Is anyone using Google adword campaigns? I am just starting out and looking for cost effective ways to get market share. Any feedback is appreciated!
Google Adwords can get expensive.
What methods have you used to promote your business online?
First get your Google Business presence. It’s free. Keep it updated.
Start there.
I use Adwords Express and it pays for itself.
Peter’s advice is prudent - work as hard as you can to get your organic Google ranking working as best as possible for you. It is the best long-term strategy. Organic ranking depends heavily on Search Engine Optimization (SEO). SEO can be quite complicated to the average person unless you have a background in computers and/or web design and/or digital marketing. My advice for SEO is to pay a reputable professional who can guarantee results to help you with it.
I have a computer background and I still chose to use Google Ads (Adwords by the way is no longer a term used by Google as they changed a lot in recent years and then re-branded it). Peter is also correct in that Google Ads can get quite expensive. However, you set the monthly budget you are willing to spend. Google will “magically” spend every penny of that budget each month, even during the slower periods, so just keep that in mind - you are going to have roughly that same expense each month with them no matter what.
Now, with that said, Google Ads has definitely paid for itself for me in more ways than one. I set a budget so that a single full home inspection breaks me even (and I make a little bit on top of that, too). So any other leads I get that month past the first inspection are effectively “free” to me. The hidden benefit of Google Ads for me has been the connections it has developed for me with Realtors, Landlords, and Property Investors/Managers that I may otherwise not have met. A homebuyer does a Google search and finds me independently, then I do the inspection. Their Realtor sees the quality I deliver and then begins referring other clients to me. Next thing you know, you have many leads coming in from just a single Google Ads click.
Although I would LOVE to not have to pay for Google Ads, right now, I feel it has been and still is instrumental to my success. I just entered my third year of being in business and I will likely keep Google Ads for this year and then start reducing my Ads budget next year as I get more and more of a foundation laid.
Hope this helps…
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Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated!
Do you do any local sponsorships (events, sports teams, etc.) to get your company name out there?
A few months ago I bought a quarter page ad in the Old Bridge Little League program book. It is going to be on the page of the scoring. I was excited. Now with the virus, I haven’t heard yet if the season will be cancelled. We’ll see.
You should get you $ back if it is cancelled Peter, eh?
I joined the local Realtor boards as an Affiliate member which gets me listed in the annual directory as one of the local home inspection companies. I do some presentation/lunch-n-learn events at a few of the local offices to keep my name in circulation. Although marketing is not my primary motivation for doing so, I also have a few local charitable organizations that I also sponsor annual events and sometimes they will print a list of sponsors on various literature as a “thank you”. Contact your local school board(s) and see if you can list with them with a special discount for teachers and employees. Think of every little marketing thing you do as a seed that gets planted that can (and hopefully does) eventually sprout, grow, and bear fruit. 
I’ve been calling. They told me they have a lot of refund requests.
I hope it works out well for you, Peter. 
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