Understanding The Basics of Paid Media: A Beginners Guide for The Construction Industry

When it comes to building a strong digital presence, paid media is the concrete foundation that supports your marketing efforts. Just like laying bricks for a sturdy wall, understanding the basics of paid media can help you construct a robust online strategy that attracts customers and drives conversions. This guide will provide a clear blueprint for using paid media effectively in the construction industry.

Paid media refers to any advertising that requires payment to display, including search ads, display ads, social media ads, and more. Think of it as hiring a crane to lift your message high above the crowd. While organic efforts like SEO (search engine optimisation) are crucial, sometimes you need that extra boost to get noticed in a busy construction site (or online marketplace).

Marketing can be divided into three primary categories: paid media, owned media, and earned media.

Here's a breakdown of each:

Paid Media: Paid media refers to any advertising space you pay for, such as Google Ads, social media ads, or display ads on other websites. It's like renting a billboard on a busy motorway - you're paying for visibility and driving traffic to your site or services. Paid media is great for generating immediate attention and targeted exposure, allowing you to reach your audience quickly.

Owned Media: Owned media is content that your business controls, such as your website, blog, and social media profiles. Think of it as the building you own and maintain—it's where your brand lives and grows over time. By consistently creating valuable content on these platforms, you can nurture relationships with your audience and keep them engaged without paying for ad space.

Earned Media: Earned media is the organic attention and engagement you receive from others, like customer reviews, media coverage, and social media shares. It's similar to word-of-mouth referrals in the construction industry—when you do great work, people talk about it. Earned media is the most trusted form because it's essentially third-party validation of your business, helping to boost your credibility and brand reputation.

Paid Search Ads

Paid search ads, otherwise known as paid search advertising or PPC (pay per click), appear on search engine results pages when users enter specific keywords. They're like the flashing lights of a construction site, guiding potential customers to your services and products.

Google Ads and Microsoft Ads offer advanced targeting options, ad extensions, and in-depth analytics, making them powerful tools for boosting marketing efforts and driving sales growth.

Display Ads

Display ads consist of banner ads, videos, and interactive content that appear on various websites. These ads grab immediate attention and promote brand awareness.

The most recognised form of display advertising is Google Display Ads. This vast network spans over 2 million websites and mobile apps, allowing your ads to reach up to 90% of internet users globally.
However, a significant portion of premium website inventory, such as industry journals or news websites is outside of Google’s reach. This is where Programmatic advertising comes in, allowing you to show your ads to very specific audiences on the websites most closely aligned with their profession.

Social Media Ads

Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn allow for targeted advertising to specific audiences, otherwise known as paid social. This is similar to networking at a construction expo, where you can showcase your work, engage with potential clients, and build relationships.

Retargeting Ads

Retargeting ads, often referred to as remarketing, remind users of your services after they've visited your website. Think of it as a friendly reminder from a subcontractor who wants to ensure they're not forgotten.

In the bustling world of construction, standing out can be as challenging as finding a stud in a wall. Paid media offers several benefits that can help your construction business reach its target audience:

Immediate Visibility: Unlike organic methods that take time to build momentum, paid media can deliver immediate results. Just like the quick installation of scaffolding, paid ads can elevate your brand's visibility in a fraction of the time it takes to achieve those results organically. In some cases, they can even allow you to reach areas that are inaccessible to an organic strategy.

Targeted Reach: Paid media offers advanced targeting options that allow you to focus on specific demographics, interests, and behaviours. It's like having a blueprint for your audience; you can lay down the right materials to reach the right people.

Measurable Results: One of the best features of paid media is the ability to track and measure results in real-time. Just like measuring twice before cutting, you can analyse performance metrics to adjust your campaigns and ensure you're on the right path to hit your business goals.

Increased Brand Awareness: Consistent visibility through paid media can build brand recognition. Think of it as putting up signage on a busy road—more people will see your name, and you'll be top-of-mind when they need your services.

In any paid media strategy, it's important to define what you want to achieve. Your strategy acts as the blueprint for your advertising efforts, and it's essential to get it right from the start.

