PPC campaigns can be an extremely effective way to drive targeted traffic to your website. Essentially you’re buying sponsored links on the search results page of various search engines.

When running a PPC campaign you should frst extensively research the keywords you want to target. Pricing for your buy is based on a bidding system, so the more popular your keyword the more you’ll pay for each click. You’ll have to balance the search volume of your target keywords with the minimum bid cost and your budget. You’ll also have to consider where you want your ad to be placed and how much you’re willing to pay to get it there. Generally, the highest bid for a particular keyword gets the best ad spot.

Banner Advertising
Purchasing banner ad space most commonly occurs via a direct buy with the website or through an advertising network. Ad networks are a great way to gain reach for your campaign without having to deal with hundreds of different websites. Buying direct tends to be more expensive but allows you to be more creative with your campaign execution and will give you access to premium ad inventory.

Finally, you will have to source the appropriate creative, ad copy, and banner sizes for your campaign. Most websites follow Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) standards, which will help limit the number of ad sizes you need to produce. Carefully plan your buy; production costs will rise dramatically if you try and cover all the options.

Common Pricing Models
CPM – Cost Per Thousand impressions, the ‘M’ being the Roman numeral for thousand. Most Internet display advertising is sold in this manner.

CPC – Cost Per Click. You only pay for each click that is generated by your ad. CPC ads generally cost more, but you’ll know you’re not paying for impressions that aren’t generating traffic.

CPA – Cost Per Acquisition. You only pay for customers that complete an action you desire (buy something, sign-up, download, etc). This model can be effective if your campaign has a very specific and measurable goal.

Manage Your Campaign
Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet you should measure, monitor, and tweak your campaign in mid-flight. In fact, a well-managed buy can and should make significant gains in effectiveness over the course of the campaign. Through a process of trial and error you can tweak the ad copy, bid levels, target keywords, and ad locations to maximize the ROI.

Feeling a little overwhelmed?  ISL can help with your Internet media buy.