Paid Advertising Basics

Paid advertising puts your business in front of potential customers immediately. The tradeoff: it costs money, and it stops the moment you stop paying.

Paid advertising works best as an accelerant — amplifying a message that already converts, or filling a gap while other channels are being built. Businesses that rely entirely on paid traffic are one budget cut away from zero customers.

The Main Paid Channels

Google Search Ads. Your ad appears when someone actively searches for your product or service. High intent. Typically the highest ROI for service businesses.

Facebook and Instagram Ads. Reach people based on demographics and interests. Better for building awareness with audiences who do not yet know they need you.

Google Local Service Ads. Pay-per-lead ads at the top of Google for local service searches. Very effective for home services.

Before You Spend a Dollar

Make sure your website converts visitors into inquiries and you can follow up on leads quickly. Sending paid traffic to a weak landing page is the fastest way to waste a budget.