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Fertilizing your business could mean a lot of things, but let’s take it to mean advertising it. Your business will grow greener if it’s properly advertised. Then again, that headline is only a partial quote. Here’s the rest of the quote:

“The grass is always greener on the side that’s fertilized with bullshit.”— Morgan Housel

That’s what fertilizer is, right? Of course, you can’t fertilize weeds and get lush, green grass. In advertising terms, you have to start with the truth. But you also have to fertilize it, too — especially if you want people to internalize that truth. Now some might prefer romanticize, dramatize, glamorize, or magnify to “fertilize” when describing how ad creatives transform the plain truth into a message that sticks. But there’s no need to be too precious about it; there’s usually no small amount of bullshit added to the mix. And it’s important to come to terms with that. Yes, Virginia, your ads will need a certain amount of schtick. Even if your schtick is to pose as “a straight-shooter who doesn’t need a schtick.” This is important for no-nonsense business owners and operations managers to understand. Jingles, music, ar-worms, made-up words, brandable chunks,humor, interesting characters, and sound effects can all be considered “schtick” —and they are also invaluable tools forgetting your ads heard and your message to sink in.

Why Your Fertilizer Can’t Be “Phoned In”

The real problem for most advertisers isn’t that their ads lack bullshit. It’s that the bullshit stinks without actually fertilizing anything. Remember, you can’t fertilize weeds. You have to start with the Truth. In fact, your bullshit or schtick has to be connected to_ the truth — and specifically your truth. Newsflash: copy points ≠ your truth. Your story, incorporating your values, perspective, and advocated position is your truth. So what happens when you send your copy points off to a media sales rep or local ad agency to have them add in “schtick” and create an ad out of it? The ad stinks and all the associated BS fails to fertilize anything of value. The person romanticizing, glamorizing, and dramatizing your truth — the person adding the bullshit to your messaging — can’t phone it in. He has to meet you and spend time with you. He has to do a proper uncovery. So if your current ads aren’t causing your business to grow green, it’s time to find a new ad team. And if you’re not advertising, but wondering why others are growing and you’re not, now you know: the grass grows greener on the side that’s fertilized…

Sales is all about intent. From the products you choose to the decisions you make about how you will represent the industry. In recent years we have seen a perpetual decline in product quality and built-in obsolescence as prices continue to rise. Some service providers see this as permission to take advantage of a customer’s vulnerability, while others see it as a way to establish and protect long-term relationships with their precious clientele. The first time I discovered one such opportunity to build massive brand loyalty and respect was with our client, Dylan Rucker, at All Heart Heating and Cooling in Lancaster, CA.

As the name suggests, Dylan is one of the good guys. Dylan understands and cherishes the value of taking care of his clients on the small stuff. He knows this will earn his company the opportunity to sell the big stuff when the time comes. Not only will he get the new unit sale and all the demand service calls, but he will also get all the 5-star reviews, unsolicited (and unpaid) referrals, and ever-important word-of-mouth advertising. He will also earn the right to sell more to each of his clients to properly maintain their systems proactively. This means more consistent revenue in the shoulder seasons and happy, busy Technicians selling scheduled maintenance, not just endlessly pitching discretionary purchases to no avail. Without a doubt, Dylan Rucker and his team of All Hearts are on a meteoric rise to fame and fortune. But WHY is Dylan one of the good guys? Here is the moment I knew we were working with someone who is sure to be a huge success. During our uncovery of how Dylan run’s his business, our first step with every new Wizard of Ads® client, Dylan was telling me about AmRad Capacitors. These capacitors completely obliterate the overseas capacitors that you see floating around Amazon for 30 bucks. Not only do they have a 5-year, over-the-counter swap warranty, but they have a 0.5% failure rate. YES! Read that again! But how, you’re wondering? Isn’t a capacitor just another capacitor? There are a few key elements that make AmRad Capacitors especially awesome:

1. The PCB-free dielectric fluid is far more dense and able to absorb and distribute heat better than some of the absolute nonsense found in overseas options. Seriously, it's ridiculous. Look it up.
2. AmRad upgraded the film inside the capacitor on all of their products to last substantially longer than the cheap alternatives.
3. They have a compressor protector terminal (CPT) added to all of their capacitors to protect your Technician and your customers from frying the compressor when paired with a hard start kit.

And with further supply chain issues anticipated for the foreseeable future, having an American-made product only makes sense. Now, AmRad Capacitors cost more than their cheaply-made counterparts. But what is the real cost of offering a capacitor that has a 5-year warranty with a 0.5% failure rate? After all, some of you are thinking it means you will lose the potential opportunity to sell another capacitor to the same customer 3 to 5 times over the 10-year warranty period of a new unit. It all comes back to the lynchpin of sales. Intent. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me. Fool me three times, your dead to me, my family, friends, and anyone I can reach. Bad news always travels faster than good.

