
• 1.4% reported LinkedIn Ads
• 0.7% reported Tiktok Ads

Making your final decision on where to advertise

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All in all take these survey results as suggestions to see what other B2B marketers are reporting is working for them and what platforms they’re interested in exploring. 

Ultimately don’t forget the four key criteria when making your decision of where to advertise.

When you finally decide, run a small pilot of $100-$1,000 just to get your baselines.

From here you’ll have a better idea of if this channel will make sense. 

Hope you found this article helpful! 

‍

Resources for mastering B2B advertising

If you’re serious about mastering B2B advertising then you definitely need to join 1,000+ B2B marketers leveling up their paid advertising skill sets in AdConversion. 

‍Here’s 4 reasons why you should consider joining. Every one of our on-demand courses are:

✅  100% free access.

✅  Taught by vetted industry experts.

✅  Have workbooks, resources, and templates.

✅  Less than 10 minutes per lesson.

We believe every marketer should know how to scale paid ads so they can:

•  Scale their ideas
• Level up their careers
• Make a positive impact

Click Here to Join 1,000+ B2B Marketers Today and start leveling up your advertising skill set.

Takes < 90 seconds to sign up (seriously we timed it 😂)

‍

Google Ads responsive search ads (RSA) don’t leave a ton of room available. 

With 30 character headlines, and 90 character descriptions. 

It’s tough to write persuasive and effective copy. 

In this article you’ll learn a simple 3-step framework to write responsive search ads. 

Let’s dive into it 👇

‍

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

• The 3-Part RSA Writing Framework
• The Anatomy of a Responsive Search Ad
• Should you pin headlines and descriptions in Google Ads?
• Advanced copy tips for writing Responsive Search Ads

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The 3-Part Google Ads RSA Writing Framework

‍

Here's a simple 3-part framework for writing Google Ads copy:

• The goal of headline 1 = match intent
• The goal of headline 2 = differentiate between other results
• The goal of headline 3 = provide a clear CTA

Keyword: b2b google ads course

• H1: Free B2B Google Ads Course (matches intent)
• H2: No Lesson Longer Than 10-Mins (differentiates)
• H3: Join 1,000+ B2B Marketers (clear CTA)

Here's what it looks like in practice (image below):

When writing, always assume the H3 isn't visible, and if only the H1 was displayed would they get it? 

(Google is always testing different display variations)

From here you would write different variations per position. 

With ensuring legibility between headline combinations. 

Simple but effective ✌️let’s dive into each headline further. 

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The goal of headline 1 = match intent

You’ve got a fraction of a second for a prospect searching on Google to understand if your ad is relevant to their search term. 

Don’t mess this up by being vague, asking rhetorical questions, or wasting valuable characters. 

When it comes to Google Ads the headline 1 position would be eighty cents out of your dollar. 

Maximize your headline 1 by adding the primary keyword in your copy to match intent. 

This is such a simple thing to do, and equally not to. 

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The goal of headline 2 = differentiate between other results

Now that you’ve caught the searchers attention by matching intent it’s time to stand out. 

Here’s a real example of what NOT to do from ads that appeared searching SOC2 compliance:

The sequence of which you write your headlines matter.

This is why I recommend following the 3-part framework as shown. 

Use the headline 2 position to write a core benefit or outcome for differentiation. 

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The goal of headline 3 = provide a clear CTA

Finally in the third headline it’s time to provide a clear call to action. 

This can be as simple as: 

• Request a Demo
• See For Yourself
• Learn More Today! 

When writing your H3 just assume it won’t be visible most of the time as Google is always experimenting with how they display headlines. 

The Anatomy of a Responsive Search Ad

Now that you understand how to approach writing RSA copy.

Let’s discuss how responsive search ads actually function. 

‍

Character counts for Responsive Search Ads

• You can write up to 15 headlines, and 4 descriptions. 
• 30 characters available per headline
• 90 characters available per description 

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How Responsive Search Ads work

The idea behind responsive ads is Google will take your 15 headlines and 4 descriptions and automatically combine them to find the optimal variations based on machine learning. 

The promise is you can leverage Google’s AI to do the heavy lifting as it will take into account a multitude of factors including keywords, search terms, devices, audience demographics and more. 

Google also tries to guide advertisers on how well their doing when writing responsive search ads with their Ad Strength metric 💩(which we’ll cover in detail shortly). 

With each headline and description you have the opportunity to pin positions.

This is where you’re forcing Google to only serve those variations within that specific placement. 

Should you pin headlines and descriptions in Google Ads?

The answer here is an unequivocal YES, because if your ads aren’t legible they won’t be clicked. 

In a perfect world Google will automatically combine your headline and descriptions perfectly based on performance AND legibility but in reality it doesn’t happen. 

Instead you end up with a bunch of variations like this: 

I personally would LOVE ♥ ️ if Google’s AI can mix and match ads perfectly for performance and legibility but unfortunately the tech still isn’t there.

So in order to prevent this from happening I recommend strategic pinning. 

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How to pin Google Ads headlines strategically

In order to get the benefits of both Google’s AI to mix and match top performing headline/description combinations AND legibility you’ll need to pin strategically. 

Here’s what it looks like in practice: 

• Write 2-3 variations of Headline 1 and pin to position 1
• Write 2-3 variations of Headline 2 and pin to position 2
• Write 2-3 variations of Headline 3 and pin to position 3
• Write 2 variations of Description 1 and pin to position 1
• Write 2 variations of Description 2 and pin to position 2

This will give you the benefit of testing multiple variations per position but safely as you can control which possible combinations are matched for legibility. 

