In the ever-evolving world of digital marketing, staying ahead of the curve has become a necessity, which is a good or bad thing depending on how much you enjoy staying on top of the latest trends in tech. As a marketing exec who has seen the highs and lows of marketing campaigns, I know the difference the right strategy can make to future-proof your business. Whether you're a yoga guru or a meditation mater, harnessing PPC in 2024 is about embracing change and being at the forefront of digital innovation.

This blog is written for readers who are already more or less sold on the idea of PPC and want to deepen their perspective before getting too far into the weeds. If you’re on the fence about whether to spend money on advertising now or stick to free or much cheaper alternatives, I’d highly encourage a read of our blog that provides a framework to make such a choice, “Should I pay for that? Make better marketing decisions with our 3-step framework.”

Is it time to diversify your PPC and organic investments?

While there’s no one-size-fits all answer, you can use this decision tree to inform your choices.

Embracing PPC in holistic health

PPC, or Pay-Per-Click, is an advertising modality where, just like it sounds, you pay for each click on an ad placed on a site such as Google or Facebook. I remember an old CMO boss of mine clicking on ads my team placed on behalf of our company, excited to show us momentum. I still cringe-laugh thinking about this because of course we had to tell him to stop clicking because it was costing us - and therefore him - money! So, understanding how it works is important. However, unlike organic growth, which blossoms over time through non-paid methods like SEO, PPC done well can be a fast track to visibility.

The best way to think about it holistically is that PPC can be a part of a strategy that ultimately helps you make genuine connections. It can complement your organic efforts, ensuring your message reaches the right people at just the right moment. If you’d like a primer on SEO before getting evaluating the paid side, feel free to check out our blog, “Unlock the secret to top Google rankings for your holistic site!”

Understanding PPC's role in digital wellness

There’s a couple key advantages PPC has over organic methods: speed and accuracy. It shines in its ability to target specific demographics and interests, something organic methods can't always achieve with the same speed and precision. Depending on the platform, you can tailor your ads for different age groups, genders, or even specific interests, making it an invaluable tool for niche markets like holistic health.

What's more, the agility of PPC allows for real-time adjustments based on campaign performance, backed by measurable data from clicks to conversions. This adaptability is a significant advantage over slower-to-change organic strategies.

Aligning PPC with your holistic vision

You're on the lookout for clients who resonate with what you offer.

Picture this: Emily, having a hard day and seeking tranquility, searches Google for "mindfulness meditation near me." Your PPC campaign, targeted with these keywords, brings up your ad. It's not just any ad—it resonates with her need for peace, reflecting your practice's holistic ethos.

She clicks and lands on a page that feels like a serene retreat, convincing her to try a free session. This seamless journey from search to studio, bolstered by follow-up emails that align with your values, transforms Emily from a curious clicker to a loyal client.

Hoping to find tranquility, a would-be client searched for, “mindfulness meditation near me,” which is what you offer in your ad and practice. Eventually, she becomes a loyal client.

Setting up your PPC campaign with a 2024 vision

There are two main categories for PPC: search and social. On the search side, you have giants like Google and Bing, where your ads appear in search engine results. This is where someone looking for "yoga classes near me" might find your ad right at the top of their Google search results.

Amazon and YouTube are also surprisingly powerful platforms for search-focused PPC and worth consideration depending on your business model. In fact, according to Google, “80% of shoppers who watched a YouTube video related to a planned purchase said they watched it at the start of their shopping process,” meaning that it’s not a bad idea to run an ad on that platform as an early step along your customer’s journey to buying your products (if you have products to sell).

On the social side, platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest offer immense potential. Given that a significant portion of the population uses social media, these platforms are ideal for targeting specific demographics and interests. For instance, your ad on Facebook can target users based on their interests such as 'wellness', 'yoga', and 'meditation', while Instagram allows you to tap into a visually engaged audience with eye-catching content about your holistic health services. Maybe that’s why according to Hubspot, Facebook boasted 10 million active advertisers as of 2023.

Choosing the right platforms for your practice

I wish I could give you a “definitely start here,” answer, but the fact is that there’s no bulletproof one-size-fits-all approach. I might go so far as to say that I think people who make sweeping recommendations without getting to know your business and your goals may be doing you a disservice, or just trying to get clicks themselves.