It is far more difficult to calculate the lifetime value ([LTV](https://www.optimizely.com/optimization-glossary/lifetime-value/#:~:text=Lifetime Value or LTV is,%2C resources%2C profitability and forecasting.)) of a customer than it is to count the sale you make today, but as Roy H. Williams says, “Today’s closing ratio determines tomorrow’s leads”. When you burn a customer today, you lose them for a lifetime. The best customers are loyal customers. At Wizard of Ads™, we call these beautiful specimens ‘relational buyers’. You know them as the ‘good customers’. They are often the ones who value their time more than their money and are looking for someone to trust that they have their best interest at heart. It is SO expensive today to acquire the good customers, and when you find one, you want to do everything in your power to keep them. Does this mean being the cheapest? Not to the relational buyer. When they trust you, they are happy to pay a reasonable premium for your competent convenience. When you treat a relational buyer right, they are what we call a High CAP customer. They are inclined to close on the first sit, at a higher average sale and profit. Isn’t that a salesperson's dream customer?! Isn’t that your dream customer? So why would you sacrifice your lifetime opportunity to sell a few capacitors that cost $50 less than the cheapy cheapy junk? Why would you break the trust of your High CAP customers when the lifetime value of the relational buyer is exponentially higher than any capacitor sale? Why would you ruin your priceless reputation to squeeze a vulnerable customer when you had a perfectly good alternative that would provide them with actual value? You wouldn’t. But your competitors are only thinking about today. It’s a decision to live in fear and desperation, not generosity and abundance. It’s a choice to toil in survival mode, not thriving mode. It’s a choice that will last about 2 years before they burn their otherwise great business to the ground rather than embrace a proud legacy and generational wealth.

“If you want the ‘good customers’ you’ve got to be good to your customers.” - Ryan Chute

Here’s a spin-off benefit that Dylan Rucker is enjoying to this day. By moving to TurboCaps, Amrad’s all-in-one universal capacitor with CPT, Dylan only needs to have 3 different units on his trucks, not 200. This has reduced his inventory dramatically, simplified his training on how to install caps, and decreased shrinkage from damaged unboxed caps rolling around in trucks. With AmRad’s updated training, it has never been easier for Dylan to get new Techs up to speed on the proper installation and care of capacitors, especially when there’s a hard start kit involved. With a little bit of simple math and QR code accessible wiring diagrams, Dylan’s Techs stand 600 ft above the competition. This ridiculously simplified inventory has eliminated the need for Dylan’s Techs to run to the supply house to try and find the right sized capacitor if they are even open when your Tech needs it. With his competitor's geo-fencing supply depots with recruitment ads and the cost of fuel, it was a no-brainer for Dylan to drop the junk and start making All Heart a real asset to his best customers. All told, if you offer your Residential HVAC Services at a premium price, you need to provide a premium service if you ever hope to run a sustainable business. Anyone can make money in a bull market. The ones that survive the storm of a bear market are the ones who have earned a place in the heart and minds of the ‘good customers’. Once bitten, twice shy. Don’t burn your customers. Be like Dylan. Be one of the good guys.

As we travel further into the ever-expansive digital age, the internet becomes more and more ingrained into our everyday lives. We use it for everything from communicating with friends and family to researching products and services before making a purchase. Because of this, small businesses have had to adapt their marketing strategies to include a strong online presence, and paid search has become one of the most important tools in a business owner's toolbox. Research conducted by the Statista Research Department has found that in 2022, paid advertising spending in the U. S. was estimated to reach 95.2 billion dollars. This is out of the over 280 billion total online media advertising spending forecast for the year. Needless to say, companies left and right are devouring paid search channels for their shot in the spotlight of SERP real estate. However, many fail to shine through the competition due to common mistakes. In this guide, we'll show you what it takes to create a stellar paid search campaign that will help you rank higher in SERPs, drive quality traffic to your website, and improve your ROI.

Paid Search and PPC Advertising

Paid search is a form of digital advertising in which advertisers use paid placement, or pay-per-click (PPC), to secure visibility for their ads on search engine results pages (SERPs). Paid search is distinct from organic search, which refers to non-advertising methods of securing visibility on SERPs. Paid search is a key component of PPC advertising as it's a model of online advertising in which businesses can purchase ad space on SERPs. When a user clicks on an ad, the business pays a fee to the search engine. This fee is typically based on a cost-per-click (CPC) model, meaning that businesses only pay when someone clicks on their ad. Paid marketing is an effective way to drive traffic to a website and can be a valuable tool for businesses of all sizes. For small businesses, paid search can be a cost-effective way to compete against larger businesses that may have more resources dedicated to organic search marketing. And for larger businesses, paid search can help supplement organic search efforts and reach new customers. At Wizard of Ads®, we help home service businesses build their brands and grow their businesses with our proven marketing strategies. Our approach to paid search is focused on generating the highest quality leads at the most efficient cost per lead. To learn more about the "wizdom" we offer, book a call with us today!