What is Ad strength and does it matter? 

Ad strength is a score created by Google to help advertisers optimize their ad performance ranging from Incomplete → Poor → Average → Good → Excellent. 

‍

Ad strength misconceptions to be aware of

1. Ad strength has ZERO bearing on actual performance, it's just a predictor of it. 
2. Having a poor ad strength doesn’t mean your ad won’t actually perform well.
3. Having a poor ad strength doesn’t mean your ads won’t receive impressions. 

What determines if your ad appears is your Ad Rank. 

‍

Pin strategically with 2-3 variations of headlines and you’ll be ok, it’s also what Google suggests if you decide to pin. 

Advanced copy tips for writing Responsive Search Ads 

Now that you know how to write effective responsive search ads let’s wrap with some advanced tips you can implement to make your ads perform even better. 

Implement Dynamic Keyword Insertion (DKI)

Dynamic Keyword Insertion allows you to change your ad copy in real time based on the keywords that are triggering your ads in order to create more relevant experiences. 

Currently there are 3 types of DKI available:

• Keyword Insertion = insert the keyword that triggers your ad
• Countdown = insert a timer that counts down to an event
• Location insertion = insert the location that triggers your ad 

Test variations of your RSAs using relevant DKI parameters vs not to see if it impacts performance. 

‍

Leverage Business Name, Logo, and Image Ad Extensions

Now that Google allows you to highlight your business name and logo in your RSA, don't waste the characters anymore referencing your brand in your ad copy. 

Save those valuable characters as you’re already getting brand awareness and instead maximize each character according to the 3-Part Google Ads RSA writing framework.  

Ad extensions should always be used as a best practice but when it comes to writing effective Google Ads copy don’t forget to utilize your extensions to provide more information. 

Hope you found this article helpful, best of luck on your next set of ads! 

‍

Resources for mastering B2B advertising

If you’re serious about mastering B2B advertising then you definitely need to join 1,000+ B2B marketers leveling up their paid advertising skill sets in AdConversion. 

‍Here’s 4 reasons why you should consider joining. Every one of our on-demand courses are:

✅  100% free access.

✅  Taught by vetted industry experts.

✅  Have workbooks, resources, and templates.

✅  Less than 10 minutes per lesson.

We believe every marketer should know how to scale paid ads so they can:

•  Scale their ideas
• Level up their careers
• Make a positive impact

Click Here to Join 1,000+ B2B Marketers Today and start leveling up your advertising skill set.

Takes < 90 seconds to sign up (seriously we timed it 😂)

‍

Thinking about investing in Google Ads for your SaaS but not sure how much it will cost? 

In this article I’ll break down how to create a winning budget strategy step by step. 

You’ll walk away knowing how much you’ll need to invest on a daily, monthly, and quarterly basis. 

And most importantly if Google Ads makes sense for your business. 

Let’s dive into it 👇

‍

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

• How much budget is required for a starting Google Ads budget?
• How to forecast a daily, monthly, and quarterly Google Ads budget
• How to allocate Google Ads budget by  campaign strategy
• Frequently asked Google Ads budget questions

‍

‍

How much is required for a starting Google Ads budget?

‍

This is the first question that usually comes to mind when considering Google Ads. 

Which will then be met with a variation of questions such as: 

• Is $10/day enough for Google Ads?
• Is $100/day enough for Google Ads?
• Is $1,000/day enough for Google Ads?

And so on, and so on… 

When the reality is it’s all circumstantial based on the keywords you’re looking to target. 

Equally important to how much is required is how many people are searching? 

You could have a keyword that costs $0.01 per click but if only 5 people search is it really worth it? 

So in order to answer this question you have to perform keyword research with the Keyword Planner.

Navigate to Tools > Planning > Keyword Planner within your Google Ads account to access it. 

It doesn’t cost anything to open a free Google Ads account so anyone can access this tool. 

Within the Google Ads Keyword Planner enter your dream keyword you want to research. 

For example, I’ll use “google ads courses” as an example: 

After researching I can see the following keyword costs and monthly volume estimates:

I recommend always using the top of page bid (high range) as your estimate. 

I’ve never seen these estimates be 100% accurate and you’ll never know your real CPC until launch. 

To account for this margin of error I recommend adding +20% on top of your top of page estimate. 

This means in our google ads courses example:

• It would potentially cost me $13.7 per click ($11.42 +20%) 
• I can receive up to 1,600 clicks per month in the USA. 

Based on these two data points we can assume it’s possible to spend up to $21,920 per month on this keyword ($13.7 * 1,600). 

Outside of the return on investment, don’t forget about return on effort. 

If your dream keywords have very limited search volume (ex: < 100/month) it might not be worthwhile. 

How to forecast a daily, monthly, and quarterly Google Ads budget

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Once you know your estimated cost per click you’re ready to put together a forecast. 

We’ve created a free Google Ads Budget Calculator tool that you can use to easily plan your daily, monthly, and quarterly budget. 

You’re going to need the following information for the forecast: 

• Your average cost per click (from the Keyword Planner or real data) 
• Your quarterly sales goal 
• Your average win rate 
• Your average revenue per sale

With all this information at hand you’ll plug these different values into the calculator. 