Social media logos on a phone — When it comes to selecting social media platforms, you’ve got options.

Instead, I’ll try to help you break the question into two parts so you can do more research to answer it for yourself (or book a consult and we can talk about it):

What platform will suit me best right now?
Which platform(s) will suit me best later?

There’s a school of thought in the advertising industry that diversifying your PPC strategy across platforms will help you expand your reach and hedge your bets in case one platform underperforms or changes their policy.

But here's the thing: spreading yourself too thin across multiple platforms from the get-go can be overwhelming. My suggestion? If you’re doing this work on your own, start by focusing on just one, maybe two platforms for the first 6-12 months per the infographic at the start of this blog. Really dive into those – analyze the data, understand what's working and what isn’t. Once you’ve got a solid handle on these, then think about branching out to other platforms, especially if you have the team to manage it.

Advanced audience targeting techniques

The good news about advertising in 2024 is that you don’t have to take out a Super Bowl ad for the people you’re best equipped to help to find out about you. As we mentioned in our previous section about PPC setup, Google Ads and others allow for advanced targeting, which means you can reach the yoga enthusiast who's also a vegan foodie. Use demographic data to tailor your message.

Tailoring your PPC ads to your audience

Approach your PPC ad strategy with empathy for your customers. What do they truly need from you? By understanding your audience's needs and preferences, you can more effectively focus your ads, pinpointing the people you're best equipped to help. This targeted approach not only maximizes the effectiveness of your ads but also enables you to serve your audience more efficiently.

Utilizing advanced targeting features on Google and other platforms

Crafting the audience strategy, one segment at a time"

Once you have a clear understanding of your target audience, you can translate this into actionable criteria for PPC platforms. Consider demographics, interests, habits, and topics relevant to your services to identify your ideal customer profile.

Different advertising platforms offer various targeting options. Google, for example, provides in-depth targeting capabilities. For a comprehensive understanding of these options, explore their "About Audience Segments" article in the Google Ads Help Center.

Other platforms are different. For instance, certain platforms like X may allow targeting based on the influencers your audience follows, while others like Pinterest and TikTok focus on more on interest-based targeting. Most platforms provide some level of demographic filtering, allowing you to tailor your PPC campaigns to the specific characteristics of your audience.

Mastering keywords and ad copy in the age of AI

When it comes to PPC, keywords and ad copy matter – a lot. If you want to play the PPC game, it’ll really help to know what keywords you want to win and how you plan to get there. Keyword research and ad copy best practices could easily be it’s own blog, but suffice it to say, it’s worth forming a solid plan on this before you get too far into spending your advertising dollars.

Effective keyword research

Want to know where to start? I’d recommend using a tried and true keyword planning tool that offers a free version or trial. Four good ones are: the Moz Keyword Explorer (currently limited to 3 free searches/day), and Google Keyword Planner (focused on paid keywords) Ahrefs, and Semrush. And, because it’s 2024, I’d be remiss not to mention there are a lot of brand new AI tools that also can help you find the most relevant keywords. Give them a try!

Landing pages

Visualizing the journey from keyword to conversion

I can’t write a PPC article without mentioning the importance of your landing pages. For those new to the ling, the “landing page” simply refers to whatever page on your website your ad points to. Sometimes it’s the homepage, but ideally it’s a special page built for your ad. Why? Let’s say your ad is wildly successful and earns tons of clicks to your website. The last thing you’d then want is for people to get to your page and not know what to do.

So, make sure you think about the action you hope they take when they get there. If it’s book a session with you, make sure the session booking page’s copy wouldn't throw them off compared to what they read in the ad they were interested enough about to click, and make sure there’s a clear call to action. If you’re curious about call to action best practices check out my blog, “What are CTAs? The Do's and Don'ts of CTA Design.”

Crafting inspirational ad copy

Once you’ve got your landing page set up and keyword research done, it’s time to create your ad copy. The good news is with products like Google’s Responsive Search Ads (RSAs), you can test a lot of different headlines and descriptions without enormous setup on your part.