SEO vs. PPC

SEO and PPC are two of the most common digital marketing strategies. They both have their own advantages and disadvantages, so it's important to understand the difference between them before choosing which one to use for your business. SEO is short for search engine optimization. It is a type of search engine marketing that optimizes a website for Google's search engine algorithms to earn higher web traffic levels and improve the visibility of the site. One of the main benefits of SEO is that it is a long-term strategy that can continue to bring in results even after you stop working on it. However, it can take a while to see results from SEO, and it requires ongoing effort to maintain those results. PPC is a form of online advertising in which businesses pay Google for each click that their ads receive. PPC is a shorter-term strategy than SEO, and it can provide results more quickly. However, you will continue to pay for each click that your ad receives, even after you stop running the campaign. PPC is best used as a complement to SEO, not as a replacement for it. Both SEO and PPC can be effective ways to generate traffic to your website. Which one is right for you will depend on your business goals and budget. But ideally, it's great to use both methods to get the most visibility for your website.

The Benefits for Small Businesses

As a small business, paid search is a great way to get your name out there, attract new customers and outshine the competition. Here are some other enticing reasons to give paid search a go.

Saves Time

Paid search is a great way for small businesses to save time on their advertising campaigns. By using paid search, businesses can automatically target their ads to potential customers who are searching for relevant keywords. This ensures that your ads are more likely to be seen by people who are actually interested in what you have to offer. Paid search can also be customized to target specific demographics, interests, and even locations. Paid search is an extremely powerful tool for reaching your target audience. Best of all, paid search is relatively affordable, making it a great option for small businesses on a tight budget.

Immediate Results

Another favorable benefit of paid search is that it provides small businesses with immediate results. You can create an ad campaign and start driving traffic to your website within minutes. This will not only get your business in front of potential customers right away but also give you an idea of how effective your keywords and ad copy are. Paid search is a great way to test different marketing strategies before investing a lot of time and money into other methods. Paid search is also very flexible, allowing you to adjust your budget and bid amount at any time. This can be helpful if you want to scale up your campaign to reach more people, or if you need to cut back for any reason.

Real Time Data Tracking

Paid search allows you to track your progress in real time, so you can see how well your ads are performing and make changes on the fly. This is a huge advantage over other marketing channels where you have to wait for weeks or even months to get feedback on your campaigns. For example, if your HVAC company is running a paid search campaign and you notice that your ads are not getting clicked on as much as you'd like, you can quickly make changes to your ad copy or targeting settings. Then, within days or even hours, you can see how those changes impact your results. This level of flexibility and control is simply not possible with other marketing channels. Paid search is highly measurable. You can track exactly how many people saw your ad, clicked on it, and then took action (such as making a purchase). This level of transparency is incredibly valuable for businesses of all sizes.

Can Start Running with a Low Budget

Low budget? No problem! Paid search is a great way to start small with a low budget. You can set your daily budget to as little as $10. Make sure you check your account daily after applying a new budget to assess your PPC campaign performance. You can always adjust your budget up or down to get the results you need. For example, if you are a plumbing company, you may want to start with a budget of $50 per day. After a week, check your campaign results to see how many clicks and impressions you’ve received. If you feel that you need more clicks to generate leads, you can raise your budget to $75 per day. On the other hand, if you feel that you are getting too many clicks but they are not converting to customers, you can lower your budget to $25 per day. PPC is a flexible way to advertise and with the right strategy, it can be very effective for your business.

Why Use Paid Search?

At its very core, paid search is about outperforming your competition in the auction to drive more traffic to your site at a lower cost per acquisition. These days, if you don't have a solid paid search strategy in place, you're likely missing out on valuable leads and customers. If we haven't convinced you yet, here are [three top reasons](https://www.hbs.edu/ris/Publication Files/17-025_dce88d96-f2d7-4147-80b3-f1d345a76765.pdf) why you should start investing in paid search today:

• Increases page views

Paid search is a great way to increase paid traffic and pageviews on your website. By bidding on high-traffic keywords and running popular ads on these keywords, you can ensure that your website appears at the top of SERPs, which in turn drives more traffic to your site. As a residential home service business, this is crucial because the more traffic you have on your website, the greater the chance that someone will click on your ad and contact you for services.

• Helps businesses understand consumer intent

Consumer intent is basically the main reason why people search for something on the internet. When you know what someone is looking for when they search for a certain keyword, you can target your ad directly to them, which increases the likelihood that they will click on it. For instance, when someone is looking to replace their air conditioner, they will most likely type in “air conditioner replacement” into the search engine. However, if they are just looking for information on air conditioners, they might type in “air conditioner reviews” instead.

• Drives an influx of reviews

In addition to reeling in more customers, paid search also has the ability to increase business reviews, which is essential for any home service company. The logic behind this is pretty simple—the more customers you have, the more likely it is that you’ll receive reviews. And as we all know, online reviews are important for boosting SEO and generating leads. Paid search makes it possible to increase the number of customers, which in turn leads to more reviews and a surge in the customers' trust and reliability in your brand. As you can see, paid search is a valuable tool for any small business looking to improve its online presence and generate more leads. If you’re not already using paid search, you're choosing the fate of standing in the shadow of your competitors. Getting started can be an intimidating venture, but it doesn't have to be. At Wizard of Ads®, we have a team of experts that can help you get started with paid search and ensure that your campaigns are set up for success. Book a call with us today to learn more!

