If you are looking to increase your leads – there are several ways to do so. Unfortunately, you have to make a hard choice.  Do you invest your time – or your money? If you are investigating Google Ads, that means you have already invested your time and have grown your company successfully. It generally means your company has 3 or more employees that you need to support, and that you have run out of time to invest in networking, cold-calling, and telemarketing. It means you don’t want to hire a salesperson yes (or that you need to feed your sales team some leads so they can bring in more sales).

 

Once you have reached this point – you, your marketing manager, or your Fractional CMO will begin researching ways to increase your inbound leads. Digital marketing is usually the first method explored – researching Google Ads, Social Media Ads, SEM Services, and SEO Services.

 

All of these methods of lead generation work, but they all have their pros and cons. So how do you navigate which services are the right ones for you? How do you know which marketing companies to use? And how do you determine how much is too much to pay for a lead?

 

In this article, we take a look at some of the marketing companies and platforms out there that are intended to help you generate leads; and you must decide which to pursue (or hire a Fractional CMO to assist you through this process, since this is our expertise).

 

For those who are insistent in DIY marketing (and for those marketing managers who often visit our site for advise), will look closely at Google Ads, which is SBMS Media’s top method of producing leads for our clients. If you understand how to generate an effective Google Ads campaign, the ROI is quite measurable. It’s a matter of understanding how Google Ads works and knowing when you may need some Google Ads help.

 

 

Lead Generation Platforms for Contractors and Service Providers

 

 

Let’s start by taking a minute to look at some of the key lead generation platforms out there for service professionals such as remodelers, contractors, plumbers, roofers, event planners, and printing companies (we are focusing on these types of companies, since these are the clients we provide services to as a Fractional CMO).

 

There’s Thumbtack and Yelp who provide lead generation for most service-providing industries.  Plus others like Porch, Home Advisor, and Angi (formerly Angie’s list). These are among the most commonly known lead-generation platforms for home improvement and service companies.

 

They all work phenomenally well. But they come with pros and cons. What we want to highlight today is…..and this may be shocking……they ALL using Google Ads (and SEO….which we also provide)!!! 

The two biggest differences between them paying for Google ads and you is that

 

(1) When you pay for their leads, THEY get the brand recognition, instead of your brand.

(2) You have to SHARE leads!

 

Essentially, these service providers (SEM companies) promote themselves as “lead generation platforms for pros.” So let’s say for example you’re an interior designer. You might create a Thumbtack or Angi profile, and subsequently advertise your services. The site will feature reviews, your specialty areas, pricing, and locations, among other pertinent details. This is all well and good. You actually get a backlink from these companies, which is also good. But if you don’t pay for their services – all you are doing is boosting their SEO and providing opportunities to other service providers because they sometimes add a “masked” phone number – which means consumers are reaching out to the SEM company – NOT YOU!

 

It’s sneaky and we don’t like it.

 

And if you do pay for their services, you are paying for them to brand their company and when someone clicks on the ad, you have to share the lead with another service provider – hoping to beat them out to win the contract.

 

On their surface, sites, and platforms such as these seem to be an easy and quick way to get the leads you need for your growing business. However, there are definitely some things that you want to be aware of prior to enrolling in or paying for these kinds of services.

 

 

Some of the disadvantages to consider with platforms such as Houzz, Thumbtack or Angi:

 

 

• In many cases, the consumer cannot contact you directly. That is to say, your only form of contact will be through the platform. This could result in frustrating communications as well as lost revenue.

 

• You have to call the consumer back within minutes or risk never actually reaching them because they get bombarded by 3-5 other service providers and eventually stop picking up the telephone.

 

• The platform will send out emails and notifications on your behalf. And while this could be beneficial, it often has a wrap for being annoying given the number of notifications sent out.

