So you’ve created a mobile friendly website, a Facebook page, and a Twitter account. You’ve seen the increased traffic that tracks down your food truck from your online marketing but you are ready to try something else. Google AdWords marketing may be the next logical step.
If you’ve used the Google search engine (and really, who hasn’t), you’ve seen the ads that pop up when you search for almost any term. Those ads are being placed there by companies that have paid for Google AdWords marketing. Each time you click on one of these ads, they are charged a varied amount and you are taken to their web page.
Recently, I’ve been seeing that some food trucks have started using this great tool so I felt the need to share some of the basics about this service.
Google AdWords Marketing Basics
You are one of many food trucks in your area. When people search “food trucks Austin”, you want your website to be at the top of the list. Instead, in many cases, you may not even be on the first page. With Google AdWords marketing you can buy your way onto the first page with an ad.
While it’s very easy to spend your money on AdWords, it is much harder to determine if you are getting a good ROI. You can set a maximum daily budget that meets your needs but you have to make sure you also track any changes sales make sure you are getting value from these ads.
Getting Started With Google Adwords Marketing
The first step is to head over to AdWords and create an account to start advertising your food truck on Google. They have numerous online guides that will walk you through the whole process. They’ll even help you set up your first ad campaign and enter your billing information so you can begin reaching prospective customers.
3 Types Of Google Adwords Marketing Ads
As we stated earlier, Google AdWords Marketing is pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, these are the three standard ways to develop your ad and your market demographics.
- Search Advertising where your ad appears on a search page after someone types in a search phrase
- Display Advertising where your ad appears on various websites, news sites and blogs across the vast Google network based on your demographic profile
- Remarketing Advertising where your ad appears on the same Google network but only for those who have previously visited your website
Please Note: Google isn’t the only search engine advertising network on the web. There are other search engines (Bing, Yahoo) and a wide range of advertising networks that use the same model for their advertising clients. With Google, you pay nothing up front. You only pay when someone shows an interest in your ad.
If you have yet to build (or had built) a mobile friendly food truck website, be sure to do this before you jump into Google AdWords marketing. You don’t want prospective customers finding a poorly designed site and leaving before finding out how to track your food truck down.
RELATED: Do You Have A Mobile Friendly Food Truck Web Site
The Bottom Line
Google AdWords can assist your food truck brand build name recognition whether you are a new or existing business. Share your thoughts on this topic in the comment section or our food truck forum.