"I’ve never met a business owner whose advertising failed because they were reaching the wrong people." – Roy H. Williams, The Wizard of Ads® It's not that your advertising is failing, per se. But maybe, just maybe, it could be reaching a wider audience and bringing in more business. Especially if you took advantage of Google Local Service Ads (LSA). If you’re not familiar with LSA, they’re a newer way for businesses to advertise on Google. The importance of ads trends at an all-time high. Companies are spending billions of dollars on ads, and a large portion of that goes to Google. We need ads, but they're also expensive. So, what if you could get your company's name in front of potential customers without spending a fortune? Google LSA is definitely part of the answer. LSA is a newer type of ad offered by Google for service based businesses. It's designed for businesses that provide local residential services, such as plumbers, locksmiths, and HVAC companies. The goal of LSA is to help customers find ‘safe’ local businesses quickly and easily. Here's everything you need to know about LSA.

What are Google Local Service Ads (LSA)?

Google Local Service Ads are a type of online advertising that allows businesses to connect with customers in their local area. LSA appear as a special listing at the top of the search results. It’s separate from regular organic listings and other paid ads. Your LSA listing includes your business name, contact information, average customer rating, and cost per lead. One of the great things customers like about LSA is that they’re very transparent. Customers can see your business name, contact information, and ratings before even clicking on your ad. That helps build trust and confidence, which can lead to more customers contacting your business. Wizard of Ads® can't just wave our wands to get you to the top of the Google LSA listing. But we can guide you down the right dimly-lit stone pathway toward getting your business found online by new and existing customers. Book a call.

Local Service Ads - A Brief History

Once, in a far-off land a long time ago, there was Google Adwords. Adwords launched in 2000 to much fanfare, and it was quickly apparent that Google had changed the way businesses advertised forever. Adwords allowed businesses to target potential customers with laser precision, and it soon became the gold standard for online advertising. It was and still is a very effective tool in its own right. But times change, and Google has changed with them. In 2014, Google launched “Home Service Ads” in the San Francisco Bay Area to connect people with local service providers. The product allowed businesses to create profiles and list their services, prices, and availability. Customers could then search for providers within their area and book appointments directly through the platform. The program was so successful that it quickly expanded to other markets across the United States. In 2017, Google rebranded the product as “Local Service Ads” and made it available globally. Today, in 2022, the product has continued to grow and evolve. LSA are available in over 50 countries and thousands of cities around the world.

Where to Find Local Services Ads

You can find Google LSA in the "Local Services" section of the search results. To see it, simply enter a search query into Google with the word "local" or a location identifier (like a city or ZIP code). For example, searching for "plumbers near me" or "lawyers in Los Angeles" will both return LSA at the top of the results page. You can also ask for Google ads support if you run into trouble in finding these.

Local Services Ads Rankings

To be eligible to appear in LSA, businesses must pass Google's screening process, including a background check. A company must first be verified and approved. Then it'll have a ranking based on its reviews, customer feedback, and other factors. This ranking will determine where the business appears in the LSA results. The higher the rank, the more likely customers will see the business's ad. Local Services listings in the Google Business Profile (GBP, formerly Google My Business) account are sorted and rated on several criteria. Google decides which service providers to include in response to a user's query. They consider the likelihood that consumers would contact your company. The following variables influence the decision.

Your Profile Content

• Having a Google badge of trust, Google Guaranteed, helps increase the chances of your business being chosen by prospects.
• Your bidding strategy is also vital. The higher the amount you're willing to pay per lead, the more likely the ad will rank for your business.
• Your business hours matter, too, for obvious reasons. Potential customers can only hire service providers available when they need them.
• How often you respond to customer inquiries and feedback affects ranking. Customer feedback includes any messages or calls. If you leave those unanswered, it will negatively impact your rank.

Your Business's Reports and Reviews

• Your review score is based on the number of reviews for your business and their quality. The higher your score, the more likely your LSA is included.
• Google receiving repeat or serious complaints about your business can remove you from the program.

What Customers Search

• Things like search terms, the time of the search, and other pieces of context related to a customer's search help Google determine whether your business should appear in an LSA.
• How close you and your customers' physical location are to each other also matters. If you're a moving company and someone is searching for "movers near me," you're more likely to show up than if they just search for "movers."

Ad Ranking Best Practices

Businesses can do a few things to improve their ranking and increase their chances of appearing in LSA. Below are ad ranking best practices.

Ask Customers to Review Your Company

Google recommends you have at least five or more customer reviews. Customer reviews are one of the most important ranking factors for LSA. Encourage customers to leave reviews by asking them directly or providing a link on your website where they can leave a review. You can also give customers an incentive, like a discount, for leaving a review.

Widen Your Service Area and Types of Jobs

The wider your service area, the more opportunities you'll have to appear in an LSA. You can also increase your chances of appearing in an ad by being willing to do more types of jobs. Or, at least just make sure all the job types your company offers are listed. For example, if you're a plumber, you might want to consider adding "toilet repair" and "drain cleaning" to the list of services you're willing to do.

Choose "Maximize Leads" instead of "Max Per Lead"

You can make the most of your ad's allocation by choosing "Maximize Leads" under Ads Settings. That will cause Google to show your ad more often, rather than spreading out your impressions (the number of times your ad copy appears) evenly throughout the day.

