Paid Traffic vs Free Traffic | #026

"Free" sounds good to everyone but everything has a cost, especially when it comes to traffic. In this episode, learn the different benefits and costs of paid and free traffic, and how to get the most out of both to boost your business.   Episode Discussion The myth of so-called "free traffic" How to get the most out of your paid traffic marketing Why "free traffic" isn't really free An overlooked aspect of paid traffic and why to budget for it An SEO refresher course One of the most valuable free traffic marketing strategies How long it can take to see results from SEO Tips for a successful social media strategy Paid vs. Free…which one's for you?   01:42 What is traffic? Generally accepted marketing term for "people" More specifically, eyeballs, attention. Ideally, driving your target market to an offer, message, sales page. Step 1 of the marketing funnel.   2:49 2 different kinds of traffic Paid Traffic Free Traffic Pay either way using money or time (energy and resources).   03:27 Paid Traffic Options: Facebook Ads Google Adwords LinkedIn Twitter Ads Banner ads   If it has the word "Ads" after it, it's a form of paid traffic. Pay-per-click (PPC): Have top position everywhere you want (news feeds, search engine). Have to be willing to outspend everyone.   Learning curve associated with paid traffic: Expensive when first learning – allocate a percentage of your marketing budget.   Figure out what's working, what's not. Ways to optimize and continue getting a better investment   Retargeting or remarketing Enables you to capitalize on the traffic you already have. 05:06 "Free Traffic"  "I know we're on a podcast so you can't see what I'm doing but I've got the air quotes going because there really is no such thing as free traffic." Everything will take investment (time, energy, and resources) to create.   One of the most popular types of free traffic: Content marketing (blogs, podcasts, video, infographics)   Social media: A viable strategy to use with free traffic. Ensure your market is active on that social media channel Make sure you message is consistent across all channels Respect the social channel (not overly promotional)   7:07 SEO (Search Engine Optimization) Optimizing your website so it appears higher in search engine results when someone is searching for a service you offer It can take serious time and investment (for content creation) in order to claim a top spot May take a couple of months up to a year for more competitive terms.   8:21 Paid Traffic vs. Free Traffic If you have more money than time, focus on paid traffic. If you have more time than money, focus on free traffic.   Include both eventually to create a steady and consistent flow of traffic to your business.   Mentioned in this episode:   Episode #12 - How to create a marketing funnel Episode #7 - The Power of Retargeting and Remarketing Episode #23 - SEO Tips and Tricks for 2017    Contact Adam: [email protected]   Click here to subscribe via iTunes Modern Marketing on Stitcher Modern Marketing on Pocket Casts