Based on your landing page conversion rates you can model a worst, moderate, and best case. 

From here you can see how much it will cost to acquire a customer and the budget required to hit your sales volume target. 

I highly recommend paying attention to the number of clicks required per lead, this will help frame expectations on how much traffic you’ll need and if your search volume is sufficient. 

As you’ll see, your landing page effectiveness is essential at reducing costs 💥

With this forecast at hand you’ll know exactly how much to invest. 

How to allocate Google Ads budget by  campaign strategy

‍

You should be clear on how much you’ll need to invest in your Google Ads campaigns. 

Now the next step is to figure out how you’re going to allocate your budget. 

In my experience managing Google Ads campaigns for B2B SaaS companies, there are five proven campaign themes to invest in; NonBrand, Brand, Competitive, RLSA, and Content. 

Here’s my recommendation on budget allocation by each if you want to maximize volume. 

Use all of these as starting points and modify the amounts based on your data/nuances. 

NonBrand = 40% of total budget

NonBrand campaigns are where you’re bidding on high-intent keywords that don’t include your brand, for example google ads courses would be non brand for us at AdConversion. 

Think about your keywords you’d like to cover that problem aware prospects would search for. 

NonBrand keywords typically contain high-intent modifiers such as: 

• Software
• Platform
• Tool
• Technology
• Solution

If you have enough search volume on non brand keywords there’s no easier way to drive conversions than showing up for people looking for solutions to their problems. 

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Brand = 20% of total budget

Brand campaigns are commonly referred to as “defense” campaigns where you’re bidding on your own brand name to outrank competitors bidding on yours.  

You can make the case that people searching your branded terms would convert anyways and it’s not worth the investment. 

This is why I recommend no more than 20% of the total budget on this campaign initially. 

I’ve seen exceptions here with some of our clients where they saw net new revenue decline significantly from pausing their branded campaigns. 

Let your data guide your allocation. 

‍

Competitive = 25% of total budget

Competitive campaigns are the opposite of brand where you’re bidding on competitors' names to appear for their existing customers and prospects. 

These campaigns can be really hit or miss depending on your execution.

Make sure you’re doing it in a classy way and have dedicated comparison pages. 

This theme can be really powerful at driving qualified traffic as these searchers are solution aware. 

‍

RLSA = 10% of total budget

RLSA stands for remarketing list for search ads. 

This just means search remarketing, anyone that searches your keywords AND is part of an audience. 

For example, anyone that has been to your site in the past 90 days and is searching your keywords.

RLSA campaigns can be really powerful when you have enough site traffic and are dealing in competitive niches. 

Depending on your available remarketing audience sizes you can decide if this makes sense initially. 

Given the limitation of size we typically only allocate 10% here to begin. 

Content = 5% of total budget

Content campaigns are great for supporting SEO efforts. 

If you have certain keywords you’re struggling to rank for, content campaigns are worth investigating. 

This is where you’re going to bid on longtail content related keywords that typically have much lower cost per click prices and drive that traffic to a blog or relevant content piece. 

Depending on your content strategy I’d give this some consideration. 

Hope you found this article helpful! and now know how to create a winning Google Ads budget strategy. 

Frequently asked Google Ads budget questions

‍

Does Google Ads work on a small budget?

Yes, and no. Small is relative to your average cost per click prices. 

I’d recommend being able to afford at least 100 clicks per month. 

‍

Does Google Ads work for B2B SaaS? 

Absolutely, intent is what makes Google Ads so powerful. 

The biggest challenge for B2B SaaS is scale. 

‍

What is a good Google Ads budget? 

A Google Ads budget is one where you can support your business objectives. 

Using the following information you can create a forecast to understand what is good: 

• Your average cost per click 
• Your quarterly sales goal 
• Your average win rate 
• Your average revenue per sale

‍

Resources for mastering B2B advertising

If you’re serious about mastering B2B advertising then you definitely need to join 1,000+ B2B marketers leveling up their paid advertising skill sets in AdConversion. 

‍Here’s 4 reasons why you should consider joining. Every one of our on-demand courses are:

✅  100% free access.

✅  Taught by vetted industry experts.

✅  Have workbooks, resources, and templates.

✅  Less than 10 minutes per lesson.

We believe every marketer should know how to scale paid ads so they can:

•  Scale their ideas
• Level up their careers
• Make a positive impact

Click Here to Join 1,000+ B2B Marketers Today and start leveling up your advertising skill set.

Takes < 90 seconds to sign up (seriously we timed it 😂)

‍

Everyone knows that B2B buying has changed. 

People trust people more than they trust companies, making thought leadership ads more important than ever before. 

If you’re looking to use thought leader ads in your LinkedIn ad strategy but aren’t sure how to get started, this article is for you. 

Here are 14 thought leader ad plays and examples you can test. 

Let’s jump into it! 👇

‍

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

• Play #1: Announce new product features, integrations, and partnerships
• Play #2: Highlight the main problem your product solves + the solution it provides
• Play #3: Highlight a case study featuring your own company
• Play #4: Highlight a case study featuring one of your customers 
• Play #5: Generate buzz before attending an in-person event
• Play #6: Stay top of mind after an event
• Play #7: Promote your own event
• Play #8: Promote an upcoming webinar
• Play #9: Promote your newsletter
• Play #10: Celebrate Customer Wins
• Play #11: Demo different use cases of your product
• Play #12: Share long-form content with insights that your ICP would be interested in
• Play #13: Provide practical advice based on insights from your platform
• Play #14: Leverage social proof from existing customers

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Play #1: Announce new product features, integrations, and partnerships

‍

🔑 to success: Trust your audience. Target the experts and speak to them like they’re experts. Show them all the cool things they’ll be able to achieve with your product. 