Post Prime Photos

Your photos can be of anywhere your business operates. But, for best results, post high-quality photos of your office, storefront, equipment, and any team members working with customers.

Figure Out Which Features to Opt-in

Google offers a variety of features for LSA, but not all of them will be right for your business. You'll need to decide which optional features you want to opt-in for. For example, you can opt into the LSA booking feature, allowing customers to book appointments directly from your ad. That's a great feature if you're a service-based business with set appointment times. But, if you're a retail store or restaurant, this feature wouldn't make much sense. You can also opt into things like background checks and insurance verification. These are optional, but they can help build trust with potential customers. Only choose the features that make sense for your business. The more features you opt-in for, the more likely it is that customers will be able to find and use your services.

Some Benefits of Using Local Services Ads

There are a few key benefits to using Local Service ads. First, they can help you stand out from the competition. With LSA, your business will appear at the top of the search results, above the organic listings. That can be a big advantage, especially if your competitors aren't using LSA. Second, LSA can help you attract new customers. Your business will appear in front of potential customers actively searching for your services. Because of this, you're more likely to get new business from LSA than from other marketing channels. Third, LSA can be an effective way to build trust and credibility with potential customers. Google requires businesses that use LSA to go through a verification process. That helps ensure that only legitimate companies with a good track record can use LSA.

How do Local Services Ads Work?

LSA are a type of Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising that allows businesses to promote their services to potential customers in a specific geographic area. To use LSA, companies first need to sign up with Google and create a profile. Once a business makes a profile, it can start creating ads. Each ad will target a specific service and geographic area. Potential customers sometimes search for the business's services offered in the target area. When this happens, the company's ad will appear in the top spot of the search results. The ad will include the business's name, address, phone number, and average customer rating. When a potential customer clicks on the ad, it goes to the business's profile page. Once there, they can learn more about the company and read customer reviews. You can also review the engagement rates of your LSA with Google analytics. Measuring the performance of this marketing ad campaign will be critical to its success. Keywords Everywhere or Google keyword planner are great tools to use for this, too. They help with keyword research. You can use them to measure how often your customers click on your ads and how much they spend. This data will be important to show whether or not your LSA campaign is working. If it isn’t, you can make changes to improve it. And remember, if you need any help, Local Service ads Google support can guide you on how to get started. Or, rely on us. Wizard of Ads® can cast the spell to create a customer interaction that converts. If you're ready for us to craft your Google LSA campaign, book a call.

A little birdie told us that companies are experiencing a decline in their web traffic. They're hitting their heads against the wall, trying to determine what they are doing wrong. What they don't know is actually quite simple, and you're in luck because we're about to let you in on the secret. The truth is, you've got to mix both paid and organic traffic initiatives into your marketing strategy "elixir," and finding the right balance is what will make all the difference. If you focus too much on one or the other, your results will begin to dwindle. You see, each type of traffic has its own set of benefits, and they work best when used in unison. The two go hand-in-hand. Paid content marketing will always amplify your organic reach, which will, in turn, amplify your paid marketing efforts and drive KPIs that you didn't even know you could. In this article, we'll show you how you can effectively maximize the perfect blend of organic and paid tactics to take your content marketing strategy to the next level.

Traffic: a Definition

There are many definitions of web traffic, but generally, it refers to the number of visitors that a website receives. This can be measured in several ways, including unique visitors, pageviews, and time spent on site. Web traffic is an important metric for any website, as it can give insights into the popularity of the site, engagement levels, and even potential revenue. However, the two types of traffic that will be taking the main stage in this article are organic traffic and paid traffic.

Organic Traffic

Organic traffic is the term used to describe visits to a website that come as a result of unpaid search engine results. This means that the site has not been given preferential treatment by being featured in paid advertising, and instead has earned its place through organic SEO methods. Organic traffic generally produces higher C. A. P. (conversions, average sale, profits) than paid traffic, as it is more targeted and therefore more likely to generate leads and increase sales. It can also be seen as more sustainable, as it does not rely on ongoing payments to maintain visibility. Several methods can be used to increase organic traffic to a website, such as optimizing for specific keywords, creating high-quality content, and building links from other websites.

Paid Traffic

Paid traffic is a type of internet marketing in which advertisers pay to have their ads displayed on websites and search engines. This can be done through various means, such as banner ads, text links, backlinks, or video ads. Paid traffic is an effective way to reach a large audience quickly, and it can be used to target specific demographics or interests. However, it is important to note that paid traffic is generally lower-quality traffic as the majority of conversions are from people who have no opinion about your company, and ultimately see you as a commodity. Therefore, it is important to carefully consider your paid traffic strategy before implementation. At Wizard of Ads®, we help businesses like yours boost their brand presence and website traffic with our holistic marketing approach. Book a call with us today to learn more!

Types of Web Traffic

Organic and paid traffic can come in many forms. Under each umbrella, there are many different directions you can go. Here are some that we find to be the most impactful for businesses.

