Paid ads vs. Content - Where Should You Invest Your Time and Money?

Do you fear missing out on connecting with customers if you are not running paid ads?

Do you have to run paid ads for terms that match your company or brand name?

Will your competitors reach your target prospects if you don't run a similar paid ad strategy?

I have been asked this question many times over the years and I have always been skeptical of the effectiveness of paid ads. Rarely have I seen a direct ROI for paid ad campaigns. 

Yes, we have seen some ad campaigns drive leads and lead to sales. For the vast majority of our clients over the past 12 years, especially for those that have complex sales processes and long sales cycles, the answer is no - we do not see a direct ROI on paid ads.

This is a terrific article on the topic and one I think you should read. Pretty eye-opening stuff.

A few highlights:

• Data shows digital ads do not work
• Sales revenue does not drop when you stop running paid digital ads
• Investment firms are fleeing ad tech companies
• Content marketing does show a measurable ROI