‍

Example 1: Dreamdata

‍

Example 2: Gong 

Example 3: UserGems 

Example 4: Dreamdata

Play #2: Highlight the main problem your product solves + the solution it provides

‍

🔑 to success: After prospects read your content, they should be able to clearly articulate the problem your product solves + the solution it provides. If they can’t, you need to simplify your messaging. 

‍

Example 1: Apollo

‍

Play #3: Highlight a case study featuring your own company

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🔑 to success: Show how your team is using YOUR tool to reach YOUR goals – your company can serve as its own case study. 

‍

Example 1: UserGems

Example 2: Apollo

Example 3: Sendoso

Example 4: Salesloft

Play #4: Highlight a case study featuring one of your customers 

‍

🔑 to success: Clearly articulate how you’ve been helping an existing customer achieve their goals. 

‍

Example 1: Lavender 

Example 2: Loxo 

‍

Play #5: Generate buzz before attending an in-person event

‍

🔑 to success: Use an ABM list of attendees or ABM list of companies + key job functions to make sure you’re getting in front of the right people. 

‍

Example 1: HockeyStack

Play #6: Stay top of mind after an event

‍

🔑 to success: Have an attendee post a recap after an event so that your brand is staying top of mind in the following weeks. The idea isn’t to push your product, but to keep raising awareness within key accounts. 

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Example 1: Sendoso

Play #7: Promote your own event

‍

🔑 to success: Have your event speakers announce their participation on their personal pages and boost the posts to increase overall reach. This is a win for the speakers and for your company – speakers will feel supported and your event will get more registrations. 

‍

Example 1: Gleanin 

Example 2: Gleanin 

Play #8: Promote an upcoming webinar

‍

🔑 to success: Clearly highlight the value of the webinar for your audience – what will they learn by attending? Make sure to tag the speakers to generate more interest. 

‍

Example 1: Sendoso 

Example 2: Copy ai 

Example 3: DoWhatWorks

Play #9: Promote your newsletter

‍

🔑 to success: Keep it simple & highlight what people will get out of subscribing. 

‍

Example 1: Motion 

Play #10: Celebrate customer wins

‍

🔑 to success: Highlight customers when they win an award or achieve something big. This strategy provides social proof to help with prospecting efforts, but it’s also a great retention play, as it makes existing clients feel supported. 

‍

Example 1: Sendoso

Example 2: Lavender

Play #11: Demo different use cases of your product

‍

🔑 to success: Have a senior leader – from your own company or one of your customers – educate prospects on how they can use your product to achieve their business goals. 

‍

Example 1: Dreamdata 

Example 2: Clay 

Example 3: Clay

Play #12: Share long-form content with insights that your ICP would be interested in

‍

🔑 to success: Don’t tell everyone how great your product is – instead, show them the insights they could have access to if they used it. Also, make the content industry-specific. For example, content about conversion impact or email subject lines in B2B SaaS will be much more powerful than content about conversions or email in general. 

‍

Example 1: HockeyStack

Play #13: Provide practical advice based on insights from your platform

‍

🔑 to success: Don’t provide generic advice that people have heard many times. Instead, give advice that your ICP may find surprising, and always back it up with data from your platform. This strategy is powerful because potential buyers will be grateful for the thought leader’s recommendations AND they’ll also relate the thought leader’s content to your organization (and hopefully be interested in learning more). 

‍

Example 1: Lavender

Play #14: Leverage social proof from existing customers

‍

🔑 to success: Promote content from respected customers within your target industry highlighting the use cases and overall impact of your product.

‍

Example 1: UserGems 

Example 2: Clay

‍

Putting LinkedIn Thought Leader ads into action

‍

If you’re excited about thought leadership ads and want to start running them right away, here’s what I would recommend:

‍

1. Find a few people at your organization that would be great thought leaders. They don’t need to be influencers with 50K followers – they simply need to have a deep understanding of your product and your ICP (bonus if they also enjoy writing).  

‍

2. Once you’ve selected your thought leaders, choose the top 3 strategies from this playbook that you’d like to begin with. I don’t recommend starting with all 14 strategies at once, since that could get pretty overwhelming. 

‍

3. Have your thought leaders post a few times per month and boost their content to your ICP.

‍

That’s all you need to get started. 

‍

P.S.

‍

If  you’re starting out with thought leadership ads, I recommend using the engagement objective to build your retargeting audiences in a cost-effective way. 

‍

And if you want a complete masterclass on LinkedIn ads objectives, ad types, and bidding strategies, I highly recommend checking out this article by Ali Yildirim. 

‍

Resources for mastering B2B advertising

If you’re serious about mastering B2B advertising then you definitely need to join 1,000+ B2B marketers leveling up their paid advertising skill sets in AdConversion. 

‍Here’s 4 reasons why you should consider joining. Every one of our on-demand courses are:

✅  100% free access.

✅  Taught by vetted industry experts.

✅  Have workbooks, resources, and templates.

✅  Less than 10 minutes per lesson.