Direct Traffic

Direct traffic is one of the most important sources of organic traffic for any website. It can be defined as any traffic that arrives at your site from a direct source, such as a user typing in your URL into their browser, or clicking on a bookmark. Direct traffic is an important metric to track because it can be an indicator of the health of your brand strategy and its ability to attract and convert prospects. If you see a sudden drop in direct traffic, it could be an indication that something is wrong with your website, such as a technical issue or poor branding. Digital marketing, therefore, has no ability to affect direct traffic in any way.

Referral Traffic

Referral traffic is the organic traffic that comes to your website from other websites. This can happen in a few different ways. Maybe someone has linked to your website from their own website or blog. Or, maybe you've been mentioned on a social media platform like Twitter or Facebook. In any case, referral traffic is a valuable way to grow your website's audience. Not only does it bring new visitors to your site, but it can also indicate that your site is being talked about and shared online — which can help boost your search engine ranking.

Email Marketing

The power of email should not be underestimated. Email marketing can be one of the most effective ways to reach your target audience and generate interest in your product or service. This type of organic traffic is generated when someone clicks on an email they received from you, either through an email list or a forward. From there, they can read your message and click on a link that brings them to your website. Email marketing can be a great way to connect with potential customers and create a deeper relationship with them. It can also be a great way to increase brand awareness and build trust with your audience.

Social Network Traffic

Social network traffic refers to the number of visitors that a social media site receives. This can be measured in terms of unique visitors or pageviews, and is often used as a metric to gauge the popularity of a social media page. By sustaining a relevant, engaging and impactful voice on social media, you give yourself the best chance to draw in organic traffic that can be converted into leads, customers and valuable relationships. Reply to people's comments! Tell a joke! Post share worthy content at regular intervals! And make use of social media tools to help you better manage your social media presence.

Paid Media Traffic

With paid media traffic, businesses essentially buy their way to the top of search engine results pages (SERPs). Paid media traffic can be generated through a variety of platforms and tactics, including pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, cost-per-thousand (CPM) advertising, and social media advertising. The goal of paid media traffic is usually twofold: to increase brand awareness and/or increase website traffic. However, because paid media traffic is bought rather than earned organically, it can be difficult to track its effectiveness. Additionally, because paid media relies on platforms like Google and Facebook for its success, there is always the risk that changes in algorithm or policy could drastically reduce the effectiveness of paid media campaigns.

Paid Search Traffic

Similar to paid media traffic, paid search traffic aims to send users to a brand’s website through paid ad placements. The key difference between the two is that paid search traffic occurs when someone clicks on an ad placed within the search engine results pages (SERPs), as opposed to other paid placements that can occur elsewhere on the web. In an SEM campaign, businesses bid on keywords that they want their ads to show up for when people search for those terms on a search engine. The higher they bid, the more likely their ad will appear on the first page of results. Depending on the quality of their ad and landing page, as well as the relevancy of their keyword to what people are actually searching for, they may get clicks even if they're not in the top spot.

Offline Traffic

There are a few different types of offline traffic, but the most common is traffic that comes from television commercials, radio ads, and print ads. This type of traffic is often referred to as "brick and mortar" traffic because it's coming from a physical location. Another type of offline traffic is online traffic that has been generated offline. For example, if you see an ad for a website on TV, and then you go to that website, the traffic that you generate is considered offline traffic, or direct search. Offline traffic can greatly increase your website's visibility and reach new audiences. However, not all offline traffic is good traffic. Make sure you're targeting your advertising to the right audience, with the right message, and that your website is designed to convert visitors into customers.

Landing Page/Clickfunnels Traffic

There are two types of landing page traffic: organic and paid. Organic landing page traffic comes from search engine results, while paid landing page traffic comes from paid advertising. Organic landing page traffic is the most valuable because it is free and targeted. Paid landing page traffic can be effective, but it is often less targeted and more expensive. The best way to get organic landing page traffic is to optimize your website for search engines. This includes creating high-quality content, optimizing your website for keywords, and building backlinks. Paid landing page traffic is typically generated through pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. PPC ads can be effective, but they are often more expensive than organic traffic and can be less targeted.

Finding the Right Mix

Whether you're looking for free backlinks, or want to leverage branded advertising, there are techniques that can work for you. You don't have to rely on just one method of getting traffic to your site, you can use a combination of both paid and organic traffic sources. Here are some of our tips on finding the right balance that works for you:

• Test organic keywords with paid search

Before you invest a lot of time and money into optimizing your website for certain keywords, test them out with paid search. You can use ahrefs as a free backlink checker and to also see how much traffic certain keywords get and whether they're worth pursuing organically.

• Find good paid keywords to target using organic keyword research

Use your organic keyword research to find new paid keywords to target. Look for high traffic keywords with low competition that you could realistically rank for and put them in your meta titles and meta descriptions.

• Paid advertising can be used to increase traffic and attention to seasonal or new content

You can use paid traffic to draw attention to new blog posts or pages on your website. This is especially effective around holidays or during other busy times of the year.

Use a DA (domain authority) checker to calculate the domain rating score of your website. This shows how much authority your site has based on the quantity and quality of external backlinks to a website.

• Target hard-to-reach keywords using paid search

Paid traffic can be used to target meta keywords that are difficult to rank for organically. This can help you reach potential customers who are searching for your products or services.

