I hate this message gurus put out

I wanted to bring something up that worries a lot of brands.

And that’s instant sales.

Google ads is pretty common now.

A lot of gurus, are constantly telling you how x, y and z works.

But there’s a myth I saw recently that I thought I’d address.

The idea that customers will see your ad and buy immediately.

Yes, a lot of customers who see your ads will buy.

Especially, for a lot of brands we run a 4-part structure that incorporates this.

But it’s not black and white.

Simply because not all customers are ready to buy the moment they see your ad.

That’s why we have remarketing campaigns through ads and email.

This is where understanding the Buying Cycle becomes crucial.

What's the Buying Cycle?

It's the journey your customer takes from realizing they have a problem to actually making a purchase. It has stages:

1. Awareness: They realize they have a need.

2. Consideration: They start looking for solutions.

3. Decision: They're ready to buy.

And where most brands fail is if you're not aligning your ads with where your customer is in this cycle, you're wasting ad spend.

You're showing "Buy Now" ads to someone who doesn't even know they need your product yet.

And that’s why we have the 4-part structure I mentioned earlier.

• Branded search

• Branded shopping

• Prospecting search

• Prospecting shopping

Of course, on top of this we run demand gen, and YouTube as well but I want to focus on these 4 today.

How to Optimize Your Google Ads:

1. Tailor Your Messaging

• Awareness Stage: Focus on problem-solving content. Use ads that lead to informative blog posts or videos. Educate them.

• Consideration Stage: Highlight what sets you apart. Share testimonials, case studies, and comparisons.

• Decision Stage: Time for action. Offer discounts, free trials, or limited-time offers. Create urgency.

2. Leverage Audience Targeting

• Use Google's audience segmentation to your advantage.

• Retarget visitors based on their interaction with your site.

3. Test and Refine

• Monitor which ads perform best at each stage.

• Don't set it and forget it. Be ready to pivot.

Advertising isn't a quick dash; it's a long game.

When you understand and respect the buying cycle, you move from pushing sales to building relationships.

And that's where the real ROI is.

Talk soon,

Jackson

Founder and CEO of Echelonn

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