Aim to integrate keywords that not only resonate with your landing page content but also enhance your conversion rates and reduce bounce rates. Strike a balance in your copywriting by being both informative, catering to what your audience is actively searching for, and inspirational, evoking a connection.

Remember to incorporate other elements such as callouts, reviews, and site links to enrich your ad content further. Over time, by closely monitoring your analytics, you’ll gain insights into what aspects of your ad copy are effective and which ones need tweaking or replacing with fresh ideas.

Optimizing campaigns with data-driven insights

Here's where the magic happens. All PPC platforms offer some level of analytics to help you understand your campaign's performance. It’s in their best interest to help you be successful so you keep advertising with them. So, use the data to adjust, refine, and repeat. Data is the only way objective way you’ll know whether or not your ads are working.

What to measure

This could and should at some point be its own blog. But to start, here are a three essential key performance indicators (KPIs) I think are worth a look right away:

Measuring PPC is like a game of hopscotch – every step counts

Impressions: This metric indicates the number of times your ad is displayed. It's crucial for understanding brand exposure. High impressions mean your ad is reaching a broad audience, which is great for brand awareness.
CTR (Click-Through-Rate): Calculated by dividing the number of clicks by the number of impressions, CTR is a critical indicator of how relevant and engaging your ad is to your target audience. A higher CTR suggests that your ad is resonating well with viewers.
CPC (Cost-Per-Click): This measures how much you pay each time someone clicks on your ad. By dividing the total cost of your clicks by the number of clicks, you get the CPC. It's a key metric for budget management and helps you understand the financial efficiency of your campaign.

As you track these over time, you can start to compare how different campaigns perform. For example a campaign might garner many impressions but show a low CTR and a high CPC. This scenario suggests that while the campaign is visible, it's not necessarily attracting cost-effective or relevant clicks. Such insights indicate that the campaign may not be as efficient as desired in driving meaningful traffic to your site.It might be worth sunsetting the less effective campaign in favor of one that demonstrates greater efficiency in terms of cost and engagement.

Leveraging video and social media in PPC

With video, you're not just advertising, you're storytelling. Everyone feels different about this medium, but I think it’s worth consideration. In fact, “91% of businesses use video as a marketing tool” according to a survey by wyzowl, though they also acknowledge that video making/editing/posting takes time, as supported by their finding that a full third of marketers who don’t use video say it’s because they don’t have enough time.

Tips for making video work for your business

Start with a clear message: Your video should have a concise and clear message that aligns with your brand and what you offer.
Quality over quantity: Focus on producing a relatively high-quality video that effectively communicates your message, rather than churning out multiple pieces that wouldn’t reflect your brand.
Showcase real people and stories: Use real-life testimonials or stories that resonate with your audience.
Keep it short and engaging: Attention spans are short. Aim for videos that are engaging and get the message across quickly.
Target your audience accurately: Use the targeting tools on social platforms to reach your specific demographic.
Engage with your audience: Respond to comments and messages to build a community around your brand.
Use eye-catching visuals: Social media is a visual platform, so make sure your ads stand out.
Voice-over options: If being on camera isn’t your thing, consider using voice-overs with engaging visuals.
Include captions: Many people watch videos with the sound off, especially on social media, so adding captions is crucial for accessibility and engagement.

Conclusion & future-proofing your strategy

Mastering PPC in 2024 is an exciting journey of adaptation and innovation. As someone who's navigated these waters, I can tell you the rewards can be immense. Don’t forget that your practice isn't just another business – it's a sanctuary of wellness. Let your PPC strategies be a reflection of your dedication to healing and peace.

So, stay agile and stay curious. Embracing new technologies like AI, and staying attuned to changing consumer behaviors will ensure your campaigns remain relevant. Diversify across different platforms to mitigate risks associated with relying on a single platform as your business matures. Emphasize continuous learning and experimentation with your campaigns to adapt to emerging trends and consumer preferences. Listen to your instincts, but also rely heavily on data to guide your decisions, constantly analyzing and adjusting based on performance metrics. I hope you are able to reap many benefits from your informed, dynamic, forward-thinking approach.

Cutting-edge PPC strategies for holistic health businesses in 2024