• Make use of organic content to strengthen paid campaigns

To make your paid campaigns more effective, you can include free links to your website's organic content. This will help improve your website's overall SEO and visibility.

• To maximize your SERP presence, combine paid and organic search

Paid and organic search work best when used together. A mix of the two can help you achieve a higher ranking on SERPs, as well as increased CRM (conversion rate optimization) and brand awareness.

Ultimately, the key is to experiment and find the perfect mix of paid and organic traffic that works for your business. There is no magic formula, so it's important to test different tactics and see what conversion rate optimization you can achieve. Start by testing different combinations of paid and organic traffic, and then adjust your strategy as needed. By finding the right mix, you can create a sustainable and successful traffic strategy that will help you reach your business goals. However, if you'd rather skip all the pesky trial and error and work with an expert, we can help. At Wizard of Ads®, we help businesses build powerful brands by maximizing their marketing efforts to get the most ROI. We understand what works and what doesn't, so we can help you find your perfect mix of paid and organic traffic. To learn more about how we can help, book a call with us today. We'd be happy to chat with you about your specific needs and goals.

Think of the most popular restaurant in your city, the one where you've got to make a reservation because there is never an open table. Do you see it in your mind? That restaurant most likely hasn't been advertised in years. Their happy customers are their only marketing department. A wise advertising wizard by the name of Roy H. Williams once said:

"Advertising is a tax we pay for not being remarkable.”

So how do we become remarkable? How do we get to the point of success where our customers are advertising for us?One strategy many thriving businesses use is demand generation. Nope, not lead generation — demand generation. At this point, you may be wondering "what the heck is that?" In this article, we'll go over everything you need to know about demand generation and how it’s different from lead generation so your business can start reaping the benefits.

What is Demand Generation?

Demand generation is a data-driven marketing strategy that uses the inbound methodology to surge awareness and engagement throughout the entire buyer and customer lifecycle. This process' primary focus is on revenue creation and can become the most lucrative when executed through an single unified marketing strategy. A true demand generation strategy considers every touchpoint in the buyer’s journey — all the way from the first time they become aware of your product to when they (hopefully) become a lifelong customer and advocate. Building a demand generation strategy can take a lot of experimentation. If you want to skip the costly steps, Wizard of Ads® can help! Our team of marketing professionals has demand generation down to a science. We have the know-how, experience, and tenacity to bring your demand generation strategy to life in a way that will increase leads and conversions, generate sales — and most importantly — boost ROI. Book a call with us today to learn more!

Demand Gen vs. Lead Gen

Demand generation and lead generation are two important concepts in marketing. Though they are similar, there are some key differences between the two. Demand generation is focused on building demand or interest in a product or service. This can be done through various marketing campaigns, such as advertising, public relations, or even word-of-mouth marketing. Lead generation, on the other hand, is focused on collecting information about potential customers and turning them into leads. This IS done through digital advertising tactics, including PPC, funnels, and online form submissions.

The Demand Generation Funnel

Now that you understand the key differences between lead gen and demand gen, let's take a journey through the demand generation funnel so that you can see how it all comes together.

Awareness

At the top of the funnel is awareness. In order for someone to eventually become a paying customer, they first need to be aware that your product or service actually exists. This way, when potential customers are finally ready to buy, they will already have a positive association with your brand.

Research

The next stage in the demand generation funnel is research. Prospects should now be researching their options and trying to learn more about their potential purchase. If you can provide helpful information that prospects can use to make better purchasing decisions, they will be more likely to do business with you. By creating informative content, you can build trust and credibility with your audience, which will eventually lead to a sale.

Consideration

In the consideration stage, buyers have done enough research, and now they are evaluating options and comparing vendors. At this point, they are looking for more specific information that will help them make their decision. During this stage, your goal is to educate the buyer about your product or service and position yourself as the best solution to their problem. As buyers move through the consideration stage, they will begin to narrow down their options and make a decision on which company they believe offers the most value with the product or service they need.

Purchase

At the purchase stage, your potential customers are ready to buy. They've done their research and they know what they want. Your job is to make it easy for them to buy from you. There are a few things you can do to make this happen:

1. Make sure your website is easy to navigate and that it has a clear call-to-action (CTA). Your CTA should be visible and obvious, and it should be easy for potential customers to find the product or service they're looking for.
2. Offer multiple payment options. The more options you offer, the more likely it is that potential customers will find a payment method that works for them.
3. Offer discounts or promotions. This can be a great way to entice potential customers who are on the fence about making a purchase.
4. Provide excellent customer service. If potential customers have any questions or concerns, they should be able to reach someone who can help them.
5. Make it easy to return items. No one likes dealing with returns, but it's important to offer this option in case potential customers are not satisfied with their purchase.

By following these tips, you can make the purchase stage of the demand generation process go smoothly and increase your chances of making a sale.