We believe every marketer should know how to scale paid ads so they can:

•  Scale their ideas
• Level up their careers
• Make a positive impact

Click Here to Join 1,000+ B2B Marketers Today and start leveling up your advertising skill set.

Takes < 90 seconds to sign up (seriously we timed it 😂)

Do you need to find out if ABM is the right approach for you & how you can get the most out of your efforts? 

I had the pleasure of interviewing Brandon Alisoglu who’s  achieved a 300% increase in demo bookings for B2B companies while maintaining a 50% SQL rate from ABM campaigns. 

‍

Here’s Brandon’s top 10 tips & tactics to maximize return on effort (ROE) for your ABM ads.

(In no particular order, they all matter)

‍

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Tip #1 - Assessing the Suitability of ABM for Your Business
• Tip #2 - Embracing the Long Game in Account-Based Marketing (ABM)
• Tip #3 - Create a Dossier of Information
• Tip #4 - Breaking Content to Audience Segmentation
• Tip #5 - Focusing on Outcomes: The "So What?" Factor in ABM
• Tip #6 - Drilling Into Personas & Messaging
• Tip #7 - A/B Testing Value Propositions
• Tip #8 - Set Aside Time to Ideate
• Tip #9 - Streamlining the Process with Templates
• Tip #10 - Don’t Skip Google
• Conclusion
• Resources for mastering B2B advertising

‍

‍

Tip #1 - Assessing the Suitability of ABM for Your Business

When evaluating ABM for your business, consider the nature of your target accounts and the practicality of a personalized marketing approach.

‍

ABM is particularly effective for targeting large organizations or "whales" where the potential return justifies the extensive effort and resources required for highly tailored campaigns.

‍

Challenges with ABM in Smaller Companies

In smaller companies, the lack of numerous distinct roles and seniority levels may limit the effectiveness of ABM strategies that rely on granular targeting and personalized messaging. 

‍

If a company is too small to segment effectively based on these criteria, the impact of a tailored ABM approach may be diminished.

‍

ABM often involves high-ticket offerings and significant investment in marketing resources.

If the target account does not have the financial capacity or the organizational complexity, the return on investment might not be worth it.

‍

Strategic Considerations for ABM

Evaluate potential accounts not just by their immediate size but by their strategic importance and the potential lifetime value they offer. 

‍

Consider more generalized targeted advertising strategies for smaller accounts that do not justify a full ABM approach. 

‍

These can still be effective by focusing on industry-specific pain points and solutions but do not require the level of customization and operational complexity associated with traditional ABM.

‍

Identifying the Annual Contract Value (ACV) Benchmark

An ACV of around $20,000 is generally seen as a threshold where ABM becomes viable. 

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This benchmark suggests that the deal size is significant enough to warrant the detailed and personalized marketing efforts required in ABM.

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Another practical measure is whether the contract value requires CFO approval. 

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The involvement of a CFO generally indicates that the deal is substantial enough to require careful consideration and alignment with strategic financial goals.

Tip #2 - Embracing the Long Game in Account-Based Marketing (ABM)

Unlike traditional demand generation tactics that may prioritize immediate results, ABM focuses on building engagement through a more deliberate and personalized approach.

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The idea here is to build a meaningful relationship with key accounts.

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In the same way, you wouldn't ask for a hand in marriage on the first date, successful B2B marketers shouldn’t ask prospects to talk to sales unless they've had some interaction before.

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The Importance of Educating and Engaging

The early stages of ABM should center around education and awareness. 

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Allow targeted accounts to familiarize themselves with your brand and value propositions.

This foundational phase is important for setting the stage for deeper engagement.

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Jumping directly to aggressive sales tactics like pushing for demos with accounts that have minimal interaction with your brand, is less likely to yield positive results. 

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Instead, nurturing relationships over time fosters trust and increases the likelihood of conversion when the account is ready.

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Balancing Immediate Needs with Long-Term Strategy

While the emphasis on the long game is important, we realize the need to meet short-term sales targets is a pressing reality for most B2B marketers. 

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In such cases, employing a robust account scoring system can help identify which accounts are most ready to engage based on their behaviors such as:

• Website visits (specially high-intent pages)
• Ad engagement 
• Email interactions
• Webinar attendees

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For accounts that show clear signs of being in-market or closer to the decision stage, tailor your approach to convert these opportunities. 

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This can involve more direct calls to action, such as personalized demo invitations and running incentivized offers.

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If your company is product-led, this would be a good time to offer free trials.

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Sample of free trial ad by Plauti:

Tip #3 - Create a Dossier of Information

Understanding your prospects' interests, pain points, and engagement history comprehensively is the key to crafting personalized and effective ABM strategies.

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This information equips sales teams with the required data to personalize their outreach effectively and accelerate the sales process.

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Building & Targeting Prospect

Compile data on prospect activities, including the specific ads they clicked, pages they visited, or any communications they have sent. 

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This dossier should act as a dynamic document that sales teams can use to personalize their approaches. 

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By understanding what content the prospect has engaged with, the sales team can address specific interests or pain points, making their pitches more relevant and compelling.

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Marketers can also use this data to launch 1:1 campaigns featuring social proof and objection handling.

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If the list of accounts is not large enough for a 1:1 approach, then gather the top 3-5 most common objections that resonate with the majority of the accounts.

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You can reduce the overall cost by dynamically excluding any account that has contacted sales.

