5 ways to get even more visitors, with a budget

With money in your pocket there are many options for marketing your shop and driving more visitors. Here we give an overview and describe the most common methods.

Five forms of paid marketing to start from

Before we dive into different ad options, we want to clarify that at the base there are three sources you can work with to drive traffic and get more visitors to your shop: search engines (S), links from other sites (L) and social networks (SN).

Starting from these groups can make it easier to compare different marketing methods and navigate the options. We have therefore linked the methods below to their respective "main source".

Before we get going, also remember to advertise on the marketing channels that are relevant for your shop. Are your audiences not on Facebook? Then do not spend money trying to drive traffic from there.

1. Claim space in search results with Google Ads (S)

Keyword advertising, also called pay-per-click (PPC), search engine advertising (SEA) or search engine marketing (SEM), means paying to show up in search engine results. Since Google dominates most Western markets (around 90-95% share), keyword advertising is essentially synonymous with advertising on Google Ads, Google's own tool. In Google Ads you can choose between several ad formats, e.g. text ads and shopping ads with products.

Some fundamentals when advertising via Google Ads:

• Which words/phrases do your potential customers search for?
• Bidding strategy and daily budget, what are you willing to pay and for what?

When crafting the ads themselves it is important to:

• Use the keyword(s) in the headline and be as relevant as possible.
• Choose a relevant landing page.
• Maximize the description by including the keyword(s), highlighting what makes your business unique, using specific prices or campaigns, and having a clear call to action.

Of course there is much more to know, keyword advertising and Google Ads are practically their own little world. To learn yourself, start with Google's beginner guide that helps you run a campaign from start to finish.

If you would rather let experts handle your Google Ads, there are SEO/SEM agencies you can hire. But make sure you ultimately stay in control! Tips from veteran search practitioners:

• Know what is being done. "Even if you let someone else run your Google Ads, it is important you continuously know what is being done. That way you can quality-check their work."
• Own your account. Big values are built up in a Google Ads account, e.g. a good Quality Score. "So it is a must that you own and control your Google Ads account, even if you hire an agency."
• Do not get locked in. "It is not unusual for agencies to require long-term contracts. Do not accept that! A good agency that delivers what they promise does not need to lock in clients, happy customers stay anyway."

2. Partner with influencers (L)

Working with, and marketing through, influential people (now called influencers) typically falls under influencer marketing. The format and partnership can vary widely, but at its core it means paying an influential person to mention you and link to your shop. It might be an Instagram post, a YouTube sketch, a Facebook share, or a blog post about you for payment (alternatively free products).

Keep in mind:

• Partner with influencers in your niche or industry to reach the right audiences.
• Find out the reach and clicks you can expect from an influencer (and try to verify it). Weigh that against the cost of the partnership.
• It must be clear that the post is "sponsored" or "in partnership with" you if you have paid (either with money or products). Otherwise it counts as hidden advertising and is illegal under most countries' marketing laws.

Tip! Most national consumer protection authorities have compiled recommendations for those working with PR and marketing on blogs and social media.

3. Advertise on blogs and websites via networks (L)

Using ad networks, also called affiliate networks, you can advertise with banners (ad images) or text on others' blogs and websites. You can join existing networks, which then distribute your ads to different sites, or build your own. Typically you pay for sold products, completed actions (e.g. a sign-up) or clicks.

One of the most common networks is Google Display Network, where you can appear on specific sites or sites within a chosen topic. But there are many more, Adtraction, Awin, Tradedoubler, Impact and CJ Affiliate are examples of affiliate networks.

4. Show up on news/magazine sites and in others' newsletters (L)

Magazines and newspapers are still part of many people's daily life, whether in print or digital form. And these channels offer many advertising options. You can buy "classic" ads in the form of banners on news/magazine sites or in newsletters. Or you can choose native advertising, i.e. buying space and creating content marked as "sponsored" or "in partnership with".

5. Cut through the noise on Facebook and other social media (SN)

Do you use Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, Pinterest or other social media? Whichever you use, it is almost always hard to reach new people if you only post organically. But by advertising you can cut through the noise (or rather, all the algorithms) and bring more visitors to your shop. Start from the channels your audiences use, and where you may already have accounts, and check the advertising options.

Some general tips for successful social media advertising:

• Narrow your audience, targeting everyone aged 15 to 89 is a bad idea.
• If you target new people without a prior connection to your shop, be clear about "who" your business is and what you have to offer.
• Test different messages and creative on your ads to see what works best. Use the platform's built-in A/B test tools to compare versions.

Ad options grow like mushrooms and you have plenty of niche alternatives to pick from. But however you spend your marketing budget, measure properly and evaluate! That is the only way to know what works and what does not.