Knowing the Concept and Fundamentals

The demand generation funnel is a huge part of gaining new leads, but it's nothing without fully understanding the [key concepts and fundamentals](https://www.newbreedrevenue.com/blog/what-is-demand-generation#:~:text=Demand generation is a data,through an integrated tech stack). To hit a home run with your online leads, make sure you are familiar with these concepts:

Brand awareness

So at this point, we know the role brand awareness plays in demand generation, but what are the methods you can use to properly showcase your brand?You can start by building a strong brand identity. Create a message that exudes who your company is, what you stand for, and how you want to be perceived. You'll need to consider your target audience, what aesthetics represent your company well, and what type of voice you want to use when communicating with others. Other methods include identifying buyer personas, a process to help you zero in on the types of leads you want and the content they're interested in, as well as thought leadership, or creating content that establishes you and your company as experts in your field. You can also use social media, events, and PR to get your brand out there. No matter what method you use, the important thing is to be consistent with your messaging and design. Your goal is to make sure that when people see your brand, they instantly think of the values and qualities that you represent.

Inbound marketing

Inbound marketing is a demand generation strategy that focuses on creating and distributing content that attracts leads to your company's products or services. It is an important part of any overall marketing plan and can be particularly effective in driving sales. Some methods in inbound marketing are:

• Search engine optimization (SEO): This means creating content that is keyword-rich and optimized for the search engines so that your target audience can easily find it when they are searching for information related to your product or service.
• Social media: A strong branding presence on social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn can help you reach a wider audience and generate leads. By sharing your content with your social media followers, you can get more people to visit your website and learn more about your product or service.
• Email marketing: By sending out monthly newsletters or targeted email campaigns, you can keep your customers and prospects informed about your latest offerings and generate more leads.
• Lead generation: Once you have attracted more visitors to your website and increased your social media following, you can start generating new leads by asking people to sign up for your email list or contact you for more information.

Sales enablement

Sales enablement is a term used in business to describe the activities that facilitate the selling process and help salespeople be more effective. This strategy aims to provide salespeople with the right tools, training, and information so they can sell more effectively. It also involves processes and systems to help manage and track sales activity. Some methods of sales enablement include:

• Providing salespeople with content such as product sheets, case studies, and brochures.
• Offering training on products, services, and company processes.
• Creating a central repository for sales materials.
• Implementing systems to track customer interactions and activity.

Sales enablement is an important part of demand generation because it not only helps ensure that your salespeople can sell effectively and efficiently, but also gives them the confidence to perform well. When salespeople are properly equipped with the right tools and information, they’ll close more deals, generate more revenue for the company, and be genuine advocates for your brand.

Customer retention

As we all know, customer retention is key to any business' success. But what exactly is customer retention? Simply put, it's the ability of a company to keep its customers coming back for more. There are several different strategies that businesses can use to improve customer retention. Some common methods include offering loyalty programs, providing superior customer service, and creating a strong brand identity. You can also execute client marketing initiatives like customer win-backs and customer satisfaction surveys, generate upsells and renewals such as cross-sells and product bundling, or even just show your customers some appreciation with a handwritten thank you note. Of all of these methods, the most important are having a powerful brand story and an exceptional customer experience. Your brand and the value that you offer through a world-class buying experience are what sets you apart from your competitors, and it's what customers will remember long after their purchase. When you can build a loyal customer base, you’ll get free leads because they’ll do much more of the marketing work for you!

Level Up Your Demand Generation Campaign

If you want your demand generation strategy to be truly effective, you need to account for revenue operations (RevOps). This means aligning technologies, stakeholders, and business processes to fuel growth. The good news is that there are plenty of ways to do this, whether through an in-house RevOps team, a partner, or a combination of both. By taking advantage of all the resources at your disposal, you can ensure that your demand generation program is as efficient and effective as possible. Here are a few things to keep in mind when setting up your RevOps strategy:

• Make sure your technologies are integrated and able to talk to each other. This will make it easier to track data and measure results.
• Get buy-in from all stakeholders on the process and what success looks like. Everyone needs to be on the same page for this to work.
• Define what your lead scoring criteria are and how leads will move through the funnel. This will help you prioritize opportunities and focus your efforts.
• Set up reporting and analysis so you can identify any gaps in the funnel or pipeline. You need to be able to see where there are problems so you can fix them.
• Train everyone on the process so they know how to use it and what their role is. No one can be left out or things will start to break down.
• Follow up regularly to make sure the process is still working and that everyone is still on board. Things change, and you need to be able to adapt.

If you can do all of these things, you will be well on your way to setting up a strong foundation for revenue operations. This will pay off in the long run by helping you optimize your demand generation strategy and effectively attribute marketing's contribution to revenue.“Each of us is a point-of-contact with our customer, a channel of communication. When we use the brandable chunks – signature phrases – that were introduced in our mass-media ads and reinforced on our website; when each of us delivers the personality that we promised in our ads, we have channel alignment. When we fall short of this, we are guilty of bait-and-switch.” — Roy H. WilliamsChannel alignment is key to a successful Demand generation strategy, and we at Wizard of Ads™ have the tools you need to make sure your brand is delivering on its promises. If you’re feeling intimidated by all the changes in today’s marketing landscape, don’t worry — we can help. Book a call with us today and let us show you just how easy it can be to create a winning demand gen strategy for your business.