It didn’t matter what he tried.
That was the gist of an email I got a while back.
It was from a business owner who said he felt defeated.
Said he tried it all.
Working for the motor clubs. Working for Copart. Beating the streets, calling on repair shops.
He even tried Google ads for a time. But said it cost more than what he was getting in return.
But, that wasn’t the worst part.
He confessed that he felt like he was at a point where he didn’t have the confidence to do anything right anymore.
Like, what was the point of even trying?
When I finally dried my tears after hearing of his troubles…I tried to come up with something uplifting as a response.
But…
I mean, what are you supposed to say when you’ve also been that low and know exactly how it feels to be such a mush cookie?
When I hit bottom like that, no words– from anyone, were going to make a damn bit of difference.
I didn’t want to hear it, because, yeah, maybe whoever’s giving advice has been in a rough spot before.
But…you can’t really know all the difficulties the other person is going through.
You start to think about…how does this guy’s business failure affect his relationships with his wife or girlfriend? Maybe he has parents or children who rely on his income.
Could be that he’s going through a custody battle with his Ex and money problems are the last thing he needs.
All of these things and more can feel like the weight of the world is coming down on you and no amount of consoling from anyone is going to move the needle.
Of course, there’s always a silver lining…not that you want to hear about it when you’re wallowing in self pity like that.
But here goes.
For better or worse…you will get through your troubles.
What it took for me to come out on the other side –in better condition, I might add– was pain.
But…pain is a funny thing.
On what you might consider the low end, pain can stem from utter boredom. Doing the same thing over and over and getting nowhere.
With others, pain can be that sick feeling in your stomach when you don’t know where you’re going to come up with next month’s rent.
But with some, your pain threshold is so low that even living on the streets, not knowing when your next meal is coming– won’t spur you into action.
Of course, some folks get off on playing the victim role which, in their mind, excuses their behavior.
I don’t know where you sit on that spectrum but there are always alternatives to blaming others for the messes you’ve made.
In the case of this gentleman’s email, what I would like to say is…”You didn’t try everything.”
Ooh! I know. Blunt, rude, and to the point!
But maybe…that little nudge might have helped him reach his pain threshold.
As mentioned, I don’t know what the guy is going through, and I’m not going to pick apart his entire email.
Just the part about Google Ads.
If I’ve heard one business owner complain about Google Ads not working I’ve heard it a thousand times.
Can your ads cost you more than what you’re getting in return?
Of course!!!
If you’re doing it wrong.
Like a buddy of mine who inherited a mess from the previous owner.
Long story, short.
My friend found himself in charge of a business in a metro area of more than a million people.
They had a huge Google Ad Campaign in place.
Too huge…they were spending $15,000 or more monthly.
And, get this…they only had two trucks on the road.
A bit over the top, wouldn’t you say?
How’d the previous owner get there?
Google.
But you might ask…wouldn’t Google tell him if he was spending too much?
Well, Dave Ramsey has a saying that fits. “If you ask a dog if it’s hungry, the answer’s always yes.”
News flash: Google does not employ “Ad Experts.”
They only have salespeople.
And their salespeople are incentivized to get you to spend more money.
If you don’t know, 80% of Google’s revenue comes from ads.
And the previous owner was listening to these guys.
Google had his ads showing up on YouTube, Gmail, and popping up on websites that did nothing to get his phone ringing.
In short, Google had him wasting money on branding.
Which, if you don’t know, branding is always a waste of money.
Unless you’re competing with the likes of Coca Cola or MacDonald’s,
Because you can’t accurately measure results with branding.
No…If you’re going to play the PPC game with Google, your Ads should be focused on getting immediate results.
So, no, the emailer didn’t try everything.
What he probably wanted to do was just hit the “easy button,” like so many others, and let Google be responsible.
Have you heard of the acronym ROAS? It stands for Return On Ad Spend.
It’s a number that lets you know how much you’re getting in return for every dollar INVESTED in advertising.
How many times have you heard Google, or any other marketing agency talk about ROAS?
My guess is you haven’t.
You know why?
Because, they don’t want you distracted by such “nonsense.”
“Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.”
They want you focused on other metrics. Like, clicks, impression share, likes, and views.
But NOT concerned with–if the money you spend on ads results in more money in your bank account.
Why?
Two reasons:
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They know you won’t do the work required to learn if you’re getting adequate ROAS.
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And their goal is to enrich themselves, not expend massive amounts of energy educating the public.
If you’d like to learn how to determine ROAS, and make Google Ads work for you, schedule a time to talk.
But if you fall into one of the following buckets, please save us both the time and refrain from scheduling a call.
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Your business is located in an area of 10,000 or fewer people.
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You can’t invest a minimum of $1500/month into Google Ads.
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You don’t do towing, only roadside assistance.
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You’re in it for the short term. (Our Long term clients get the best results.)
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You’re not the decision maker in your business.
Don Archer
P.O. Box 104432
Jefferson City, MO 65110
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