In this article, we will discuss the five key elements (plus one bonus element) of effective PPC ads in marketing mutual funds and ETFs.
Running a PPC campaign is one of the most effective ways of doing ETF advertising.
Pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns enable exchange-traded fund (ETF) providers to promote investment management and financial services to their target market using online ads. PPC ads appear on digital platforms and channels like search engines, advertising networks, and websites.
Marketing an ETF has always been challenging, but it has become even more demanding in recent years. One of the reasons for this is the increase in competition: the number of U.S.-registered ETFs increased exponentially: from less than 100 to almost 2,700. Economic difficulties brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic present another challenge.
Fortunately, ETF digital marketing through PPC campaigns is a proven tactic that you can use for advertising your ETF. PPC ads can exponentially increase your ETF site traffic and boost your conversion rates.
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Benefits of PPC Ads in ETF Marketing
PPC is a digital advertising method in which advertisers (such as your investment management firm, for example) pay a fee to have your website appear on the search engine result page (SERP) when users search for specific keywords or phrases. Ads displayed on SERPs can attract more visitors to your website.
Ever heard of the phrase “you get what you pay for”? This is a perfect metaphor for PPC advertising. This is because you’ll be charged based on the number of clicks that your ad gets. ETF and mutual fund providers that use this form of advertising have to pay if and only if someone clicks on their ad and goes on to visit their website.
Conversions are the most essential metric of success when it comes to PPC marketing. We can say that a conversion happens when a user takes a desired action. This can include making a phone call to inquire about your firm’s ETF offerings, filling out a form, subscribing to your newsletter, and so on.
PPC is used mainly on search engine result pages like Google and Bing, but it may also be used on social media platforms (although cost per mille/thousand or CPM is more often used there).
When set up and used effectively, PPC can generate valuable leads for your financial services firm. Since you only have to pay for clicks that lead to conversions, you can be more confident that your marketing budget is being used effectively.
To maximize the effectiveness of your investment firm’s PPC ad campaign, you need to focus on five essential elements of PPC. Let’s take a closer look at each of those.
PPC ads can maximize your firm’s ETF marketing budget because you pay only for ads that bring you results."
Key Element of PPC ETF Marketing #1: Keywords
Every pay per click advertising agency worth its salt knows that keyword selection is the foundation of any successful PPC campaign. ETF providers that choose the right keywords for their PPC ads can successfully reach their target customers and promote their financial products to the latter.
Since keywords are the backbone of your PPC campaign, your ETF marketing team needs to select relevant keywords (or phrases) that are suitable for your industry, products, and services. You need to conduct comprehensive keyword research and competitive analysis to find the best keywords to use. Doing this can be time-consuming, but if you need a hand, you can hire an experienced PPC management agency like Zero Company to help out with this task.
Keep in mind, though, that preparing keywords before your PPC campaign is often not enough. Your firm may need to add new keywords or eliminate non-converting keywords to achieve optimal results.
Key Element of PPC ETF Marketing #2: The Offer
When it comes to advertising, the offer you present to your target market is one of the most important aspects of your campaign. Your offer sets your ETF asset management firm apart from the competition and makes prospects want to know more about your financial and investment products or services.
So, what exactly makes an offer compelling? First and foremost, it needs to provide real value to your target market. This could be in the form of a portfolio analysis, a type of risk assessment, or anything else that solves an investment problem or meets a financial need of your target audience. It should be something that your audience genuinely wants or needs and, ideally, something that they can’t get from other ETF providers or investment management firms.
In addition, your offer should be clear, concise, and easy to understand. Make sure that what you’re offering and what they need to do to take advantage of it are clearly defined. As much as possible, avoid using unnecessarily complicated financial language or investment industry jargon that might confuse or even alienate your target market.
Key Element of PPC ETF Marketing #3: Copy
After you have set up your campaign and used an attractive offer, you absolutely need to have targeted copy. This is a crucial element for success in ETF advertising.
Your ETF marketing team needs to craft ad copy that effectively conveys your message to your target market. The ad copy should be relevant to your offer and compelling enough to make your prospects click on your ad.
By tailoring the copy to your specific audience, you can improve the quality of your clicks and boost your conversions. Make sure that your copy clearly communicates the desired action that you want your prospects to take when they reach your landing page.
Key Element of PPC ETF Marketing #4: Landing Pages
The ultimate goal of most (if not all) PPC campaigns is to bring traffic to your firm’s site. Your landing page is what turns visitors to clients. The content, design, and structure of your landing page are all critical elements for converting prospects into clients.
A well-developed sales funnel can be tremendously helpful in improving your conversion rate. However, keep in mind that in ETF marketing, it isn’t possible to track each dollar spent on marketing to a click and then to a final sale. Most of the time, prospects land on your product page, learn more about your fund, and then open their brokerage account to place a trade and purchase the fund.
Creating customized landing pages can provide your prospects with a seamless experience that encourages them to eventually convert into clients. It’s important to have multiple landing pages to cater to specific audiences. For instance, if you want to target Investment Professionals, you could create a landing page that houses videos, infographics, market commentary, one-pagers, and sales sheets that provide detailed information about the fund. You can also have customized landing pages for each product or campaign. For example, if your firm is offering Metals funds, you could develop a landing page for a Precious Metals ETF, and so on.
If you need help developing your sales funnel or creating customized landing pages, you can seek help from an established pay per click advertising firm like Zero Company.
Key Element of PPC ETF Marketing #5: Bidding
Bonus Key Element of PPC ETF Marketing: Website Analysis
So you’ve got the right keywords, enticing offer, compelling copy, customized landing page, and great bid management. Besides all of those, our experience in providing pay per click advertising services for over 21 years has taught us another element that many PPC management agencies neglect: website analysis.
Performing website analysis (using tools like Google Analytics—especially with Google’s new GA4, SEMrush, Ahrefs, GTMetrix, Google PageSpeed Insights, and many, many more) is critical in ensuring that your PPC campaign is effective. By tracking user activity on your site, you can gain valuable insights into how people are interacting with your site and identify any issues that may be hindering your conversions. Armed with that information, you can then make necessary improvements and optimize your PPC campaign for better performance.
The success of your firm’s ETF PPC campaign requires continuous fine-tuning based on data gathered in your site analysis.”
Final Thoughts on the Elements of Effective PPC Advertising For Mutual Fund and ETF Providers
Running a successful PPC campaign requires a balance of different important elements from planning, all the way to analysis and refinement. Although setting up a PPC campaign may seem easy, getting the best ROAS from PPC ads requires a lot of experience and specialized knowledge.
If your ETF management firm would like some help with your PPC ads, Zero Company can lend a hand. We have over 21 years of experience in providing PPC marketing and other digital advertising services to companies across a variety of industries, including the financial management and investment services market.
Get in touch with Zero Company’s team of PPC advertising experts today!
