Many digital marketers think they have to choose between content marketing and paid per click advertising. While they certainly both have specific approaches and advantages, you might be surprised to learn that a combination of the two strategies can be even more effective. The obvious question, then, is “How can I capitalize on my content for advertising?” Here are a few simple tips to tackle this complex question.

 

Start with Content

 

If you’re working to create and post memorable, sharable, relevant content for advertising that will spread virally, you need to use it as your jumping-off point. Create and post your content, then build a PPC plan around it. It may be tempting to work the other way around, but placing ads to force inferior content is a recipe for failure. Not sure how to produce and deliver content that will hit home with your target audiences? Use a tool like BuzzSumo to search within your industry category and see what successful content creators are doing to get through to your customers for inspiration.

 

Have a Specific Strategy

 

Be detailed when setting up a PPC buy. If you have emotionally-driven content featuring a father and a daughter, target males ages 25 to 45 to appeal to their paternal instincts. Know what your measurable ROI goals are and determine an appropriate length of time to schedule your PPC advertising. Always maintain a consistent look and messaging whether you’re buying SEO text ads or digital banners. Monitor the analytics provided by your digital vendors and see how well your advertising is performing, and see if it’s having the effect you want on the organic reach of your content. If it isn’t, don’t be afraid to rethink your strategy.

 

Promote Content using PPC on Social Media

 

Your primary tools for PPC advertising are likely to be major search engines and retargeting sites. But don’t fall into the trap of ignoring social media. A great piece of video content, or effective photo or graphic can do you more good than a multi-thousand-dollar campaign if you’re lucky. If you employ Facebook ads and boosted posts to support your other efforts, you’re doing a lot to take luck out of the equation.

 

If you keep these tactics in mind while collecting leads, you will be using content for advertising and may find yourself converting it to sales in a shorter period of time than you ever imagined!