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Implementation Tips for Effective ABM

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1. Identify in-market accounts by using advanced analytics and account scoring to determine which of your target accounts are actively engaging with your content.
   Tools like HubSpot or Marketo can help streamline the process. 
   ‍
2. Once these engaged accounts are listed, segment them for targeted campaigns that address their specific stages in the buyer’s journey. 
   
   This segmentation allows you to apply more aggressive sales tactics appropriately while continuing to nurture less-ready accounts with educational content.
   ‍
3. Distribute content that educates and engages at various stages of the customer journey. 
   
   This tactical approach ensures that when you invite accounts to a demo or free trial they are informed and more likely to be receptive.
   
   Successful ABM is a blend of patience and strategic agility, tailored to meet both the immediate and long-term goals of your business.

Tip #4 - Breaking Content to Audience Segmentation

The purpose of this step is to develop and deliver content that addresses specific pain points and interests identified in your prospect dossiers.

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Strategies for Deepening Prospect Engagement

As you gather more data on your prospects' behaviors, such as the ads they click or the pages they visit, use this information to guide them through a personalized buyer's journey. 

This involves crafting content that speaks directly to their needs and leading them to web pages that provide further value and deepen their engagement with your brand.

Regularly update and refine your ads to keep them in line with your audience's changing interests and needs.

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Creating a Content "Buffet"

Offer a Variety of Content Options.

Imagine setting up a buffet of content options tailored to different tastes and preferences within your target accounts. 

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By providing a range of topics and formats—from whitepapers and case studies to webinars and interactive tools—you allow prospects to self-select the content that most resonates with them.

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Use the insights from observed interactions to refine your understanding of what each prospect cares about. 

This personalized approach not only enhances the relevance of your outreach but also increases the likelihood of a prospect's deeper engagement with your content.

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Integrating Technology for Efficiency

While managing this level of personalized engagement can become complex, employing an ABM platform can streamline the process. 

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These platforms can help organize and automate content delivery based on user behavior, keeping track of interactions across different channels to maintain a cohesive and personalized marketing approach.
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Pro tip:
Before fully investing in an expensive ABM tech stack, validate your strategy with simpler tools or minimal setups to prove its effectiveness. 

A simple way is to use LinkedIn's demographic reporting to see which companies have been exposed to impressions, and which ones are actually engaging.
You can take it a step further and leverage a third-party data connector like data slayer to pull the demographic data from LinkedIn through API.

Tip #5 - Focusing on Outcomes: The "So What?" Factor in ABM

A critical aspect of effective ABM is ensuring that every piece of data, every content interaction, and every campaign has a clear and compelling answer to the question: "So what?" 

Every action should educate, nurture, or capture leads, to bring you closer to revenue.

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The Importance of Outcome-Based Messaging

In ABM, it's not enough to highlight the features of your product or the hours it can save a potential client’s team. 

The key is to articulate what these benefits mean in the context of the customer’s specific business challenges and goals. 

When discussing a product feature, such as "saves your engineering team 20 hours a week," it's essential to connect this benefit to tangible business outcomes. 

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For example, what does saving 20 hours a week mean for the company?
Could it lead to faster project completions, cost savings, or better resource allocation? 
These outcomes are what will truly capture the interest of decision-makers.

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By consistently focusing on the "so what?" of your actions and messaging, you can lift your ABM efforts from functional to transformational.

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Pro-tip:
Establish Leading Indicators to Measure ABM Progress:

By establishing clear leading indicators across your marketing funnel, you can quantify progress and tie every action back to tangible business outcomes.

From initial awareness through engagement to conversion, each stage can be monitored and analyzed to ensure marketing efforts move potential clients closer to a sale.
These indicators provide a roadmap that justifies the investment by showing how specific activities contribute to moving accounts through the sales pipeline.

If you want to learn more about creating leading and lagging indicators along with actionable free templates check out the AdConversion Paid Media Program course; Module 2, lesson 1.

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Tip #6 - Drilling Into Personas & Messaging

Within any given company, different levels of management and seniority have distinct priorities and challenges. 

For example, C-suite executives might focus on strategic growth and scalability, directors on operational efficiency, and managers on tactical execution.

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Tailoring your messaging to address these specific concerns can dramatically increase the relevance and impact of your communications.

Beyond role-based customization, consider the particular needs and pain points of the industry or vertical your target accounts might operate within. 

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Strategies for Effective A/B Testing

Implement continuous A/B testing across your campaigns to determine which messages resonate best with each persona. 

Segment your target audience by role and seniority, and tailor your messages accordingly. 

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For example, test different value propositions with managers versus C-suite executives to determine which messages drive more engagement or conversions from each group.

Understand that the preferences and behaviors of your audience can evolve, and your ABM strategy should be agile enough to adapt to these changes.

Tip #7 - A/B Testing Value Propositions

By testing two to three variations of each message, you can discover appeals and incentives that resonate with distinct groups within the same role and seniority level.

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In cases where the target company might not be large enough to segment by job titles or seniority due to LinkedIn’s filtering limitations, marketers need to think creatively about how to approach personalization and segmentation.

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Alternative Segmentation Strategies:
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• Use Broad Segments:
  Instead of job titles, consider using job function and seniority or even adding member skills into the mix.
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• Focus on Common Pain Points: 
  Leverage the common challenges or objectives identified in smaller organizations. 
  
  For example, if most employees are likely involved in decision-making due to the company's size, tailor messages that address broad business benefits that resonate across multiple roles.