 

• The prices for leads can be quite high. And not only that, but it can also be a hassle to actually reach the consumer and close the deal. Oftentimes the consumer doesn’t realize they have clicked on an ad and when you call they are confused stating things like “I just wanted to get a range of pricing for budgeting”, “I just filled out a quiz”, or “I didn’t know I was putting my information into a lead broker”, and worse yet, “I’m not interested” – in which case you STILL have to pay the lead fee (oftentimes upwards of $100+ per lead)

 

• There are bogus leads that you need to be aware of. In fact, some surveys show that 90% of the time the person you’re calling has no idea why you are in fact calling. You have thus been charged with a lead and now you have to spend the time trying to submit a lead credit.

 

These types of systems have flaws, major flaws. And if you do not have money to spare, they can be costly with very little ROI to show for it. For many smaller businesses and also medium-sized businesses, there are better ways to generate leads than via these platforms. This is where Google Ads really can be a boon to your business.

 

 

What is Google Ads?

 

 

Google Ads is Google‘s online advertising program. Using this program, you have the ability to create ads that will reach people per your audience objectives. That is to say, you define your target audience, and you therefore have the opportunity to have your ad seen by those people who are actually looking for your specific product or service—to the most relevant audience out there. There are over 20 ways to advertise on using Google Ads, which is why its best to hire a marketing expert to build and manage your campaigns. It’s the best way to grow your business when done right, but when done wrong, it can cost you a small fortune with no return on investment.

 

 

The good thing about the Google Ads program is that there’s no minimum spending requirement. You set the budget depending on the money you have allocated to advertising as well as what is particularly comfortable for you during a given month or even week. (We advise our clients to invest no less than $1,500 per month)

 

 

Why You Should Use Google Ads to Promote Your Business

 

 

As mentioned, there are numerous ways to get leads for your company. But again, are they the right kind of leads? Are they cost-prohibitive? And are they high-quality leads? Google Ads has proven time and time again to help businesses generate the kind of leads that actually result in sales. 

 

So why should you consider using Google Ads for your company:

 

 

1. Google is a behemoth. Just think about how extensive Google is. The name Google has become an actual word. That is how massive their influence and reach is. Using the power of Google Ads, you tap into this extensive reach and get your ads in front of the people who matter.

 

2. People who respond to the ads are looking to buy. It comes down to a matter of intent. Certainly, you can run ads on a variety of different platforms, but are those people actually looking to buy your product or service? If someone clicks on a Google Ad, they are likely doing so because they’re interested in exploring your product/service further.

 

3. There is budget flexibility. As already noted, you’re not confined to a minimum budget. Depending on which keywords you choose, you can keep your budget relatively small. Especially if your ads are targeting a certain geographic location, then the budget can be quite reasonable and still have impressive results.

 

4. Google Ads can help build brand awareness. Brand awareness is everything. People need to know who you are. They need to come to identify your brand with the value that you bring. A Google Ads campaign strategically executed can without question help you expand your brand awareness.

 

5. There are a variety of bidding strategies. Depending on what goal you have for your ad, Google will recommend the kind of bidding strategy that you should utilize. This is all designed to help you maximize your Google Ads budget.

 

Getting The Right Google Ads Help

 

Many business owners don’t necessarily know how to navigate a Google Ads campaign. They end up winging it. And as a result, they’re not utilizing their money in the best way possible when it comes to Google Ads. Getting Google Ads help could mean the difference between a campaign that works and results in actual sales or a campaign that tanks.

 

 

We work hand-in-hand with our clients to help them reduce their overall ad spend while still maximizing their ROI. You don’t need to be throwing away money on sites such as Angi or Thumbtack. In the end, they are often more headache than help.

 

 

Employing a very deliberate Google Ads campaign, we’ve seen clients save up to $1200 a month without sacrificing the number of leads that they get. In fact, their leads have increased. 

 

Working with one particular company, we enabled them to scale to over $800k in sales after being in business for just a few months. This is what getting Google Ads help can do. We’re ready to help to you.

 

If you are ready to start a Google Ads Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaign, click on the Blue “Request a Consultation” button in the upper right hand corner of your screen.