Get the Job Done: Google ad scores again!

One of my ads that appeared on a Google page search netted me another client! I'm still only now beginning to understand the power of SEO and improving my studio's visibility on the internet. But it looks like what little I've done has helped a tremendous amount.

Peggy, my client, called me earlier this week to book a boudoir session for next month. During our initial consultation, I asked her to explain to me how she found me. She said she did a Google search for "photographers in Denver." That pulled up a long, unwanted list of wedding photographers. She modified her search, typing in "glamour shots." That's when my Google Adwords ad appeared on the right hand side of the screen as one of the sponsored links. My company's name piqued her interest...and the rest was history!



For my current Adwords campaign, I spend no more than $1 a day for automatic placements of my ad on a Google search based on specific keywords typed in by potential clients. I've spent less than $10 on advertising since I opened my Adwords account on Oct. 22, and I've secured two clients who found me solely after completing a search online. It takes some time to be able to choose an appropriate budget amount and eligible keywords that will help increase the times your ad will appear online and the likelihood of someone clicking it. But Adwords gives you plenty of recommendations and a handy keyword generator list to give you a leg up! As my earnings increase, I'll start increasing my ad budget.

If you haven't started an ad campaign for your business on Google yet, what are you waiting for? It works!

Get Out There: Advertising on Facebook

Definitely read this great article on understanding the difference between marketing and advertising on Blogtrepreneur.com


It made perfect sense! One of friends told me that since she updated her status on Facebook as "engaged," she had been seeing a ton of advertising on her profile page pegged toward the bride-to-be, including ads posted from wedding photographers, event planners, destination wedding sites, flowers and catering and gowns and tuxedos. The same thing happened as soon as I wrote on my profile that I was now fostering dogs for a local shelter. Suddenly, I started receiving all of these ads about rescuing abused dogs. "You should create an ad too!," my friend told me.

She was right. For only a few dollars a day, I now have an ad that brands and promotes my services on one of the most popular social sites on the web. The ad is 100% branded by the advertiser with copy and image and does not include any social actions. It can link to a Facebook Page, application or external website. Plus an ad directed to a Facebook Page or application can generate social actions for future campaigns.


I loved this "explanation" when I found it on Pronet Advertising.

Facebook Ads display in the right side column on Facebook pages in the Ad Space. The key to having as many people as possible see your add is to use keywords. The better your keywords, the more effective your add in narrowing the audience who receives it based on interests that match my offer. Even if you aren't interested in advertising on Facebook yet, be sure to check out the "best practices" guide because the information provided is great for helping you begin ANY marketing campaign.

This has also been a great opportunity for me to try to specialize my branding, since Facebook advises that ads are more likely to perform better and continue running successfully if it's displayed to targeted, smaller, more specific group users. There are tons of ads already out there for general photography services. Wedding photography is definitely a more targeted ad campaign. So I decided to narrow it down even further with a pitch for my boudoir photography as a way to test the waters about potential interest.


Teri's Rose is now featured in my new ad campaign on Facebook.

I've extended my boudoir special started earlier this month to extend throughout the wedding season, which lasts through September 2009. My Facebook ad keywords target everything I could think of (until they wouldn't let me add anymore) including girls night out parties, wedding photography, brides and grooms and the ultimate gift. I think I mustered up about 30 keywords.

Since the ad was approved yesterday, I've had more than 100 extra visitors to my business website, starting at my boudoir galleries. That may not seem like a lot, but that's 100 more visitors than I might have had otherwise. All I need is one person to book a session, and my Facebook ad campaign has paid for itself 3X over.