As discussed earlier, knowing the top objections by vertical can guide the creation of content and ads that preemptively address concerns. 

This is particularly useful when precise job title segmentation is not feasible.

Tip #8 - Set Aside Time to Ideate

In the fast-paced environment of account-based marketing, it's imperative to carve out dedicated time for creative thinking and experimentation. 

By blocking out time on your calendar, preferably during quieter hours like Friday afternoons, you ensure that you have the space to think deeply and creatively about your ABM strategies.

Regular ideation sessions allow you to review current insights and performance data, enabling you to develop new approaches and refine existing ones.

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Pro tip:
Leverage Experimentation and Documentation:
Incorporate a structured approach to experimentation. 

Try out new ideas on a small scale to assess their effectiveness before rolling them out broadly. 

Keep detailed records of your experiments, including:
- Hypotheses
- Execution details
- Outcomes. 

This documentation enables you to capitalize on effective strategies and avoid past mistakes.

Tip #9 - Streamlining the Process with Templates

Keeping detailed and organized documentation of ABM activities, such as experiments, outcomes, and insights will save you lots of time & effort in the long run. 

It can be as simple as using Google Docs with structured headings and a table of contents.

Consistent documentation helps in creating a reliable record that can be referenced in reports and strategy meetings. 
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Leveraging Design Templates

Design templates allow marketers to quickly generate new versions of ads or content without starting from scratch each time. 

By standardizing the design elements, teams can focus on tweaking the messaging and content to better align with the target audience’s evolving preferences.

Using templates also ensures that all materials produced are aligned with the brand’s visual identity and messaging guidelines.

Effective Use of Templates and Documentation

Develop a range of design templates for different types of content and ads. 

This library should include templates for social media posts, email campaigns, and other marketing materials that are frequently used in ABM campaigns.

Regularly update the documents with the latest results from A/B tests, data analysis insights, and feedback from sales and marketing teams to maintain accuracy and relevance.

Confirm that all team members are trained on how to use the chosen documentation and templates effectively. 

With the design templates in place, focus on iterating on the creatives frequently.

Especially in smaller audience segments where ad fatigue can set in quickly.

Tip #10 - Don’t Skip Google

While (ABM) often focuses on direct and personalized communication channels like LinkedIn, incorporating Google Ads into your Demand Gen strategy can heavily reduce the overall cost per acquisition (CPA).

The Strategic Use of Google Ads

Google Ads allows you to address specific queries and pain points that your prospects are actively searching for. 

By focusing on these queries, you can position your company as a solution provider right at the moment of need, effectively answering potential customers’ questions through targeted ads.

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Often, niche or less competitive keywords related to specific industry questions or problems can be much cheaper than more general, high-intent keywords. 

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For example, targeting a specific industry debate or a lesser-known feature comparison can capture relevant traffic at a significantly lower cost.

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This, not only increases brand awareness but also positions your company as an authoritative and helpful resource.

Creating content that addresses these queries and promoting it through Google Ads can drive highly targeted traffic to your website, increasing the chances of conversion.

Practical Tips for Implementing Google Ads 

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1. Work with your sales and customer service teams to pinpoint the questions and topics that commonly arise during the sales process.
    
2. Use these insights to guide your keyword and content strategy for Google Ads.
   Develop content that answers these questions comprehensively. 
   This could be in the form of blog posts, FAQs, or educational articles. 
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3. Use the identified keywords to set up Google Ads campaigns. 
   Start with a lower budget to test the effectiveness of your keywords and ads. 
   Monitor the performance and adjust your strategy based on the results.

Conclusion:

In this article, we discussed the significance of Account-Based Marketing (ABM) strategies through 10 practical tips and tactics to get the most out of your marketing efforts.

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We explored the value of a long-term engagement strategy, emphasizing the need to build relationships through educational content and gradual interactions, rather than taking a direct approach.

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Effective ABM involves understanding target accounts' specific needs and behaviors, employing analytics for better targeting, and continuously iterating on creative content to maintain relevance and combat ad fatigue. 

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Bookmark this blog as your comprehensive guide for your next ABM efforts to make sure your strategies align with the overall company goal.

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If you’d like to reach out or get more weekly tips, please connect with Brandon via Linkedin.

Resources for mastering B2B advertising

If you’re serious about mastering B2B advertising then you definitely need to join 1,000+ B2B marketers leveling up their paid advertising skill sets in AdConversion. 

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Here’s 4 reasons why you should consider joining. Every one of our on-demand courses are:

✅  100% free access.

✅  Taught by vetted industry experts.

✅  Have workbooks, resources, and templates.

✅  Less than 10 minutes per lesson.

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We believe every marketer should know how to scale paid ads so they can:

•  Scale their ideas
• Level up their careers
• Make a positive impact

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Click Here to Join 1,000+ B2B Marketers Today and start leveling up your advertising skill set.

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Takes < 90 seconds to sign up (seriously we timed it 😂)

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Want to master Google Ads for B2B? 

We’ll dissect Google Ads from a 10,000 foot view in this guide. 

So you can walk away knowing: 

• What is Google Ads? 
• Is your ideal B2B buyer searching on Google? 
• How can you get your ad seen on the top of Google?
• How much does Google Ads cost?