• Define your goals: Before starting any campaign, outline your objectives. Do you want to increase website traffic, generate leads, or boost brand awareness? Setting clear goals will help you measure success later on.
• Identify your audience: Understand who your ideal customers are. This could include homeowners, developers, or commercial property managers. Knowing your audience is like having a detailed plan for a construction project - it ensures that every action you take is purposeful.
• Choosing the right platforms: Based on your audience, decide which platforms to use for your paid media campaigns. A mix of search, display, and social media ads can create a balanced approach that captures attention at different stages of the customer journey.
• Compelling content: Your ad copy and visuals should reflect your brand's voice and resonate with your audience. Use high-quality images of your work, catchy headlines, and clear calls to action that guide users toward the next step, whether that's filling out a form or visiting your website.
• Monitor & optimise: Just like construction projects require regular inspections, your paid media campaigns need ongoing monitoring. Track performance metrics, such as click-through rates (CTR), conversion rates, and return on investment (ROI). Like any digital marketing campaign, paid media requires ongoing attention and can't be set and forgotten.

Choosing the right paid media channels can feel overwhelming, especially when you're new to digital marketing. At Tradectory, our team of paid media experts brings deep knowledge of the construction industry and years of experience running campaigns for global construction brands. We understand what it takes to get the strategy right.

In some cases, a single paid media channel might be enough; in others, a mix of channels may be required. Ultimately, it all depends on your goals and what you aim to achieve with your digital marketing efforts.

Here are some key considerations to think about:

What is your overall goal?

Do you want to increase brand awareness, generate leads, or drive traffic to your website? Different goals may require different channels:

• Brand Awareness: Display Ads and Social Media Ads.
• Lead Generation: Search Ads and LinkedIn Ads.
• Conversions: Retargeting Ads and Google Shopping Ads.

What is your budget?

Your budget will play a significant role in which channels you choose. Some platforms, like Google Search Ads, allow for precise targeting but can be more expensive due to competition. Social media ads are more budget-friendly and offer great reach. Allocate your budget to platforms that align with your goals and audience.

Who is your target audience?

Understanding your target audience is key to selecting the right channels. Consider where your potential customers spend their time online. If your audience is homeowners looking for renovations, they might be active on social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram. If you're targeting B2B clients like contractors, developers, or architects, LinkedIn or Google Search Ads might be more effective.

What channels are your competitors using?

Analysing competitors to see what channels they're using is a great sign to determine whether or not they are seeing success in their marketing efforts.

Analyse Channel Strengths

Each paid media channel has its own strengths:

• Google Search Ads: Excellent for capturing high-intent users actively searching for services like yours.
• Google Display Ads: Ideal for brand awareness and retargeting by placing visual ads across a large network of sites.
• Social Media Ads (Facebook, Instagram) are great for targeting broad or niche audiences with engaging, visual content.
• LinkedIn Ads: Perfect for B2B campaigns, particularly if you're targeting professionals in specific industries.
• YouTube Ads: Effective for video content that tells your brand story or showcases completed projects.

How does paid media differ from organic marketing?

Paid media involves paying for placement or exposure, while organic marketing focuses on unpaid strategies like SEO, content marketing, and social media engagement. Paid media delivers faster results, while organic efforts usually take time to build momentum.

How do I measure the success of a paid media campaign?

Success is measured through key performance indicators (KPIs) like click-through rates (CTR), conversion rates, cost per acquisition (CPA), return on ad spend (ROAS), and overall return on investment (ROI).

How long does it take to see results from paid media?

Paid media can yield immediate results once the campaign is live, but the time to see meaningful outcomes depends on your budget, targeting, and the specific platform. Search and social ads can start generating traffic almost instantly, while full campaign optimisation may take up to 3 months.

Can paid media improve my organic rankings on search engines?

While paid media doesn't directly impact organic search rankings, it can drive more traffic to your site, which may improve your site's engagement and visibility over time. A combined approach using both paid and organic strategies often yields the best results.