So whether you’re a SaaS founder, performance marketer, or in-house marketer looking to: 

• Scale demo and trial requests for your new B2B SaaS startup 
• Run Google ads for clients or launch  campaigns internally
• Work with  freelancers or agencies running your Google Ads 

It all starts here with the fundamentals, so let’s dive in! 👇

‍

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• What is Google Ads? 
• Is Your Ideal B2B Buyer Searching on Google?
• How Much Does Google Ads Cost?
• How to Forecast Your Google Ads Budget
• Why is Google Ads So Powerful?
• How Can You Get Your Ad Seen on the Top of Google?

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‍

What is Google Ads? 

Google Ads is an auction place. 

Or as I like to think about it, a battleground. 

Where you have thousands of advertisers competing against each other to show up on the top of Google when their ideal prospect searches for their products & services.

With 8.5B + searchers happening per day on Google there is a very HIGH likelihood your ideal B2B buyer is using Google to find information, and research solutions. 

Is Your Ideal B2B Buyer Searching on Google?

Depending on the niche you’re in Google may or may not make sense. 

You can create a free Google Ads account and leverage the Keyword Planner to validate demand. 

All you need to do is research the ideal keyword your dream buyer would search and review the average monthly search volume and top of page bid estimates.

In the example below, I can see that for “email marketing software” there is:

• 1,000 - 10,000 average monthly searches
• $49.75 top of page bid estimate 

If your ideal keyword has > 100 searches per month, Google can be a worthwhile return on effort. 

How Much Does Google Ads Cost?

Before diving into how much does Google Ads cost? 

With Google Ads you’re only charged on a cost-per-click (CPC) basis. 

Meaning you only pay Google if someone clicks your ad, so unlike traditional advertising you’re not being locked into a fixed contract and paying just for eyeballs (aka impressions). 

So in short if someone sees your Google Ad and doesn’t click, you won’t pay. 

This is what makes Google Ads so attractive, but extremely competitive.

‍

Here’s two ways to find out how much Google Ads will cost for your ideal keywords:

‍

1/ Review Top of Page Bid Estimates in the Google Ads Keyword Planner 

As shown in the previous step you can leverage the Keyword Planner to find bid estimates. 

In my experience these estimates are never 100% accurate and recommend adding 20% on top of the top of page bid estimate to be safe. 

For example, with the keyword of email marketing software we have a $49.75 top of page bid estimate, adding 20% makes it $59.70 allowing us a margin of error to better set expectations. 

2/ Launch a Pilot Campaign for $100

Ultimately you’ll never know your real cost per click prices until launching. 

If you’re seriously considering Google Ads I recommend launching a pilot campaign for $100. 

The whole objective of this campaign is to understand; what is my REAL cost per click price? 

Here’s a simple cheat sheet for setting up this campaign: 

• Campaign Name = {Region}_{KeywordTheme}_{MatchType}
• Locations = {Your Target Country/Region/State}
• Match Type = Exact
• Bidding = Manual CPC

This setup will allow you to have the greatest control to discover your real CPC prices. 

How to Forecast Your Google Ads Budget

Once you know the following: 

• Your quarterly sales goal 
• Average cost per click
• Opportunity win rate 
• Revenue per sale 

You can easily forecast a daily, monthly, and quarterly budget using our Google Ads Budget Calculator based on worst, moderate, and best case scenarios. 

Give it a look, there’s a video tutorial on the page for you explaining the process. 

Why is Google Ads So Powerful?

Intention Is what makes search advertising so powerful  🤝

You can reach exactly the right person, in the right place, in the right location searching for your specific product or service. At that point all you have to do is show up and not mess things up.

I always say Google Ads is a blessing and a curse; they bless you with intent, and curse you with scale. 

Given your industry search volume will vary dramatically and it can become hard to scale. 

The key is to win Google’s Ad Rank game to offset competitors and rising click prices. 

How Can You Get Your Ad Seen on the Top of Google?

Every time you search for something on Google (or other search engines such as Yahoo, Bing, and Firefox) the results page you’re directed to afterwards is the Search Engine Results Page (SERP).

I like to think of the SERP as the Battleground in which Google Ads takes place. 

‍

The SERP is Divided Between Paid and Organic Results.

The Google SERP usually has about 3-4 paid ads at the top and 3 at the bottom.

Ad Rank Determines the Position of Your Ad on the First Page

Which determines if your ad is on top of the first page of or nowhere to be seen.

Your goal is to appear in the top 3 spots as click-through rates decline with lower positions.

Higher Position Doesn't Always Mean Greater Cost

The remarkable thing about Google Ads is that you can be #1 on the page and pay less than your competitors who are in positions lower than you (hypothetical example below). 

If after reading this article you believe Google Ads is worth further exploration. 

Build on this fundamental understanding of Google Ads for B2B. 

Hope you found this useful! 

‍

Resources for Mastering B2B Advertising

If you’re serious about mastering B2B advertising then you definitely need to join 1,000+ B2B marketers leveling up their paid advertising skill sets in AdConversion. 

‍Here’s 4 reasons why you should consider joining. Every one of our on-demand courses are:

✅  100% free access.

✅  Taught by vetted industry experts.

✅  Have workbooks, resources, and templates.

✅  Less than 10 minutes per lesson.

We believe every marketer should know how to scale paid ads so they can:

•  Scale their ideas
• Level up their careers
• Make a positive impact

Click Here to Join 1,000+ B2B Marketers Today and start leveling up your advertising skill set.

Takes < 90 seconds to sign up (seriously we timed it 😂)

‍